Australian actress Eliza Szonert, who snatched her son from her former partner, was being held in police custody in Malaysia on Monday night but had not been officially arrested, her mother Kay confirmed. 
The 42-year-old former Neighbours star had attended a police station in Kuala Lumpur to be interviewed about her move to snatch back her son from her former partner, the boy's father, businessman Ashley Crick, on   December 10.
Kay Szonert, who is currently caring for the child, said her daughter had been expecting to be interviewed but was not sure about how long the process would take.
She said her daughter had attended the police station with a lawyer in the afternoon but by late Monday she had still not been released.
Eliza Szonert was stranded in Malaysia with her son after she snatched the boy from Mr Crick in a Kuala Lumpur restaurant. 
She alleged Mr Crick is in possession of her and her son's passports and has declined to release them to her.
Mr Crick has since complained to Malaysian Police, who are investigating the incident which involved Eliza Szonert using two burly men from a child recovery agency to undertake the snatch.
A Kuala Lumpur-based senior investigations police officer, Arikrishnan Apparau, said he had called on Eliza Szonert to present herself to the police station to give a statement.
The child recovery agency employees involved in the operation have since been flown out of the country.
Mr Crick, 43, last week told Australian media that he had filed a statement with Malaysian police after his son was snatched as he ate breakfast at a restaurant.
He said it was a parent's worst nightmare and he expressed fears for his son's safety.
Mr Crick reportedly said he hoped Eliza Szonert would comply with authorities to allow him to return to Australia with his son where he would fight for custody through the Australian court system.
The case sparked controversy after a video of the snatch was circulated.
Some news outlets have reported claims that Eliza Szonert had travelled to Malaysia after spending time in a rehabilitation clinic.
But Kay Szonert said Eliza had only been treated for trauma and depression at the facility called The Cabin, sometimes known as the "Betty Ford Clinic of Asia".
Kay had said her daughter would eventually make a statement to police but was currently suffering from bronchitis.
The former actress had previously told Fairfax Media that she had taken her son to Kuala Lumpur to visit her former partner, but alleged the arrangement turned sour in recent weeks.
She alleged Mr Crick kicked her out of their shared accommodation after a disagreement, refused to hand over her passport, and refused to let her see their son.
After appealing to the Australian High Commission, Eliza Szonert enlisted the help of child recovery experts, who assisted her to find her son at a suburban mall where she picked him up and quickly walked away.
The experience, captured on video given to Fairfax Media, showed Eliza Szonert calmly walking into the restaurant, picking up her son and walking out again, as Mr Crick stood talking with the man who accompanied her.
It is this incident, in which Mr Crick is seen to be standing close to the two men who assisted in the snatch operation, that Malaysian Police are concerned may be a case of "wrongful confinement"'.
The couple separated in 2012.