Custody and criminal proceedings in Belgium – press statement

In October 2007 me, Elis and Ferris travelled from Belgium to Malaysia for a Hari Raya holiday. It was Elis third visit to Malaysia in 2007.  I returned to Belgium in November 2007 for my work. Elis and Ferris were supposed to return to Belgium the latest on 22 December 2007. An airplane ticket was booked for that date. Bringing Ferris from his habitual residence in Belgium to Malaysia and retaining him there without the consent of the left-behind parent is a criminal offence in Belgium. The state prosecutor has been requested to institute criminal proceedings. After all the suffering I went through, I want to see Elis brought to justice in order to clear my name with the people of Malaysia.

Once in Malaysia, Elis cut of all contact between me and Ferris by hiding herself and dragging Ferris with her. This was in the period between November 2007 and February 2009.

The negative statements Elis has been making about me in the press are pure defamation with the intend of distracting the public of the fact that she cut of contact between me and Ferris for 480 days. More than enough reason to lose custody.

Ferris habitual place of residence is Belgium, on that basis I applied for custody in Belgium earlier this year. On 8 June 2009 the civil court in the city of Tongeren awarded me permanent custody over Ferris. Elis is allowed to visit Ferris in Belgium under supervision.

Ferris is not pure Malaysian, he has Netherlands and Malaysian citizenship. Most of his life he lived in Belgium, he is more European than Malaysian.

When Elis was 3 years old her parents divorced. Elis always told me she was a neglected child, and how she suffered from this. It is beyond comprehension that Elis broke our family too when Ferris also was 3 years of age. I would never have broken my family, in the interest of Ferris. All my grandparents stayed together until death and my parents are already married for 43 years. I come from a decent family, and never expected that a Malaysian lady would be able to do this.

Sinar Harian asked for a comment regarding the Syariah court decision of 10 November 2009

From: Mohd Fazli Zainul Abidin [mailto:fazli.zainul@sinarharian.com.my]
Sent: 11 november 2009 7:35
To: Frank van de Ven
Subject: Regarding "Ibu mohon diberi hak jagaan Ferris" of 11 September 2009

Hello Frank,

Regarding to ‘Hak pernjagaan Ferris milik Elis’ of 11 November 2009.

I want to ask u some question, Really hope it’s does not disturb your time

1.What your comment regarding the court result?
2. How’s your son now?  if u don’t mind, can u email his new photo to us?

Can u reply this email immediately, because we need that feedback to our special report.

Thanks,
Regard,
Fazli

Frank van de Ven’s reaction:

11 November 2009 – The same Syariah court that granted Elis custody of our son Ferris, also granted me custody of Ferris on 9 January 2008. Following that decision Elis Syuhaila made herself disappear for almost exactly one year. Elis became a fugitive, constantly changing residence, and dragging our son Ferris with her. Ferris did not understand what was happening to him. The Syariah court issued an arrest warrant against Elis on 19 March 2008, permohonan no. 10100-036-0048-2008. The Malaysian authorities did not provide any assistance finding her. When she was found by me on 29 December 2008, the police refused to arrest her despite the arrest warrant. I had to visit a top official of the Royal Malaysian Police to get the police to arrest her. Within one hour the Syariah Court released her again, leaving her in possession of Ferris and his passports. About a week later, early February 2009, the Syariah court decided to let us share custody on a weekly basis, and Elis was allowed to keep Ferris passports. Because of Elis Syuhaila I had not seen my son for 480 days in total. The conclusion of me and my lawyer was that, as a white race Muslim, I had no chance to receive justice. This despite the fact that my wife had a proven affair with a man called Mr. Niek in Belgium, and she also lived together with a Malay man who Ferris referred to as “uncle Bob” in Malaysia in 2008 and early 2009. When my son begged me to return him to Belgium, the country where he spend most of his life and also went to school, I decided to fulfill his wish and returned to Belgium. I want to stress that I don’t want my son to be raised by a woman who has affairs and lives a sinful life. My wife is unfortunately one of those ten thousands Asian women who are chasing Western men in the hope of a better life and money.

The reaction was not published in the Sinar Harian newspaper.