MELAKA - The two of them isn’t related by blood, and yet Khadijah Padzli did not give up on her adopted son’s quest for citizenship.
For eight years she endured stringent red tapes and today, she her hardwork paid off.
Her son -- whom she adopted since he was two-year-old -- Muhammad Shaffiq Izudin Aziz Abdul Rahim finally got his citizenship.
Indeed, a mother's love knows no bound.
"Although he is adopted, I look after him as if he was my own. I love him just as much my other child who is already 32 years old.
"I want him to receive perfect care and education,” Khadijah exclaimed.
Such approval meant that Muhammad Shaffiq can now enjoy proper education and the benefits from government health facilities.
"I had wanted to take him to perform the umrah but was unable to do so because he lacks citizenship documents. Now, I hope my dream will be fulfilled.
"Although it has taken quite some time, we believe that there were many procedures to follow and it involved legal processes, more so when it involves a non-citizen,” she said.
As for Muhammad Shaffiq, the citizenship certificate had made him beamed with joy.
"Whenever my teacher asks for my birth certificate or My MyKid, I only can answer that I have yet to received it.
"Every day, I pray to Allah that I will one day recieve these documents," he said.
His citizenship document was handed over by Klebang state assemblyman Senator Datuk Lim Ban Hong who is also the caretaker International Trade and Industry deputy minister.
The handover was done in the presence of Melaka National Registration Department (NRD) director Norazlee Sulaiman.
Norazlee said the Melaka NRD was always willing to provide advice, consultation, and assistance to any individual who has a problem, especially those relating to the management of personal records such as birth certificates, MyKad, MyKid or citizenship. - BERNAMA