92 celebrate as Malaysians on Malaysia Day

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani

Hishammuddin (centre) said Malaysians should not take the country for granted. — Pictures by Jack Ooi

- The Malaysian Insider
PUTRAJAYA, Sept 16 — 92 Malaysians celebrated a very special Malaysia Day when they received their Malaysian citizenship papers from Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein today.

Together with their families, they eagerly waited for the Home Minister to arrive today at the National Registration department here.

The 92 — of every age, race and background — were waiting for what they and their families have been struggling for so many years to achieve: the right to finally call themselves Malaysians.

There was much heartache before today as many lacked access to proper education and health care, or travel because they did not have any citizenship papers. Some were even teased and regarded as foreigners.

Joy showed on the families’ faces when one after another received letters confirming their status from Hishammuddin.

One, Leong Chwee Chun, even hugged Hishammuddin later and exclaimed: “I am the happiest person in Malaysia today!”

New citizens proudly display their citizenship papers

The 64-year-old from Kuala Pilah had applied for citizenship when she was 28 years old, and told reporters that her father had lost the documents during the Japanese occupation.

Another, Sim Hua, a 68-year-old grandmother, had to wait for nine years after asking MCA Klang for assistance in her application.

Her parents were illiterate and did not know how to register her birth when she was young.

“I am very happy and would like to thank Datuk Seri Hishammuddin,” her daughter told reporters while holding Sim’s hand.

However, the darlings of the ceremony were seven-year-old twins Lavinya and Nikita Vikram.

The adorable twins did not have citizenship papers because their parents had them before marriage. The mother was also Russian and under 21 years of age at the time.

“There was no future for them but the future is now bright. I am so happy today. Thank you Datuk Seri,” father Vikram told reporters.

“We love Malaysia!” the twins cheered.

“We love Malaysia!” Two young girls wave flags after today’s ceremony

At a press conference held after the ceremony, Hishammuddin said that 70 per cent of the 32,927 applications for citizenship from 1997 to December 2008 had been processed.

He said the government hoped the remaining 30 per cent would be processed by the end of the year.

Hishammuddin added that today should be a reminder for Malaysians not to take the country for granted.

“The fact that people want to apply to be citizens of Malaysia, there must be something of value. There must something special about Malaysia, that people want to become citizens of Malaysia.

“It is just that sometimes we ourselves who have been citizens of Malaysia for so long take things for granted,” he said.