KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 — Lawyers for Hindu mother M. Indira Gandhi highlighted that the Budi95 petrol subsidy account of her ex-husband K. Patmanathan is still active even until today, even as he remains a wanted man after he took their daughter away.

Indira’s lawyers Rajesh Nagarajan and Sachpreetraj Singh said it is publicly known that the Malaysian authorities have been aware since November 2025 that Patmanathan has been and continues to be eligible for the Budi95 subsidy.

The lawyers said it appears that the government has not blacklisted or suspended Patmanathan from receiving the RON95 petrol subsidy for Malaysians, even as the authorities are still seeking to locate him in line with a court order.

The lawyers contrasted this with the government’s ability to quickly block access to or eligibility for the Budi95 petrol subsidy when misuse or irregularities are detected.

“We therefore demand that the government, the Ministry of Finance, and the Royal Malaysia Police to explain why, despite knowing since at least November 2024 that Patmanathan was eligible for Budi95, no action was taken to suspend or blacklist him, and what steps will now be taken to ensure that enforcement of the law is carried out without fear or favour,” the lawyers said in a press statement today.

Patmanathan — now known as Muhammad Riduan Abdullah after his conversion to Islam — left the house in 2009 with his and Indira’s youngest child Prasana Diksa, who was 11 months old then.

Indira is still hoping to be reunited with her daughter after 17 years, having won custody of her in court in 2010.

The High Court had in 2014 issued an arrest warrant for Indira’s ex-husband after he failed to obey a court order to return the child to her, and the courts have directed the police to find and arrest him.

Previously, Rajesh had suggested that Riduan could still be in Malaysia, based on the use of his Malaysian identity card or MyKad to utilise the SARA cash aid and to buy subsidised petrol under the Budi95 programme.

On November 26, 2025, Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail said the police were still working to trace Riduan, including by carrying out further investigations into the alleged “existence of an individual who is suspected of using his identity to receive various forms of government aid such as Budi95 and Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA)”.

In January this year, Ipoh district police chief assistant commissioner Abang Zainal Abidin Abang Ahmad urged the public to contact investigating officer, ASP Yap Siew Cheng, at 012-909 3362, if they recognise Riduan or have any information on his location.