The parents of a British teenager missing for almost a week in Malaysia have made an emotional speech to thank rescue teams searching for their daughter.
Meabh and Sebastian Quoirin, whose 15-year-old daughter Nora has been missing since last Sunday, addressed a gathering in the Dusun forest on the Malay peninsula to say ‘terima kasih’ (‘thank you’ in Malay) to those searching for her.
Nora, who has learning difficulties and ‘couldn’t go anywhere alone’ was found to be missing from an eco-resort where the family had been staying last Sunday.
In the short speech, Ms Quoirin held back tears, as her husband stood beside her, rubbing her arm as she said Nora will ‘miss cuddles at bedtime’.
In a video broadcast on local media, she said: ‘We want to say thank you to each and every one of you. We know you’re searching night and day for Nora.
Meabh Quoirin (pictured with husband Sebastian) has thanked Malaysia police for helping search for their daughter Nora, 15, who went missing from the eco-resort in the Dusun forest where they had been staying
Search crews looking for the 15-year-old have begun playing her mother´s voice in the dense Malaysian forest near where she disappeared (Handout/PA)
Members of a rescue team and a dog conduct a search and rescue operation for missing British girl Nora Quoirin, 15, at the forest in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan
‘We see you working so hard and also praying with us and being with us.
‘You have given up your time especially at a special festival time,’ she said, referring to Hari Raya Haji, the Islamic ‘festival of sacrifice’ celebrations.
Ms Quoirin praised the dedication and expertise shown by those looking for Nora.
‘To be with us here, it means the world to us. We are so grateful for everything that you are doing for us, everyone who is helping here and not from here.
Undated family handout photo of Meabh Quoirin with her daughter Nora Quoirin who has gone missing while on holiday in Malaysia (PA / handout)
‘To be with us here, it means the world to us. We are so grateful for everything that you are doing for us, everyone who is helping here and not from here,’ Meabh Quorin said at a gathering
‘We are extremely impressed by the effort, your expertise, your dedication and we hope you find Nora.’
The Quoirins, an Irish-French family who have lived in London for 20 years, arrived in the Dusun forest eco-resort in southern Negeri Sembilan state a week ago.
She was discovered missing by her father Sebastien the following morning at around 8am, with a large door-sized downstairs window panel wide open.
Rescue teams are blasting recordings of her mother’s voice out of speaker phones as they search the surrounding jungle.
The family fears their daughter, who was born with the brain defect holoprosencephaly and needs help with many aspects of everyday life, may have been abducted.
‘She is not like other teenagers,’ her family said in a statement. ‘She is not independent and… is very sensitive. Outside the family, Nora is very shy and can be quite anxious.
‘Every night, her special time is for cuddles and a night-time story with her mum. She was extremely excited about the holiday in Malaysia.’
Local police have insisted that Nora is most likely to have wandered out of the resort before getting lost in the dense jungle surrounding it.
But concerns for her welfare will be heightened by her family’s descriptions of her difficulties throughout life.
A members of a rescue team plays a recording of the voice of the mother of missing British girl Nora Anne Quoirin as he conducts a search and rescue operation
Local police have insisted that Nora is most likely to have wandered out of the resort before getting lost in the dense jungle surrounding it. But concerns for her welfare will be heightened by her family’s descriptions of her difficulties throughout life
Nora and her family arrived at the sprawling resort, located 39 miles south of Kuala Lumpur, last Saturday before she went to sleep beside her siblings in an upstairs bedroom. The Dusun resort is pictured above
Irish band Westlife, who performed in the country’s capital Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, asked their fans to help look for the missing teenager, the Malaysian Star publication reported.
Posters of Nora flashed on giant screens before and during the concert before band member Nicky Byrne pleaded with the 7,000-strong crowd to keep find her.
‘Help share (the poster) on social media. If you know anything about Nora’s disappearance, come forward,’ he said.
‘We are from the same country so this feels very close to us. We wish her family, who must be devastated, much love.
‘If you have any information, please go to the authorities,’ Mr Byrne said.
The family has said they remain hopeful after police leading the investigation refused to rule out a ‘criminal element’.
An Irish Garda liaison officer has been deployed to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia to assist with the case, as Nora was travelling on an Irish passport.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Lucie Blackman Trust intelligence on ops@lbtrust.org or +44 800 098 8485
Nora, 15, went missing while on a holiday with her family in Malaysia (Handout/PA)