Family rejoices as adopted son finally gets citizenship
MIRI: It will indeed be a happy new year for Chai Chiok Lin and her husband Wong Sen Kuang as their adopted son Bernard Wong Bing Chen, 18, will finally receive his Malaysian citizenship documents.
After waiting nearly five years, the family received a letter of approval yesterday from the National Registration Department (JPN) dated May 25.“Previously, we applied for the Malaysian citizenship status for Bernard at the National Registration Department once in 2013, but it was rejected and in 2016 we applied again through the help from Datuk Lee’s (Assistant Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Datuk Lee Kim Shin) office.
“Thanks to Datuk Lee and Deputy Prime Minister ( Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi), who took notice of my issue, my son is now a Malaysian citizen and can open his bank account or travel,” Chai said.
Bernard just completed his Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia ( SPM) at SMK St Columba using his adoption certificate.
“I am very happy and grateful for this approval because I can finally open my account or go travel as I wish to continue my studies after this,” he said.
Bernard has been a foster child to Chai and Wong since birth, but his first citizenship application was only submitted in 2013 as the family did not understand the process of citizenship documentation.
Lee said he sent 31 citizenship applications to the Home Ministry and Bernard’s was the fifth to be approved.
“I also gave the names privately to Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and as I knew they (the applicants) had difficulty going to Kuala Lumpur to get the letter of approval because they did not have proper travel identification, so I have made arrangements for the letters to be sent to my office in Kuching instead,” added Lee.