Cambodian Official Urges Singaporean Woman to Look Beyond Stereotypes

PHNOM PENH, Aug 2, 2026 (KPT) — A Cambodian commerce official has penned an open letter to a Singaporean woman found safe in Phnom Penh, urging her story be seen as a lesson in understanding rather than prejudice. Authorities identified the woman as Siti Aishah Siregar Binte Sahat Siregar, also known as Eve, who arrived on July 28 aboard Emirates flight EK348. Following confirmation of her safety, Samheng Bora, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Commerce, issued a public message expressing hope the attention would not deter her from continuing her journey in Cambodia. “Whatever you came here looking for, I genuinely hope you find it,” he wrote. Bora said his first reaction to reports of Aishah’s disappearance was concern, but he was disheartened by online comments portraying Cambodia as a country defined by scams and danger. “Reading those comments broke my heart. Not only because they criticised my country. But because they reminded me how easily we allow headlines to become our understanding of an entire nation,” he said. The official admitted he initially felt defensive but realised anger would only reinforce prejudice. “The moment I allowed anger to replace curiosity, I had become guilty of the very thing I was condemning,” he wrote. Bora said the case underscored how quickly people form opinions about places they have never experienced. “Perhaps this story was never really about Singapore or Cambodia. Perhaps it is about how remarkably easy it is for all of us to inherit stories about people we have never met and places we have never truly known,” he added. Acknowledging Cambodia’s challenges, Bora highlighted its hospitality and resilience, saying he hoped Aishah would discover “the Cambodia found in the warmth of its people, where strangers are treated like family.” He closed by thanking her for choosing Cambodia and expressing hope the country would prove worthy of her trust.