In a recent decision by the Malaysian Federal Court, children born overseas to Malaysian mothers are now eligible to apply for Malaysian citizenship. However, one Malaysian mother shares with IRL how it’s too late for her children, because they are already legally Australian.
Once upon a time, when I was a child, being Malaysian was something to be proud of. I imagined my future children growing up as I did—running barefoot in my kampung, chasing chickens, sitting cross-legged on the floor with their nenek, learning how to fold ketupat. I dreamed of them walking to school with their cousins, speaking Malay as easily as English, eating nasi lemak by the roadside.
But that dream was never meant to be.
I fell in love with a foreigner, an Australian man, and when we had children, I assumed they would be Malaysian too. After all, I was their mother. But my tanah air didn’t see it that way.
They Were Never Welcome
When my eldest was born, I went through all the paperwork, followed all the so-called “procedures.” Apply lah. Send documents. Wait. Keep waiting. Months turned into years. Nothing. Silence. Like my children never existed.
But my children do exist. And Australia recognized them without issue, and unlike Malaysia, Australia doesn’t mind if they hold dual citizenship.
No begging. No red tape. No, “Oh sorry ah, wait for policy change.”
My husband’s country recognised my children. But my own country did not.
The Impossible Choice
For years, I clung to the hope that something would change. I wanted for my children to grow up knowing their roots, their family, their culture. But for years, Malaysia made it impossible.
It is not reasonable to expect me to fly my children in and out every 90 days because “visa tak ada.” It is not reasonable to expect me to enroll my Malaysian-born children in expensive international schools when government schools won’t accept them. It is not reasonable to force a mother to choose between her home and her children’s future.
But that’s exactly what Malaysia did. And so, in 2022, I made the hardest decision of my life. We left—for good.
A New Beginning, A Painful Goodbye
The moment we arrived in Australia, I felt something I had been denied for years. Here, I don’t have to worry about corruption eating away at our future.
Education? Solid. No “quota system,” no politics messing up the syllabus, no flip-flopping between the our beloved National Language and English, the language of business and science.
My husband and I have real career prospects. We know that if we work hard, we’ll actually get somewhere. Life here is safe, stable, and fair. No cable, no getting promoted because you know someone who knows someone.
Too Late. We’ve Moved On.
But now, in 2025, Malaysia has finally changed the law.
And all I can say is: Too late.
What do you expect me to do? Pack up and tell my kids, “Eh, forget your life here, we balik Malaysia?” No way.
I won’t gamble with my children’s future like that. I won’t uproot them from stability and opportunity just because Malaysia suddenly decided they matter now.
I Miss Home, But I’ll Never Look Back.
I miss my family. I miss Malaysia. I will never forget my hometown of Seremban, Negeri Sembilan. I remember the sounds of Pasar Malam, the smell of durians in season, the chill of the monsoon rains, and the warmth of my childhood home. My parents, my siblings, my cousins—they are all still there. That will always be part of me.
Malaysia—the country, the land, the people—didn’t betray me. But Malaysia’s government system did. It let me down when I needed it most. When I wanted to register my children as proud Malaysians, the door was shut in my face.
How many Malaysians have been “lost” like this? How many talented doctors, engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs have grown up in the US, UK, Australia, and made something of themselves there? How many potential heroes never got the chance to grow up here and call Malaysia home?
My children are Australian now, and I’m never going back.
Three years ago, I stood in an airport, wondering whether my husband’s nation—where I had a home and family—would welcome me the way I had once hoped Malaysia would.
Three years later, the first words of the Immigration Officer were, “Welcome to Australia.”
He handed me an R-Series Biometric Passport, and with a smile, he said, “Welcome home.”
That was the moment I knew—the struggle was over. No more waiting, no more begging, no more non-status. I was home.
Share your story with In Real Life!
Submit your story to us at ym.efillaerni@olleh and you may be featured on In Real Life Malaysia.
Read also:
“The QR Code Was Fake,” M’sian Man Loses RM3,000 to a Parking Fine Scam in Johor Bahru
More from Uncategorized
How My Special Needs Child Became a World-Recognised Artist Before She Passed Away From Cancer
This is the story of Janet Lee, an epileptic artist and colourist who succumbed to cancer, as shared by her …
Knockoff Perfumes and Fake Fine Dining: Malaysians Share Their Bajet Valentine’s Day Stories
Here are some Valentine's Day horror stories to cheer up those who are single today!
I Hired The ‘Abang Lorry’ Service But Was ‘Scammed’
It was a total scam. I requested for a one-tonne lorry but a five-tonne lorry arrived instead! The driver kept …
