Malaysian PM Ready To Help Indonesian Girls Get Citizenship Status, Said The Ministry Of Foreign Affairs

Rohana Abdullah. (Screenshot of Metro Daily YouTube Channel)

JAKARTA - Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said he was ready to help Rohana Abdullah, a girl of Indonesian descent whose mother left her since she was a baby in a neighboring country, to obtain citizenship status.

He said this in an Instagram post, related to the news about Rohana and her adoptive mother Chee Hoi Lan, which attracted the attention of the Malaysian public, including officials, such as Minister of Home Affairs Hamzah Zainuddin.

"God willing.. for Rohana's future, I will help her get a citizenship level and an identification card," wrote PM Ismail Sabri on Instagram as quoted January 18.

PM Ismail appreciated and thanked Chee Hoi Lan, Rohana's foster mother who raised her with love and care, despite being of different religions and nationalities.

As previously reported, Malaysian Home Affairs Minister Hamzah Zainuddin admitted that he was touched by the story of Rohana Abdullah (22), a child of Indonesian descent (WNI) who was abandoned by his mother and then raised by a Chinese citizen since the age of two months.

According to information, Rohana, who currently does not have citizenship, has applied for Malaysian citizenship in 2016 but has not been processed until now. Harian Metro, reported that 22 years ago, Rohana was abandoned by her mother who was forced to return to Indonesia in a kindergarten where her mother worked as a janitor.

Chee Hoi Lan (83) who was a teacher at the kindergarten at that time, was moved to take care of Rohana like his own child. Although not a Muslim, Chee sent Rohana to Fardu Ain (Kafa) Elementary Class, an Islamic elementary school in Malaysia, using his own money to get him to know Islam.

"I love him like my own child. Since childhood, I make sure he eats halal food and performs worship as a Muslim to this day," Chee said as quoted by Antara.

Chee admitted that he hoped that before he died he could see Rohana married, working and living a happy life. He has also submitted Rohana's citizenship to the Chairman of the Resident Representative Council of the Batu Zone, Gulam Muszaffar Ghulam Mustakim.

In this regard, the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs cannot issue a statement, referring to Rohana's position of being stateless.

"While there is no (statement). It is true from the news that it is said to be stateless," short Indonesian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Teuku Faizasyah told VOI when confirmed January 18.