A 20-year-old Singaporean woman who was reported missing after travelling to Cambodia has been found safe and said she travelled there voluntarily to work as an English teacher.
Ms Aishah Siregar said on Saturday (1st August) that she had travelled to Cambodia of her own accord. In a video statement recorded at the Phnom Penh Municipal Police Headquarters after Cambodian police located her, and obtained by CNA from the Cambodian authorities, she said she left Singapore because she found life stressful and wanted to “find my own path”.
“It is entirely my choice,” Aishah said, adding that she had not been forced or scammed into travelling. “To clarify once again, I have not been involved or been forced to partake in any scamming activities or any criminal activities,” Aishah said.
Cambodia’s Ministry of Interior said Ms Aishah told investigators she had travelled to the country because of personal family issues and had deliberately cut off communication with her family after leaving Singapore. She said she had been experiencing stressful living conditions in Singapore, had arranged accommodation through a Cambodian property agent before arriving, and was met at the airport by a local friend she had met through online gaming.
Citing the Secretariat of the Commission for Combating Online Scams, the Khmer Times reported that Ms Aishah left Singapore on 28th July aboard Emirates flight EK348 and arrived at Techo International Airport later the same day.
Before she went missing, Ms Aishah’s last message to her mother said she was going to school. When her family went to collect her as usual, they found that her WhatsApp and Telegram accounts had been deleted and her phone was no longer reachable. After returning home, they discovered her passport was missing and reported her disappearance to the police. They later found a flight itinerary for Cambodia in her emails, raising fears that she had been lured there by scammers and prompting the family to make a public appeal.
Her father, Sahat Siregar, said publicly that “every minute feels so long”, expressing his hope that his daughter would return home safely. Her brother, Syafiq, thanked the Cambodian authorities for their swift response while asking the Singapore embassy for further support to help facilitate her return.
Singapore police confirmed that the Cambodian National Police had located Ms Aishah and verified that she was safe. She has maintained that no criminal activity, including unlawful detention or kidnapping, took place, and said she switched off her phone to avoid contact with her guardians while she was experiencing emotional distress.
As of Saturday (1st August), Ms Aishah remained in Cambodia under the care of the local authorities, with efforts continuing to support her and facilitate her possible return. Her family said they were relieved to receive confirmation that she was safe and continued to work with the relevant authorities.
Cambodia has attracted international scrutiny in recent years over scam compounds and online fraud operations, with reports of human trafficking and forced involvement in criminal activity raising concern across the region. These cases have heightened anxiety among families in Singapore and elsewhere when relatives travel to Cambodia without maintaining regular contact.
Although investigators said there was no evidence that Ms Aishah had been trafficked or forced into criminal activity, her disappearance prompted wider discussion in Singapore about family communication, the mental well-being of young adults, and the importance of exercising caution when travelling abroad.
The case also highlights the importance of relying on verified information during missing person investigations, particularly when they unfold against the backdrop of broader regional concerns about cyber fraud and human trafficking in parts of Southeast Asia.
About the Author
