Family of Annapuranee Jenkins, missing in Malaysia, suffer further tragedy as grandmother dies
NEW possible sightings of a missing Adelaide grandmother in Malaysia have renewed hopes for the family but they were dashed from inaction by local authorities.
NEW possible sightings of a missing Adelaide grandmother in Malaysia have renewed hopes for the family but they were dashed from inaction by local authorities.
More than 10 months after Annapuranee “Anna” Jenkins, of Glenelg North, disappeared in Penang, the family still have no answers.
The 56-year-old was on her way to visit her 101-year-old mother at an aged care home at Georgetown on December 13 when she was last seen getting off an Uber outside an orphanage.
The family’s frustration about the search progress has been compounded by grief after Mrs Jenkins’ mother died earlier this week.
Son Steven Jenkins said he received four possible sightings in recent weeks about Mrs Jenkins but Malaysia police did not follow up on new leads despite repeated pleas from the family.
The sightings, which also included photos and licence registration numbers, were sent to Mr Jenkins’ Whatsapp phone number that was printed on more than 8000 posters distributed in Malaysia.
“Every lead has gone cold...it took them (police) three weeks to respond to texts,” Mr Jenkins said.
“When a sighting comes up, it gives us a glimmer of hope and it takes dozens and dozens of phone calls to police to get them to act.”
Mr Jenkins met with local authorities in August in Malaysia but came away from the meeting feeling “complete apathy”.
“That hope never dies (that she’s alive). Because it took police 50 days to do something, we lost all avenues,” he said.
“We have no idea at all what happened to her.
“(The past year) has been really difficult and...not having that closure and no support other than from friends and family has been horrible.”
The family wants Minister of Foreign Affairs Marise Payne to help but “understand they don’t have jurisdiction to do so”.
“We are not the first and won’t be the last... It’s just not good enough especially for an Australian citizen missing overseas” Mr Jenkins said.
“There is nothing we can do other than going ourselves until funds run out.”
Mr Jenkins, who is based in Queensland, hired a security firm Panoptic Solutions and made a dozen trips to the Asian country this year.
He hopes to travel to Malaysia in December but fears dwindling finances will halt further searches.
To donate https://www.mycause.com.au/page/182386/help-find-my-mum