‘Mummy, why am I not a Malaysian?'

Free Malaysia Today

Two mothers share the emotional journey of securing citizenship for their children who are finally able to celebrate their first Merdeka as Malaysians.   Read More: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/leisure/2024/08/31/mummy-why-am-i-not-a-malaysian/   Free Malaysia Today is an independent, bi-lingual news portal with a focus on Malaysian current affairs.    Subscribe to our channel - http://bit.ly/2Qo08ry   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Check us out at https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com  Follow FMT on Facebook: https://bit.ly/49JJoo5  Follow FMT on Dailymotion: https://bit.ly/2WGITHM  Follow FMT on X: https://bit.ly/48zARSW  Follow FMT on Instagram: https://bit.ly/48Cq76h  Follow FMT on TikTok : https://bit.ly/3uKuQFp  Follow FMT Berita on TikTok: https://bit.ly/48vpnQG  Follow FMT Telegram - https://bit.ly/42VyzMX  Follow FMT LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/42YytEb  Follow FMT Lifestyle on Instagram: https://bit.ly/42WrsUj  Follow FMT on WhatsApp: https://bit.ly/49GMbxW  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Download FMT News App:  Google Play – http://bit.ly/2YSuV46  App Store – https://apple.co/2HNH7gZ  Huawei AppGallery - https://bit.ly/2D2OpNP   #FMTNews #FMTMerdeka #Malaysian #Merdeka

Transcript

00:00For many Malaysians, Merdeka revolves around the celebration of gaining independence.

00:05But for some this year, it will be about breaking free from the shackles of discriminatory policies

00:10that made becoming a Malaysian citizen an arduous challenge.

00:15For children born overseas to Malaysian mothers,

00:17the journey has often been frustrating and disheartening.

00:22Esther Teo's daughter, Mia, who was born in Germany, was no stranger to being called a foreigner

00:28despite being raised here and attending a local school.

00:32But just because she's used to it, Teo said,

00:34being branded as such still hurt her daughter deeply.

00:38It was in August definitely where there is a session on Merdeka

00:45and the children were waving a Malaysian flag.

00:48They had to sing the Garaku and so on.

00:51So at that time, I was beside her and she started asking me,

00:55Mommy, why am I not a Malaysian?

00:58So at that time, you know, I couldn't answer her.

01:03Another mother, Aniza Ismail, also shared a similar experience.

01:07But as her children were older, she lived with the constant fear of them being deported.

01:13Two of her three older children, aged 21 and 18, were born in the U.S.

01:19After a while, I figured that this is not where I was born.

01:23This is not where I'm supposed to be, like where I belong.

01:27So where I belong is here, Malaysia.

01:29That's why no matter what, I came back with the kids

01:33and fought hard for them to get their citizenship.

01:36They were small kids when I brought them home.

01:39And their sister also is a Malaysian.

01:40So they can also be together without any separation.

01:44Despite the challenges endured, these women's perseverance paid off.

01:48After a nine-year wait, Mia was granted citizenship,

01:51while Aniza's two daughters received theirs after 14 long years.

01:57To commemorate Mia's first merdeka,

01:59Teo intends to have a family portrait taken with the Jalur Gemilang.

02:03Earlier this year, at that time, she's already Malaysian.

02:06And she came to me and said,

02:08Hey, Mommy, I'm now a Malaysian.

02:10And she gave me such a sweet smile.

02:13As for Aniza's daughter, Atika Mawarni Suparjan,

02:16she takes pleasure in simply being able to present her IC instead of her passport

02:21when asked for her documents.

02:22I just want to say, don't feel like an outcast

02:27just because you don't get citizenship.

02:30If you close with the circle that treats you well, then you'll be fine.

02:35Natasha Buzd and Revati Supermaniam, FMT News.

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