GEORGE TOWN – Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has said that she will meet with the relevant Malaysian authorities over the mysterious death of Australian grandmother Annapuranee Jenkins in Penang, the deceased’s son Greg Jenkins said.
He told The Vibes that he and his sister Jennifer were summoned to meet Wong at her office in Adelaide recently to discuss the case.
“She said she would be liaising with her Malaysian counterparts,” Greg said in a call from Australia.
“Our stand is concise and clear. We want justice for our beloved mother, and we hope the resources of both countries can be used to find out what actually had befallen my mom,” he added.
It has been a long five years of struggle and financial strife for the family, as they tirelessly lobbied Australian and Malaysian authorities, including politicians, to probe into how their mother could have disappeared before her partial skeletal remains were found later.
Parit Buntar-born Annapuranee, 67, went missing after alighting from an Uber e-hailing ride along the busy Scotland Road on December 13, 2017.
Her remains were found nearly three years later at a construction site near the Penang Turf Club in 2020. An inquest held by police is still ongoing.
According to Greg, Wong is troubled by the circumstances of the case and would be meeting with the relevant authorities over the matter.
Wong in July had said she would closely monitor the inquest, although she did not raise the matter with Malaysian authorities in a June visit here as newly minted foreign minister.
Greg, who had previously expressed frustration with the handling of his mother’s case, said he was nevertheless grateful to the Malaysian authorities, adding that he had nothing personal against anyone. He hopes the public will understand the family’s need for closure and wish to know what led to his mother’s disappearance and subsequent death.
The inquest into Annapurnee’s death before coroner Norsalha Hamzah is set to resume its proceedings next month at the sessions court here.
Greg is hoping that he and Jennifer can attend the proceedings, which is nearing its end after several key individuals were subpoenaed as witnesses to testify.
Adelaide-based politician Frank Pangello, who is a former journalist, is hoping to also come over as a sign of support for the Jenkins family.
Annapuranee had been visiting her mother here when she mysteriously went missing. Her skeletal remains were uncovered by construction workers of the Kensington Heights luxury property project in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic.
She was married to Frank Francis Jenkins, who was then an officer with the Royal Australian Air Force in Penang.
She had relocated to Adelaide with him.
They have two children and two grandchildren from their marriage.
Former PKR deputy secretary-general S. Raveentharan, who is a lawyer, is holding a watching brief on behalf of the Jenkins family. – The Vibes, December 20, 2022
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