KUALA LUMPUR: A 21-year-old Malaysian student in Hiroshima, Japan, Nurin Hannani Mohd Hafizi, has been found safe in Tokyo after being missing for four days.
"My nightmare has ended, and all I can do is express my gratitude after receiving a call from an official at the Malaysian Embassy in Japan, informing me that my daughter, who had been missing for the past four days, was found safe in Tokyo this afternoon," said Noor Afzan Abdul Razak, the mother of Nurin Hannani.
Noor Afzan said she received the call at around 3.15pm, bringing immense relief to her family, who had been deeply worried and distressed since Nurin failed to return to her dormitory after leaving at midday on Monday.
"I am truly grateful to hear that Nurin has been found safe in Tokyo.
"The Malaysian Embassy in Japan is now handling the situation, including taking her to the police station to report that she has been located.
"I was told that Nurin was found in a confused state, but I do not yet know exactly where or who found my eldest daughter.
"So far, I have not spoken to her, and I prefer to let her calm down first. I am leaving it to the embassy to take care of her while we prepare to travel there in the next two to three days," she told Berita Harian today.
Nurin is the only Muslim and the sole international student at her institution.
She is in her first year of studies after beginning her education in Japan in April last year.
It is understood that she left the campus at midday on Monday and subsequently became unreachable, prompting a search operation with the assistance of various parties, including the Malaysian Embassy and the Japanese Immigration Department.
Kure is located approximately 850km from Tokyo, requiring around 10 hours of travel by car or five hours by train.
Meanwhile, Noor Afzan said she could not imagine how Nurin coped during the four days she was missing, especially as she was only wearing a regular uniform without a thick jacket, despite the cold weather in Japan.
"Nurin is undoubtedly emotionally shaken at this time, which is why we have not asked her any questions.
"Even the embassy officials are giving her space to settle down first.
"My husband, Mohd Hafizi Ariffin, and our youngest child will be travelling to Japan this weekend to meet Nurin Hannani and provide her with moral support.
"We plan to stay there for a week, but this will depend on her condition. If she is still emotionally unstable, we may extend our stay to ensure she recovers fully," she said.
Reflecting on her daughter's disappearance, Noor Afzan said that she and Nurin were in contact almost daily, with the latter frequently sharing updates about her life in Japan.
"The last time I spoke to her was at 11.30am (Japan time) on Monday while she was in class.
"She told me she wanted to hug me because she missed me so much and, at the same time, asked me to pray for her to achieve her goal of becoming a Top 5 student.
"That's why, when she suddenly became uncontactable and did not return to her dormitory as usual, we were all in shock.
"She has always been a cheerful and positive person.
"Losing Nurin Hannani for these four days felt like a nightmare because it happened so suddenly and without explanation. Even her dormitory friends and lecturers were stunned by the incident," she said.
Earlier today, Nurin, a Public Service Department-sponsored student pursuing Environmental Engineering and Urban Planning at the National Institute of Technology, Kure College, was reported missing after being uncontactable since Monday.