Woman, 83, Raised Abandoned Child For 22 Years Since She Was 2 Months Old
According to Harian Metro, a Malaysian kindergarten teacher adopted and reared a young girl who was abandoned at a kindergarten 22 years ago when she was only two months old.
Despite ethnic and religious divisions, this was achieved.
Rohana Abdullah, the girl, was abandoned at the kindergarten after her biological mother, who worked as a cleaner there, was forced to return to Indonesia.
Her Malaysian father had abandoned her when she was a child, leaving her with no other relatives.
Chee Hoi Lan, who is now 83 years old, was a kindergarten teacher when she decided to adopt Rohana.
Chee, who is single, claims she has raised Rohana as if she were her own child throughout the years, and the two have lived together in Kuala Lumpur since Chee adopted her.
“I’m aware that there are some foods that she (Rohana) cannot consume. I’m sure she has to pray at times, and that’s not a problem “Chee went on to say.
Chee allegedly acknowledged that Rohana’s Muslim faith could be “an issue,” which is why she went out of her way to provide “anything that Rohana required,” including paying for Rohana’s religious studies out of her own pocket.
Chee said she made sure her adopted daughter followed her prayers and ate halal food throughout the years.
Rohana was afflicted with anxiousness.
Rohana, who is fluent in Mandarin, refers to her adopted mother as “laoshi,” which is Mandarin for “teacher.” She expressed her love and gratitude to Chee for all of her care and support over the years.
Rohana, on the other hand, is currently having issues with her citizenship status. According to Harian Metro, she has been applying for Malaysian citizenship since 2016, but has yet to receive a response.
Rohana thought it was “unfair” that she had to endure the consequences of her birth parents’ error.
She claimed she was forced to drop out of school at one point due to a lack of necessary documentation.
Rohana went on to say that she was anxious and had attempted suicide to get rid of her problems.
The thought of her adoptive mother, and how the elderly woman would cope after she died, saved her from taking her own life.
“I simply hope that I can be awarded a status that allows me to live like everyone else,” she added. “That means getting married, opening a bank account, and other things that I couldn’t do before.”
Chee expressed her desire to see her adoptive daughter marry and start a profession before she passes away.
The problem of Rohana has been raised with the Malaysian Ministry of Home Affairs, according to the head of the Zon Batu residents’ committee, who also stated that he would submit an official letter to Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin.
Malaysia’s interior minister was “struck.”
On Jan. 16, Hamzah wrote on Facebook that Chee and Rohana’s story had “touched” him.
The minister stated that he has instructed his officers to investigate the facts supplied before making any conclusions.
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad promised to help.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob was alerted to Rohana’s plight by the media and called her on Jan. 16 to offer his help.
For the sake of Rohana’s future, the lawmaker stated that he would assist her in obtaining her citizenship and national identification card.
He also expressed gratitude to Chee, saying that despite their conflicts, he appreciated her for caring for Rohana “with affection.”