How I feel about winning:
Praise to God for this win. It was my husband who broke the news to me this morning that I had won before I received this news officially from my lawyers in San Francisco. It was indeed a mammoth effort that had spanned about 9 years since the incident at the San Francisco International Airport on Jan 2nd 2005. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my legal team and all my American supporters. My utmost thank you to the strong legal ladies who represented and counseled me from McManis Faulkner law firm for the last 9 years: Elizabeth Pipkin, Christine Peek, and Marwa Elzankaly. My gratitude to James McManis, partner and a Stanford alumni, who relentlessly continued to pursue in upholding justice regardless of race, religion and nationality. I feel very privileged to be a Stanford alumni. My gracious appreciation to Reverend John Hester, Reverend George Fitzgerald, and all the volunteers at the Spiritual Care Services at Stanford University Medical Center who had played a big role in initiation this legal effort. I am very grateful to Universiti Putra Malaysia especially to all the Vice Chancellors since 2005 for their understanding and continuing support for my personal undertaking. It is a sweet victory over great teamwork, perseverance, diligence, dignity and integrity by all parties supporting the effort.
Are there plans to return to USA soon:
I would like to continue my academic activities with my peers in the U.S.A. There will be more collaborations between Malaysian and American scientists and academicians where I can now be actively involved. I hope Universiti Putra Malaysia can play a significant role in establishing significant collaborative work in R&D and Innovation and Commercialization with Stanford University’s researchers especially. Since I returned from Stanford, I am very much involved in the innovation and commercialization agenda for Universiti Putra Malaysia and I also hope to see some of my own patented inventions commercialized by Silicon Valley investors.
How I feel about my experience:
It is my wish not to have another innocent person to undergo what I went through. If this win will help another innocent person, I pray for that person to prevail too.
What kept me going for 9 years:
To know that I had gone to Stanford University using Malaysian taxpayers’ funds and if I didn’t pursue my case, I would not be effective to deliver the knowledge I gained after I graduated. I was most aware then that my people would lose out in our innovation and commercialization agenda unless I did what I could to return to the United States. With more academic collaborative work across both countries, people from both nations can prosper with due respect and dignity bestowed to one another.
For all inquiries about the US government intention, legal actions, etc.:
Please contact Elizabeth Pipkin at epipkin@mcmanislaw.com for response.