The woman said her daughter, who had been held since Jan 14, was released on Friday.
“The police in Jitra called me and told me to take my daughter home,” she told FMT.
The case drew public attention after FMT reported the mother’s plea to release her daughter following her arrest at a roadblock near the Jitra toll plaza.
The woman said police flagged down the vehicle in which the teenager was travelling, alleging it was being used to smuggle migrants. Her daughter, along with her father and others in the car, were taken into custody.
While in detention, the teen suffered vomiting and developed skin allergies after being held for a week.
Kedah police chief Adzli Abu Shah confirmed the arrest, while home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said he would look into the detention of the minor.
Rights group Suara Rakyat Malaysia called for the girl’s immediate release, saying she should have been dealt with under the Child Act 2017.
The mother said her daughter was so distressed that police allowed her to visit to calm her down.
“In the lockup, she vomited because she was scared and traumatised. She was placed together with other adult female detainees,” she said.
“They allowed me to see her because she couldn’t sleep. She was afraid,” she said, adding that her daughter pleaded everyday to be released.
“I am just happy she is with me now. She’s back safe.”
‘Deeply troubling’
Consumers Association of Subang and Shah Alam president Jacob George, whom the woman turned to for help after learning of the arrest, described the incident as “deeply troubling”.
He said Sosma, a law designed for security offences, requires strict due diligence, especially when minors are involved.
“Those conducting the operation should have checked if there were any underage persons in the mix and taken immediate steps. We are dealing with a child,” he told FMT.
“The girl suffered panic attacks and an emotional breakdown,” he said, urging the home ministry to ensure minors are placed in halfway homes while investigations are ongoing.
However, he praised police officers in Jitra for accommodating the mother’s request to visit her daughter daily and allowing her to buy food.