KUCHING, Oct 16 — A determined father here has finally seen his son, whom he had with an Indonesian woman in 2004, granted Malaysian citizenship.
Go Wak How has raised Yu Liang on his own since birth because the boy’s mother returned to her home country.
“Since then, Wak How has shouldered the full responsibility of raising his son, providing him with love, care and education despite all the challenges of being a single parent,” Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak assistant publicity secretary Michael Kong said in a statement.
“In every way that matters, Wak How has been both father and mother to his son.”
Kong said Wak How went through the necessary steps including conducting a DNA test to establish his paternity and ensuring his name was on Yu Liang’s birth certificate.
However, the Home Ministry rejected Wak How’s Malaysian citizenship application for Yu Liang.
This led Wak How to approach DAP Stampin for assistance at the end of 2023.
“We worked together with him, submitted the necessary appeals and stood by him throughout the long process. Finally, sometime in July this year, his son’s application for Malaysian citizenship was approved,” said Kong, who is a special assistant to Stampin MP Chong Chieng Jen.
Kong accompanied Wak How and Yu Liang to collect the citizenship documents at the National Registration Department.
He pointed out that Wak How’s story serves a reminder that behind every application and every policy decision for citizenship, lies a human story of love, sacrifice, and perseverance.
“As Yu Liang now steps forward with his new identity card in hand, he does so not just as a Malaysian by law, but as a Malaysian by heart. And that is something worth celebrating,” he added. — The Borneo Post
