By Karen Bong
KUCHING, March 16: One day in 2015, married couple Awang Musa Awang Dillah and Mordiah Abon ended up with a seven-day old baby boy after being flagged down by his biological mother by the roadside of Batu Kawah.
The couple from Kampung Semilang in Beliong, Asajaya have since become the adoptive parents to Amar Akil Darwisy who is seven years old today.
While the adoptive parents managed to get Amar’s birth registered for a birth certificate, the boy however remained stateless due to his circumstances as the biological mother is not from Sarawak and as such did not meet the criteria for a Malaysian citizenship.
Recalling the event, Mordiah said they along with her sister just left a supermarket at Batu Kawah after shopping for groceries and were driving towards another supermarket when they saw a lady by the roadside attempting to flag cars down.
“She looked desperate and anxious so we stopped to ask what happened. That’s when she said she was unable to care for the child and had to go to work the next day. So we accepted the baby who then was just seven days old.
“We actually don’t know the biological parents. The woman also gave us the baby’s medical card,” the 43-year-old homemaker told reporters when met at Wisma Bapa Malaysia today.
The adoptive parents were among those present to receive temporary documents for Sarawak-born individuals without citizenship from Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.
Awang Musa shared that they have tried applying for Amar’s citizenship for the past two years.
“Prior to that, we did not know how to get it done,” said the 46-year-old labourer at an oil palm plantation.
Both Awang Musa and Mordiah were childless before Amar came into their lives.
They expressed gratitude to the Sarawak government and the Premier for initiating the temporary document as Amar will be able to attend proper schooling when the new academic year for 2023 starts on March 20, while awaiting his citizenship application to be approved under Article 15A of the Federal Constitution.
“He is going to start school at SJK (C) Chung Hua Beliong soon. We are very happy.
“Also, Amar can now have access to public healthcare. Throughout his growing up years, we had to pay RM40 each time we took him to the clinic and RM80 for injections,” the parents added.
Meanwhile, a total of 45 individuals and children below the age of 21 who are born in Sarawak but without citizenship received their temporary identification documents (DSITKS) today.
Deputy Premier Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian, Minister for Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah, Deputy Minister for Women and Childhood Development Datuk Rosey Yunus and Sarawak State Secretary Datuk Amar Mohammad Abu Bakar Marzuki were present. — DayakDaily
