KUALA LUMPUR: For 5 stateless children on the outskirts of the capital metropolis, 69-year-old Sheila Rahman Natarajan has turn out to be the mom they by no means had, and their finest hope of turning into proud Malaysians.
Abandoned by their (*5*) mom in 2016, the children got here to the eye of Sheila and her neighbours, who observed them frequenting the playground reverse her dwelling in a northern suburb of the capital.
“We noticed that they have been round more often than not and we knew one thing was improper. We came upon they weren’t going to college,” she advised eNM.
Sheila additionally came upon that the children, then aged between 4 and 11, lived with their Malaysian father, Ee Sun Seng, who had to maintain them by himself.
That’s when Sheila and her neighbours determined to take issues in hand, to guarantee these children may lead regular lives. “One of my neighbours went to the house and expressed our concern. We supplied to take care of the youngsters when the daddy was at work.”
Sheila contacted the social welfare division to assist the daddy formally undertake his personal children, to pave the best way for start certificates to be issued. However, the children should not have citizenship and they’re formally listed as stateless.
“We have put in an utility for (citizenship) for all 5. But that was fairly a course of and we did that one and a half years in the past. When the youngsters get an opportunity to belong that might be a blessing,” Sheila mentioned.
A seven-year transformation
Over the previous seven years, the children have been frequent guests at Sheila’s dwelling and the 2 eldest ones even have their very own rooms there and have primarily turn out to be a part of her household.
However, Sheila discovered it was not all the time simple to perceive them. “There have been so many issues about them that I didn’t know. I didn’t know that they wouldn’t know what a 2B pencil was.
“My husband and I had to train them how to use the washroom. They would by no means take something or eat something with out being given. They didn’t know the way to personal something,” she mentioned.
The children, now aged between 11 and 18, have blossomed with confidence and resilience.
“Now they’re okay. When they’re hungry they open the fridge and they only eat. It’s nice.
“I believe they’re additionally coming to the stage the place they’re starting to belief folks. And so, I invite them to carry their pals dwelling for sleepovers,” she mentioned.
Sheila and her husband, Abdul Rahman Ishak, have additionally taken the children on vacation to Penang, the place they noticed the ocean for the primary time, an virtually surreal expertise for them.
“They have seen it on TV, however while you go there your self, you may odor it, you may really feel the water,” she mentioned.
Proud Malaysians
Although they’re stateless, Sheila mentioned the children are proud to name Malaysia their dwelling. Malaysia is all they know, having been born and lived right here all their lives.
“They even love sporting shirts bearing our flag. Abang is a soccer fanatic and helps Johor Darul Takzim (JDT). And they communicate the language, our Bahasa Melayu. That’s their first language,” she mentioned.
Sheila mentioned she hoped the stateless neighborhood in Malaysia might obtain some type of help.
“There wants to be speedier processing (of citizenship functions), particularly via using the minister’s prerogative. This is about children who (deserve to) get an opportunity at life to contribute to the nation.
“You could not see their wounds or their damaged hearts. It’s very unhappy and I simply hope that we will do higher for our children,” she mentioned.
In recognition of her extraordinary dedication, Sheila, a former journalist, was honoured with the National Press Club-MacroKiosk Muhibbah Award on Oct 31, celebrating her contribution to remodeling the lives of those 5 children.
