KUALA MUDA: The daughter of Sabari Baharom, 62, who has been missing since Sept 3, expressed relief after learning that a woman had been detained in connection with the case.
Suraiya Izzaty Sabari, 29, hopes the arrest will bring much-needed closure to her father's disappearance.
As the eldest of three siblings, she places her trust in the police to conduct a thorough investigation.
"We don't know the individual detained, and she's not among my father's acquaintances," she said when met at her home in Kampung Pokok Asam, Sungai Petani.
Although her father's phone had been switched off since the day he vanished, Suraiya remains hopeful, continuing to call him while reaching out to his close friends for any updates.
"So far, we haven't received any strange or prank calls. However, we've come across some negative rumours about my father shared via screenshots on WhatsApp and Facebook.
"None of them are true. If anyone has information about my father or sees him with suspicious individuals, please contact the police immediately," she said, adding that the authorities had kept the family updated.
Suraiya and her younger brother, Muhammad Amir Hakimi, 25, have been anxiously awaiting news about their father, who has now been missing for nearly three weeks.
She explained that while there were concerns about financial transactions possibly made using his accounts, their primary focus was on his safe return.
"Since my father went missing, I've barely slept, especially as I am still in confinement after giving birth to my first child, who is just over a month old.
"We've been fully cooperative with the police and have shared any information we have to assist in the investigation," she said.
Suraiya said that she and her siblings had a close bond with their father, adding that they would speak with him almost daily, even if just for a short call.
"That's why his sudden disappearance is so strange. We've never lost contact with him before. The three of us are very close to him.
"I'm holding on to the hope that we'll find him soon, and our family can be reunited. My gut tells me he's still alive... please, return my father to us safely," she said.
Earlier, Kedah police chief Datuk Fisol Salleh confirmed at a press conference that a 62-year-old woman had been detained to assist in the investigation into Sabari's disappearance.
Sabari, a former finance officer at a government agency, was reported missing on Sept 3 after leaving his home in Kampung Mengkuang Tengah, Kuala Pegang, Baling, in a Proton Waja.
His car was later found burned in Belantik, Sik, but there has been no sign of him since.