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20 Vietnamese women ran from Malaysian husbands, took children: report

Authorities in Malaysia are looking for 20 Vietnamese women who reportedly left their husbands in Malaysia and might have returned to Vietnam with their children.
Michael Chong, Public Complaints Bureau Chief at the Malaysian Chinese Association, said at a press conference Monday that there has been no trace of the women or their children in Malaysia.
Chong said, as cited by Free Malaysia Today, that Vietnam Foreign Affairs director Le Phu Hoa has agreed to try to locate the women and children.
But he said all search efforts will be made on “humanitarian grounds.”
“We understand the importance of a mother’s love, so we will not side with anyone and will not attempt to separate mother and child. We only want to bring them together so they can discuss among themselves how best to resolve the issue,” he said.
The children are Malaysian citizens, he added.
He said many of the women were married to Malaysian men via matchmaking agents who charged between RM18,000 and RM25,000 (US$4,400-6,100).
Many of the women could have run away because their husbands are too old, Chong said.
His unit plans to seek support from Vietnamese media as well as the matchmakers.