Missing headmistress knocking on doors for food

Whenever she felt the pangs of hunger, Jashiah Rabu, 53, has been knocking on doors as she went house-to-house at night.

The villagers who offered her food, were unfortunately unaware she was unwell due to chemotherapy treatment and had thus, lost her sense of direction, her son, Mohamad Irfan Ruzilan, 20, told reporters here Wednesday.

Jashiah was last seen leaving her house on Friday afternoon. When her husband, Ruzilan Omar, 57, returned home, he found the main door ajar and the headmistress missing.

It is understood she headed towards the Bukit Kutu forest reserve after leaving her house in Taman Seri Seruling on foot, and by hitching a ride for a distance of about 10km.

Mohamad Irfan, who was supposed to take part in the UiTM Students Sports Carnival in Kedah said he had pulled out and returned home to look for his mother, who was undergoing chemotherapy since March as she was suffering from breast cancer for the past two years.

"Mother looks depressed and has disappeared once before in her car in August and was located in Seremban," he said.

"Mom is a little emotional after her chemotherapy treatment, what more with we siblings each having to work and study and only returning home once in a while.

"It is believed she left home on Friday after father was annoyed with her," said Mohammad Irfan, who last spoke to her over the phone, a day before she was reported missing.

The third child in the family said his mother had not been to school since May and dealt with matters related to the assignment of other teachers from home.

"Mother, who is a cheerful and talkative person, worked in Keramat and stayed with father, who is retired from the army. Once a week, both of them will return to our home in Taman Seri Seruling," he said.

The eldest child, Mohamad Syahidzul Izuan Ruzilan, 22, said he last saw his mother about a month ago, before heading to Pulau Pangkor, Perak to start work at a new place.

A villager identified only as Zamri, who participated in the search operation said on Saturday his in-laws had given food to the missing headmistress who then asked to be sent to an area near the forest reserve.

Meanwhile, Hulu Selangor district police chief Supt R. Supramaniam said the search area had been divided into north, south, east and west.