Final thoughts
After Sufiah left, Farooq's behaviour gradually went from bad to worse and I had no choice but to divorce him. This was much easier than it would have been before, as most of my children had grown up and were capable of looking after themselves.
I do not want to speculate as to why Sufiah chose to become an escort; we have not seen her for such a long time, and I don't know what might have happened in those four years. I prefer instead to remember the pleasant times I had with Sufiah, of which there were many. Sufiah was a good child, and I just hope that she hasn't changed irrevocably since she's been away from the support of her family.
Sufiah and Farooq aside, our family bonds are still very strong, and we'll always be available to talk to Sufiah if she is willing. Sufiah's quarrel was really with Farooq and not the rest of us, so I remain optimistic that she will eventually come around. Ultimately, though, Sufiah is now an adult and what she decides to do with her life is entirely up to her.
Finally, I'd like to say that I'm very grateful for all the offers of support from fellow Malaysians. But since Sufiah is an adult capable of making her own decisions, I think it would be better to learn from this story and make sure it doesn't happen to a talented young person again. I feel that other Malaysians need help more than us, which is partly why I have tried to share the things I have learnt in the course of teaching children to excel.
Thank you.
Halimahton Yusof