Published: Wednesday February 8, 2012 MYT 4:40:00 PM

Man missing for nine months comes home

MARANG: A 28-year-old man reported missing about nine months ago returned safely to his family here on Sunday.

As he is illiterate, Adi Saiful Che Kor failed to contact his family since June and was presumed dead. He was actually working in Singapore.

Numerous efforts were made to find him, including seeking the help of the media last November, as the family believed he was still alive.

Adi Saiful said he had no intention of making his family worry about him, but failed to contact them to inform them of the actual situation.

He said he initially worked in Kuantan as a security guard but contacted an agent in Johor Baharu to find a better job, and was offered a job in Singapore.

"I really did intend to telephone my family after I reached there (Singapore) but I could not use the telephone there.

"I also wanted to send a letter to tell my family that I was safe but I can't write," said Adi Saiful at his house in Kampung Bukit on Wednesday.

Adi Saiful said he worked in a laundry for RM2,800 a month and was not allowed to leave Singapore for the first six months.

"I returned home because my employer gave me two weeks' leave," he said.

His mother Azizah Khalid, 49, said at first she was so furious she wanted to beat Adi Saiful when he appeared at the house at 8am on Sunday. "I am relieved but still furious because we thought he was the victim of some treachery when he actually went to Singapore without telling us," she said.

Azizah did not expect her son could go so far alone to work and she was disappointed Adi Saiful failed to contact the family, causing them undue anxiety.

"After lodging a police report, I went to see some bomoh who said he had died," she said.

Bernama highlighted the dilemma of Adi Saiful's family on Nov 18 when he went missing after last contacting them during the final Kelantan-Terengganu FA Cup football match at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium in June last year. - Bernama

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