Abandoned and adopted child now a Malaysian citizen - Four-year-old Alif Iman Mahadhir Abdullah appeared...

Abandoned and adopted child now a Malaysian citizen
By DESIREE TRESA GASPER
desiree@thestar.com.my

JOHOR BARU: Four-year-old Alif Iman Mahadhir Abdullah appeared oblivious to all the fuss when he received his Malaysian citizenship certificate.

The hyperactive boy continued playing around the MCA office here after he received his certificate from Deputy Home Minister Datuk Lee Chee Leong yesterday.

His parents, lecturers Mahadhir Mohamed, 37 and Shafinaz Shahrir, 40, are thankful that their son is now a Malaysian citizen.

Centre of attention: Lee carrying Alif during the citizenship certificate presentation at the MCA office in Johor Baru Sunday. Looking on are Mahadhir (right), Gelang Patah MCA division chairman Jason Teoh (second from right) and Gelang Patah MP Tan Ah Eng (left).

“Alif was abandoned as a child, and when we adopted him, he did not even have a birth certificate.

“We are grateful for the Government's prompt action in providing citizenship to him as his future depended on it,” Mahadhir said, adding that it took them only a year to obtain the citizenship for Alif.

Another recipient, housewife Murni Datuk Koyo, 70, was all smiles and could not stop thanking the Government for giving her a citizenship after residing in the country for more than 35 years.

The mother of eight, who lives in Mutiara Rini here, said she loved living in Malaysia.

“I am originally from Minangkabau in Indonesia, but I decided to settle here after marrying my Malaysian husband,” she added.

Murni said she was very patriotic and even encouraged her eight children to work as civil servants.

“One of my children is a lecturer at a local university and I am proud of them,” she added.

She was among 14 people who received their citizenship certificates during a programme jointly organised by Gelang Patah MCA and the Home Ministry here yesterday.

Lee said the ministry was determined to resolve the people's outstanding citizenship problems as much as possible.

He added that many of the elderly applicants found it difficult to pass the written examination in order to get their citizenships.

“We are allowing those above 50 years to sit for an oral examination alone before granting them their citizenships,” Lee said.