Emotional Reunion of Mother and Daughter Separated for 37 Years in Malang, Disappeared Since 1986, Found in NTT

Dream - Suminah (81) never expected to be able to meet her daughter, Hernik Martika alias Sudarmi (65), again. They have been separated for 37 years, since 1985 when Sudarmi left home to find work.

Suminah and her family in Malang City even considered her daughter dead because she never gave any news to the family.

Their reunion at Mapolresta Malang Kota was very touching. Suminah hugged and kissed her child without hesitation.

"Where have you been, my child?," Suminah said tearfully.

So happy, Suminah, accompanied by her family and volunteers, couldn't contain her happiness. She almost fainted seeing the surprise in front of her eyes.

Sudarmi arrived in Malang accompanied by a Bhabinkamtibmas in Soe District, South Central Timor, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). She claimed to have found Sudarmi in the Taman Soe area two weeks ago.

"We found Sudarmi in Taman Soe in an unstable physical and mental condition," said Aipda Catur, quoted from merdeka.com.

When found, her condition was pitiful, homeless, and only had a few pieces of clothes. She slept in front of a shop every day.

At that time, Sudarmi was evacuated to a post established by the Javanese community in Soe District and received recovery assistance. At the same time, guidance was provided until personal data and origins were obtained.

"We needed time for the recovery process until we obtained her identity, which turned out to be from Malang City," she said.

After obtaining Sudarmi's identity and origin, she contacted Bhabinkamtibmas Polsek Kedung Kandang, Polresta Malang Kota.

After a search was conducted, the officers finally found Sudarmi's family in Malang City, precisely on Jl. Bayam Dalam, Bumiayu Village, Kedungkandang District.

Next, Polresta Malang Kota, Polres Timor Tengah Selatan, Kontak Kerukunan Sosial Keluarga Jawa (K2S), Komunitas Arema NTT tried to repatriate Sudarmi to her family.

"This is the power of kinship that can find a child who has been missing since the age of 17 and has had no communication with the family at all," said the Chief of Malang Kota Police, Kombes Pol Budi Hermanto.

Now Sudarmi and her family have been reunited with their relatives. The family admitted that they had been searching everywhere but never received any news.

"We feel grateful to be reunited since 1986, which we were separated, and we never managed to find her from year to year," said Sudarmi's sibling.

Sudarmi tried her luck in Malaysia before marrying a man from NTT and brought to her husband's hometown. However, their marriage ended in divorce.