BUTTERWORTH: A single mother with three children, who is embroiled in a custody tussle with her estranged husband, has alleged that she was prevented from visiting them at a welfare home in Perlis.

Loh Siew Hong, 35, claimed that the welfare officer told her that she could not visit her children due to the increase in Covid-19 cases in the country.

She claimed the welfare officer told her that she needed to show a negative RTK antigen test before she could be allowed to visit her children, which she complied with.

“I was told to get my Covid-19 tests done with the results so I prepared everything and was going to visit them when the welfare officer called me at about 12.40pm today to say that I was not allowed to visit them due to the increase in Covid-19 cases,” she said during a press conference here on Monday (Feb 15).

Loh said she was baffled why she was not allowed to visit her children, adding that she had entrusted the Welfare Department with her children after meeting them for the first time in three years at the Kangar district police headquarters on Sunday (Feb 13).

Loh said she longed to see her three children, aged between 10 and 14, and would even convert to Islam if that was the only way to see them.

“I don’t mind converting as long as they can be at home with me,” she said.

During the press conference, Tamilar Kural Malaysia president David Marshel said the reason given by the welfare officer is unacceptable and demanded that the Perlis Welfare Department explain why Loh was not allowed to visit her children.

“She has a court order granting her full custody of her three children, meaning there was no valid reason for the Welfare Department to prevent her from visiting her children.

“She only allowed her children to be placed under the Welfare Department’s care temporarily pending her habeas corpus application at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Feb 21 for the children to be officially handed back to her,” he said.

On Saturday (Feb 12), Loh lodged a police report to seek the return of her three children, last known to be with her former husband’s family.

She reportedly said she had been informed that her children were now in the care of religious authorities in Perlis.