Senior citizens granted Malaysian citizenship

Read this post from the Star Papers today about people who have "struck the lottery" by becoming Malaysian citizens:
Senior citizens granted Malaysian citizenship
By FARIK ZOLKEPLI


farik@thestar.com.my

KLUANG: Liaw Choo came to this country 79 years ago. Yesterday, the 85-year-old finally became a Malaysian. Liaw was ecstatic, thanks to the help of Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.

“I have applied more than 10 times but failed due to many complications, such as the lack of a birth certificate.

“In my heart, I have always been a true Malaysian and I really wanted to be recognised as a citizen before I die,” she said, shedding tears of joy.

“I am really thankful for the minister’s help as my dream has finally come true. This is the happiest day of my life.”

Liaw was among six people who received the certificates from Hishammuddin at Kampung Baru Nyior in Kluang yesterday.


Dream come true: Hishammuddin presenting the certificate of citizenship to Liaw. Looking on are Paloh assemblyman Hoo Seong Chang (right) and Liaw’s son Lim Soon Booi.

The mother of two, who migrated to then Malaya from China with her parents when she was only six, has been applying for citizenship since 10 years ago.

Another recipient G. Singaram, 67, equated receiving the certificate as striking a lottery. He had waited for more than 40 years to become a citizen.

“I was born in Slim River, Perak, in 1943 but I was unable to obtain a birth certificate during the Japanese Occupation. I have lived my whole life in Malaysia, but only now, I have become a a citizen,” he said.

The father of six children said he had applied numerous times but met one stumbling block after another.

“Words cannot describe how happy I am after officially becoming a Malaysian citizen.

“The minister has truly delivered on his promise,” he said.

Hishammuddin said the joy on the recipients’ faces made all the hard work by ministry officers in processing their applications worth it.

“I have presented such certificates to people in other places in the country, but I am really happy with this one, as it is under my Sembrong parliamentary constituency.”

He also said the ministry was working out a mechanism to curb further backlogs of applications for citizenship, birth certificates and MyKad.
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