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An 18-year-old girl from Johor Bahru has been missing for two weeks, with her family fearing she may have been taken away by her boyfriend or lured into criminal activities
Tan Yan Bing, who recently received her Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) results and was looking for work, was last seen at home on the morning of 26 May, before allegedly leaving without informing her family, according to China Press.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, 9 June, Tan's mother, Lim Siew Lan, said her daughter had undergone a noticeable change in personality after befriending a 22-year-old man.
According to Lim, her youngest daughter was previously quiet and had few friends. However, she became increasingly withdrawn whenever family members asked about the man or their relationship.
Lim said concerns first surfaced late last year when a neighbour saw the teenager leaving home at night with a man. When questioned, Tan allegedly told her family she had only gone out for drinks with a friend.
The family later discovered that she had left home with her boyfriend in December 2025. Following intervention from her elder sister, who is studying in China, the teenager returned home on the same day after a police report was lodged.
However, Lim said a similar incident occurred again.
The mother claimed she found her daughter's room empty on the morning of 26 May and believed Tan had quietly left the house while the rest of the family was asleep
Attempts to contact her were unsuccessful as her phone had been switched off, according to the family.
Lim said even Tan's friends were initially unaware of her whereabouts. Despite efforts to reach her through mutual contacts, there has been no response from the missing teenager.
The family is particularly worried because they previously discovered chat messages showing that Tan had allegedly been persuaded by her boyfriend to borrow RM500 from an unknown individual. The matter only came to light after Lim checked her daughter's conversations.
According to Lim, Tan never revealed from whom the money was borrowed.
Meanwhile, Gerakan vice-president Koo Shiaw Lee, who was present at the press conference, expressed concern that the teenager could be vulnerable to exploitation or trafficking
Koo said he would assist the family in writing to Johor police to urge further investigation into the case.
He also appealed directly to Tan to contact her family if she sees the news reports, saying that her loved ones are deeply worried about her wellbeing and are willing to discuss any issues she may be facing.
Members of the public with information regarding Tan's whereabouts are urged to contact the authorities or reach out to Koo at 017-7723996.
