With so many depressing news being reported all the time, it’s a relief to see a happy ending to one such event.
A six-year-old girl, Albertine Leo Jia Hui, was reported missing from the Bon Odori festival in Johor Bahru (JB) on 20 July.
Her distraught family called on the police and the public to help find Jia Hui.
Missing Girl Reunites with Family, Eats for Free at JB Restaurant
On 23 July, the police arrested five people for suspected kidnapping and successfully found Jia Hui 370 km away in Batang Kali, Selangor.
It was initially reported that the family of the missing girl were on the way to Selangor to reunite with their daughter, who thankfully was unharmed.
However, it seemed that the police transferred her to Johor instead.
On the evening of the same day, a close friend or relative of the family posted a photo of the reunion on Facebook. It showed a tired-looking Jia Hui surrounded by her family in JB.
Referring to Jia Hui endearingly as “little sister”, she expressed the Leo family’s gratitude to online netizens for sharing the information.
They also thanked everyone for their love and concern towards Jia Hui.
Sin Chew Daily reported that the kidnappers had not fed food or water to Jia Hui in the three days she went missing, explaining her exhausted expression.
The family went to a JB restaurant to eat together. The staff, who had put up a notice and followed the news, immediately recognised Jia Hui.
Due to this, the restaurant’s boss allowed them to eat for free in celebration.
Jia Hui got a much-deserved treat of ice cream and jelly, alongside the classic toast and eggs.
Netizens online also celebrated the news, with the reunion photo post gaining over 15k likes at press time.
Many Attempt to Claim RM50,000 Reward Offered Online
The case saw much involvement from people on social media, who rapidly spread the word throughout Malaysia and Singapore.
Several people even offered money, the biggest reward being RM50,000 (around S$14,300) put up by a company for critical information that led to the girl being found.
As the police rescued Jia Hui, the reward money would not be given out, reported The Star.
Unfortunately for the company, a big reward offered publicly is akin to dropping bait in a piranha pool.
The company’s tip-off line was flooded. Not with info, mind you, but with claimants trying to get the prize.
Their reasons for taking credit included having prayed for Jia Hui’s rescue, which clearly meant they deserved the money.
In that case, though, shouldn’t God get the RM50,000?
When police entered the budget hotel in Batang Kali, they found Jia Hui with one of the five suspects, a 31-year-old man.
The suspect refused to talk to the press but was seen wearing a T-shirt with the Bon Odori logo on it, the same festival Jia Hui was abducted from.
The president of the association which hosted the Bon Odori festival explained that a total of 350 such T-shirts were ordered.
They were given to staff and sponsors, but 150 of them were also sold to participants. As such, it’s not clear if the suspect was employed at the festival or merely an attendee.
Police are still searching for a motive, as none of the five suspects have familial relations to Jia Hui.
