As published in The Star Friday July 27 2007

Mental patient missing from home

Salhi: ‘Yie’ had not been seen since July 13

PASIR PUTEH: A mentally disabled man, who was recently discharged from a psychiatric ward, has been missing from his home for the past two weeks.
Salhi Ahmad, 27, left home during Friday prayers on July 13, wearing a yellow shirt, blue jeans and black shoes. He has not been seen since.

He was discharged from the Kota Baru General Hospital's psychiatric ward early this month to attend his sister’s wedding ceremony.

“He looked pleased to be home, and he took his medication without much fuss,” said his father, Ahmad Salleh, 62.

But Ahmad fears that Yie, as friends and family call him, could now be behaving aggressively without his prescribed medication.

“He did not take his MyKad and left with only RM3.50 in his pockets, but he could have gone outside of Kelantan by now because all our efforts to find him here have been fruitless,” said the retired schoolteacher.

A police report over Salhi's disappearance was lodged at the Pasir Puteh police station on July 14, he said.

Ahmad added that Salhi, who is 175cm tall and weighs about 70kg, had gone missing from home several times since 1997.

“But he was always found after a few days. Usually, our relatives would find him in Kuala Lumpur or Ipoh, where he studied,” he said.

He requested anybody who has seen his son to contact him at 09-786 6040, 017-970 3227 or 012-296 2642.