KUALA LUMPUR: The founder of welfare home Rumah Bonda is seeking to retrieve her five adopted children who have been taken by the Social Welfare Department (JKM) since last month.
Siti Bainun Ahd Razali, 29, together with four birth mothers of the children, have filed an application at the Magistrate’s Court to annul the interim custody orders obtained by the department on July 16.
The application was filed through Chambers of Aminahtul Mardiah on Aug 2.
Lawyer Nur Aminahtul Mardiah Md Nor, however, said the fifth mother was unreachable and believed to be in Surabaya, Indonesia.
“We have served (the document) to JKM, but the department is not ready, hence the court had to postpone the hearing date.
“The court has ordered for the department to reply to our affidavits and the hearing has been fixed for Sept 14,” she told the press after a proceeding before Magistrate Nur Farahain Roslan here on Wednesday (Aug 4).
In the application, Siti Bainun and the mothers sought for a court order for the children to be placed under the care of Siti Bainun.
The children, aged between two and 16, including two who have Down Syndrome, were taken by JKM after Siti Bainun was embroiled in an abuse scandal involving a 13-year-old Down Syndrome girl.
It was reported that Siti Bainun was arrested in mid July, but the police failed to arrest her.
Rumah Bonda was subsequently sealed and her five adopted children are currently held at different welfare homes under JKM.
Meanwhile, Nur Aminahtul said the birth mothers have affirmed in their affidavits that they intend to give custody of their children to Siti Bainun.
“The children are directly adopted by Siti Bainun and not under her welfare home,” she said.
In today’s proceedings, Nur Aminahtul said the court had also allowed their application for three interim orders; for Siti Bainun to be given access to the children via video call, for the two Down Syndrome children to be given special formula milk and diapers, and for two school-going ones to be given gadgets to continue their schooling.
“She (Siti Bainun) was never given access to the children since they were taken.
“We are concerned about the emotions of the children. We believe the court has the best interest of the children,” she said.
Nur Aminahtul added that the affidavits and medical documents would show that the children were safe under Siti Bainun’s care.
JKM’s child protection officers Noor Afdzan Mohd Sahandrigani, Asiah Bachok and Mohd Imran Mohd Zanyuin appeared in the proceedings.
