At long last: Mums elated to receive overseas-born kids' citizenship certs

 

From left, Adlyn Adam Teoh, Devi and Myra Eliza and their children celebrate getting their Malaysian citizenship confirmation letter at the National Registration Department offices in Putrajaya.- ART CHEN / The Star.

PUTRAJAYA: Monday (Feb 21) will forever be etched in the memory of three mothers who finally received citizenship certificates for their overseas-born children after years of waiting.

Adlyn Adam Teo was an elated mum after her son's citizenship certificate was in her hands.

"You cannot imagine what mothers like me go through to get this piece of paper. No words can describe how I feel right now.

"I would like to thank the government for acknowledging my son as a citizen of Malaysia. This means a lot to me and will change everything,” she told reporters at the National Registration Department (NRD) headquarters here on Monday.

Teo said she had been fighting for her nine-year-old's citizenship for years.

“Truthfully, I am very tired. But today, I am grateful that justice has been upheld,” she said.

Myra Eliza Mohd Daniel also expressed relief that her daughter’s citizenship has been resolved.

“I have been on this quest since my daughter was four months old. Now she is eight. Today, I am happy beyond words and relieved that the wait is over.

“I would like to thank NRD and the government for issuing the citizenship certificate to my daughter,” she said.

The third mother, who only wanted to be known as Devi, also expressed relief that her child was now a confirmed Malaysian.

“Thank you very much,” she said.

Earlier, after waiting more than two hours, the women left NRD headquarters dejected when they were told the certificates could not be issued due to “printer setting problems”.

The women had gone there after the NRD wrote to inform them to collect their children’s citizenship papers at 2.30pm.

However, just as they were about to leave, an officer informed them that the certificates could be issued after all.

They went to NRD headquarters on Dec 30 to apply for Malaysian citizenship for their children.

This followed the Court of Appeal’s dismissal of an application by the government to stay a Dec 22 High Court decision, which ruled that children born abroad to Malaysian mothers with foreign spouses can be given automatic citizenship.

Teo, Myra Eliza and Devi were among the plaintiffs in the case. - Star