Touched by story of stateless Muslim adopted by Chinese, Hamzah pledges to investigate

KUALA LUMPUR – Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin has pledged to look into a case concerning a woman with no citizenship documentation.

In a post on his Facebook page today, Hamzah said he is aware of the matter concerning Rohana Abdullah, a Muslim woman adopted by a Chinese parent here.

Hamzah added that he has ordered officers in his department to determine the veracity of Rohana’s claims before any decision is made.

“I was touched after being informed of this matter some weeks ago, and I have ordered my officers to investigate the authenticity of the information given before making any decision,” said Hamzah.

It was recently reported that Rohana was abandoned in a kindergarten 20 years ago when her mother was forced to return to her hometown in Indonesia.

This prompted Chee Hoi Lan, a kindergarten teacher, to adopt and care for Rohana.

Rohana, who was left at the kindergarten when she was only two months old, says that her biological mother was Indonesian, while her father was a Malaysian.

Right now, Rohana is unable to get married or even open a bank account due to her lack of documentation.

She said that she plans to send an official letter to Hamzah regarding her ordeal, adding that she had filed her citizenship application in 2016. – The Vibes, January 16, 2022