LETTER | I am writing to express my heartfelt appreciation and gratitude towards Home Affairs Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and let everyone know what he has done for countless parents such as me in the quest of obtaining citizenship for my adopted child.

My journey as a parent began almost 10 years ago when my husband and I were blessed with a daughter for us to raise.

It was a joyous moment for us yet filled with trepidation and uncertainty because despite bringing joy, her future remained uncertain as a stateless individual.

I have never once imagined that the path to citizenship approval would be filled with challenges that we can't control as parents.

We were informed that the fastest application approval will be one year from the acceptance of documents.

The year passed by and when it was time to check the status, we were told that our case was being reviewed and we were awaiting a decision from the then-home minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

His role was then shifted to Muhyiddin Yassin by mid 2018. Hamzah Zainudin took on the role subsequently and our application status remained the same throughout the many years of these ministers with the same response from the Home Ministry.

Whenever we check the status of our case, we will be told that our application is being processed and as soon as there is a decision, we will be notified by official mail.

I am not sure whether anyone understands the agony of waiting for a process which stretches from one year to three years and ends up stretching to nine years.

Over the years, we have given up hope of raising our daughter to be a part of a country that she can be proud of and contribute to.

Her future then seemed bleak with no hope of being able to join a public school, opening a bank account, travel out of the peninsular, having a sense of belonging as a citizen and all other benefits that a normal citizen took for granted most of their lives.

A new chapter unfolds

Towards the end of 2022 when Saifuddin took over the ministry and made an announcement of his stance on the amendment of citizenship in Malaysia, we started to believe that perhaps this home minister really cares.

True enough, we received a letter from the Home Ministry after a year he was conferred as minister and we finally received the news that our application was approved!

Being granted citizenship goes beyond legal transformation - it marks a transformative moment in our lives and the lives of countless others like us who have benefited from the minister's unwavering commitment to justice and inclusivity, which I pray will lead to a stronger and harmonious nation.

Therefore, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Saifuddin and his team for their dedicated efforts and thoughtful consideration.

I have to say that he is the best example of a home minister who puts actions into his words to get things done and at the same time understands the plight of the nation.

His decision and his work offer a beacon of hope, demonstrating that the Madani government embraces the dreams and aspirations of all its members, regardless of their origins.

I remain confident that my daughter will flourish within the fabric of Malaysian society, contributing her talents and values to its continued progress and prosperity.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.