'Faith in humanity restored': Netizens rally to search for Down Syndrome teen who went missing

Singapore’s ‘kampung spirit’ no longer exists? Not according to Ms Yasmin Zaini.

The 28-year-old said her “faith in humanity” had been “restored” after netizens responded to her appeal for help in finding her teenage brother, Khidir, who went missing on Sunday (June 26). 

Thanks to their help, the teen was found after an 11-hour islandwide search.  

Khidir, 17, who has Down’s Syndrome, went missing after having gone out at 2pm to get a bottle of Pokka peach tea, but failed to return to their Tampines home.

His family searched in vain for him before lodging a police report around 4pm at Tampines Police Station.

According to Ms Yasmin, Khidir would usually carry an Airtag tracking device pinned to his EZ-link lanyard, but he did not bring it with him that day.

His phone had also run out of battery. His last known location on a tracking app was at Tampines Central.

When an officer suggested turning to social media to aid in the search, Ms Yasmin, a freelance copywriter, tapped her 1,000 followers on Instagram to appeal for help. She also posted on Twitter, Facebook and Tiktok.

“I knew that Singaporeans were very alert to these things and would be concerned,” said Ms Yasmin, who added that her friends helped “share” the notice through their own social media networks. 

Within an hour, her Instagram post alone garnered thousands of reposts and reshares – from complete strangers to local celebrities such as Aaron Aziz.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Yasmin Zaini (@yasminzaini)

 

A call at 9pm shared the first sighting of Khidir at Khatib MRT, and another one at 12.02am informed that Khidir was spotted near The Home Team building in Yishun.

Already at Khatib, the family rushed to Yishun, and ran into several samaritans in the area aiding in the search.

Ms Yasmin’s mother, Madam Sharifah Haslinda, 52, said the family were searching on the other side of Singapore before the tips came.

“Who knows what time we would have found him. He could have had to spend the night alone,” she said.

At Yishun bus interchange, staff members and bus captains approached Madam Sharifah and pointed out where they had seen him go.

Together with her husband, they went to an area outside the interchange that was ‘pitch dark’ and shouted repeatedly for him.

Khidir emerged from the dark towards his mother’s voice at 12.54am. 

Hungry and needing to use the toilet, he was otherwise unharmed.

Overwhelmed

Mrs Yasmin said she was ‘overwhelmed’ and grateful for Singaporeans' support. “We saw firsthand how the public’s solidarity helped us find him.”

Two such Samaritans were Mr Nazry Zakaria, 37, and his wife Mrs Ayuni Tiruan, 34.

Despite living in Bukit Panjang, the couple, along with friend Helmi Akbar, 35, drove all the way to Yishun to help.

Mr Nazry said his brother also has Down’s syndrome, and the experience of having a family member with special needs spurred them into lending a hand.

“If it happened to my brother, I would also hope for good Samaritans to help me,” he said.

He noted that a group of boys at a basketball court nearby also participated in the search when they heard about Khidir.

Lawyer Mr Sherman Ng, 32 , saw the post on Reddit and wanted to help.

As it was mentioned Khidir might have boarded buses in the east, he specifically changed his hiking route to cover quieter roads there.

“I didn’t really intend on going on a hike but I did so because there was a compelling reason. If I were in their shoes, I would be worried sick,” he said.

Not a first

Khidir also went missing in March this year, and his family spent over four hours searching for him – until a cousin working at Changi Airport’s Terminal 3 spotted him.

On Ms Yasmin’s Instagram story, she said her brother attempted “many escapades” since then, ending up at random locations such as MacPherson.

“It’s difficult to ground him too because he’s a growing boy who, like everyone else, doesn’t want to be cooped up at home during the holidays.”

Ms Yasmin told TNP it was still unclear how Khidir ended up in Yishun, some 19km away from Tampines. But she said the family has decided he would wear a specific shoe with the Airtag sewn into it.

“This is the best way to make sure he always has it with him, as objects touching him can make him uncomfortable.” 

Madam Sharifah said she intends to teach Khidir about the bus routes and help him get more experience taking public transport.

She added that those with special needs might not look lost or in need of help when alone in public.

“Just by asking, you could be helping their family members a lot.

“Always be willing to help. It takes a village to raise a child,” she said.

Or a kampung.