By Sharanpal Singh Randhawa

KANGAR: "Dik Na dah balik (Dik Na is back home)" said a teary-eyed Siti Aishah Hamid to her father Hamid Mahasa as they met for the first time after she was released from a Pakistani jail.

The emotional meeting took place at Aishah's family home in Kampung Permatang Pauh, Simpang Empat, Perlis, yesterday afternoon.

Aishah, 44, arrived in Malaysia on Tuesday and spent the day in Kuala Lumpur with relatives before coming to see her ailing 70-year-old father yesterday.

After embracing her father and spending several minutes with him, she related her ordeal which saw her languishing in prison for a year.

She was a classic example of a "Malaysian drug mule". She was duped by an international drug syndicate into carrying drugs for them.

"I have no one to blame except myself. I was naive and was easily fooled."

She claimed she took part in a SMS contest and was notified that she had won a trip to Singapore.

"I was given RM300 (S$125) to apply for my passport. I did not have to spend any money.

"When the passport was ready, I was told to come to Kuala Lumpur to collect my flight ticket."

When she arrived at the Puduraya bus terminal, she was met by two African men and a local Chinese woman, and was taken to a hotel.

"They told me that the Singapore trip was cancelled but, instead, my holiday was to Pakistan. I was so excited."

She flew to Pakistan and spent four days sightseeing. On the day she was to return, however, she was told she had to stay another two days.

"They told me I had to wait for two Malaysians who had also won the contest and that all of us were to fly home together. Two weeks went by and I became suspicious. I insisted I wanted to go back.

"They agreed, gave me a make-up bag and called a taxi to take me to the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi."

That was in April last year. After checking in her luggage, she was stopped by Customs officers who checked her hand luggage.

"They checked the make-up bag and found heroin at the base of the bag. There was a false bottom in the bag."

She was charged and sentenced to one year in jail. She was released earlier for good behaviour.

-The New Straits Times

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