Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran, accompanied by Indira Gandhi, speaks to the press at the Arul Oli Mandram building, Ipoh June 16, 2018. — Picture by Marcus Pheong

IPOH, June 16 — Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran, who represented Hindu mother M. Indira Gandhi in her interfaith custody battle, said he will meet with the Inspector-General of Police in a bid to hasten the retrieval of her daughter who was abducted by her estranged ex-husband.

Indira previously secured a court order compelling Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun’s predecessor to find her Muslim convert former spouse and recover daughter Prasana Diksa from him.

“I will be meeting Mohamad Fuzi soon to see how I can accelerate the process to locate Indira’s daughter,” he told reporters.

He said the court orders for the police to retrieve Prasansa and arrest Mohd Ridhuan Abdullah remained valid.

Kulasegaran said Muhammad Riduan has used the same mobile number for years and that authorities were aware of this, suggesting they should be able to trace him.

“I believe in next one or two months we will see some result. There are some difficulties here and there, but we will try to do our best to achieve it,” he said.

On April 2, 2009, Muhammad Riduan covertly converted his three children to Islam without their knowledge or Indira’s consent, before going to the Shariah court just a few days later to obtain custody rights for them.

Muhammad Riduan then abducted their youngest daughter, Prasana, who was 11-month-old then, from Indira.

After an extended legal battle, the Federal Court ruled in January that unilateral conversions are unlawful and that a matter being under the jurisdiction of Shariah Courts does not exclude the jurisdiction of civil courts on the same issue.

Separately, Indira said the change in government during the 14th general election raised her hopes of being reunited with Prasana.

“I’m really hoping that this matter will be more transparent with the new government, for the past 10 years there was no news of her, but I have a bright feeling that I will see my daughter soon,” she said.

Kulasegaran took Indira’s case early on and saw it through to completion.