Kuala lumpur: Malaysian Norida Akmal Ayob, who was successfully repatriated on Saturday, is grateful that her 18-year ordeal stranded overseas has finally ended. Norida, 45, said she followed her husband to his hometown in Lombok, Indonesia, in 2007, two years after their marriage but her life changed when the marriage did not turn out as she had hoped.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the mother of two said life as the wife of a paddy farmer was initially modest, but her status as a foreigner without valid documents restricted her movement and left her living in constant anxiety. She revealed that her former husband not only failed to register their marriage and arrange her visa, but also left both her citizenship status and that of her eldest child unresolved, resorting to false documents via illegal channels to get by.
Norida claimed her marriage was unhappy before ending in divorce a year ago, and since then, she lost her source of support and was evicted from her former in-laws' home, at times enduring hunger for an entire day because she had no money to buy food. She took on various jobs, including sweeping, washing clothes and working as a restaurant helper with irregular income, before her life improved after she met a woman at a surau.
The woman offered her work making kuih and allowed her to stay at her mother's vacant ancestral home for free. Norida mentioned that the income from selling kuih, between 25,000 and 80,000 Indonesian rupiah (about RM7 to RM24) a day, was prudently used to sustain her livelihood.
Although she has safely returned to Malaysia with her eldest child, Nurfatin Akmadiana Badi, 20, Norida said she misses her 18-year-old son, who remains in Lombok. She expressed that her son wanted to come to Malaysia but was hindered by financial constraints. He is safe there as he is an Indonesian citizen, and efforts are underway to bring him here.
Regarding her future plans, Norida said she is still traumatised by what she went through and needs some time before deciding her next step. Norida and Nurfatin arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA2) Terminal 2 on Saturday after Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah initiated efforts to bring them home.
Shamsul Anuar, who is also the Lenggong member of Parliament, said their return was the result of cooperation between Wisma Putra through the Malaysian Embassy in Indonesia, the Immigration Department and Indonesian authorities.