Her greatest regret in the past 64 years was not able to fulfill her civic responsibility of voting as she was holding a red identity card. She was not a “Malaysian citizen” and had not right to vote.

The first thing that came to her mind when she received a letter giving her full citizenship from Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein on 16 Sept was to register as a voter.

Liang Cuizhen gave Hishammuddin a big hug after receiving the letter.

“I'm going to register as a voter and apply for a lot of benefits that I couldn't enjoy in the past,” said Liang happily.

“I had always wished to vote. But with a red IC, I had lost the qualification. I thought I would live to regret but I finally have the opportunity to vote!” she added.

Liang, who was born in 1945, the turmoil era after the World War II, was not able to vote all these years because she had failed to apply for the Malaysian citizenship, even she had witnessed the independence of Malaysia and the growth of the country.

Liang felt lost whenever she saw her siblings voted. She had always been an election bystander.

She decided to apply for a MyKad at the Putrajaya National Registration Department after Hari Raya Aidilfitri and register as a voter.

Many young people nowadays do not bother to vote even they have the right to do so. But for Liang, it is something very important and should not be missed.

“I'm really happy to be able to vote,” she said.

Vote for the capable one

When being asked whether she would vote for the government as a reward for the letter that gives her full citizenship, Liang joked: “I'll vote for the one who can rule the country well!”

Liang was born in Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan in1945. The then situation was chaotic and her family burned all the documents, including the birth certificate of the sister and her, to avoid getting searched.

Liang cried with joy as she never expected that she would receive the citizenship certificate personally from Hishammuddin.

Liang also said that she was not able to enjoy benefits for senior citizens because she was holding a red IC. But now, after getting the citizenship, she is going to apply for a lot of benefits, including the RM300 allowance for unmarried senior citizens.

Refuse to get citizenship with false marriage

Liang, who remains single, has missed a lot of marriage chances. Some even suggested that she get married to get citizenship. However, she refused to have false marriage.

“When I was young, guys pursued me but I turned them down because my father died when he was still young. I had to bear the family burden, taking care of my mother and other family members,” said Liang.

She added that when she was working in a Japanese company, a boss wanted to marry her. She knew that she could live a carefree life if she accepted the proposal but she didn't do so because she couldn't leave her family behind.

Liang is currently living with her younger brother.

“All immigration officials know me”

“In fact, I had applied and been interviewed by immigrant officials for numerous times. All of them recognise me, some even have become my friends. It is like a second home for me. I've submitted countless applications over the past 40 years and spent a lot of time and money. I was dismayed as they kept rejecting my applications all these years.

“I told myself that I'll try for another year. If I can't make it, then I'll give up.

“Unexpectedly, my wish is fulfilled this year!

“The day when I received a phone call from the immigration, they asked me to dress nicely and attend an award ceremony. I only knew that I've got the citizenship when I arrived. I was so surprised, happy, impressed and nervous.

“When I received the citizenship certificate from Datuk Seri Hishammuddin, I was very happy and impressed. I was so nervous until I hugged him. Even I was so excited and wanted to cry, Datuk asked me not to cry,” she recalled.

With the citizenship, Liang can now apply for a passport and go overseas.

She intends to go to Guanzhou to visit her second older brother and eldest sister. She dared not to go abroad previously as she was afraid that she might not be allowed to return with her red IC.

Bitter tears behind the red IC

We all know that we are “Malaysians”. We attended schools with no one could deny our rights to education. We applied for our ICs and MyKad. We applied for a international passport when we wished to go abroad and we enjoyed the rights of Malaysian citizens. Everything just go on smoothly and rightly.

However, there is a group pf people who live here for their whole lives without an identity and the status of citizens. Most of them were born, raised and have formed their families here. But they enjoy no right of citizens while facing with a lot of inconveniences and difficulties, because they have no “citizenship” but only a red IC.

They are not recognised. They are frustrated and lack of a sense of security.

An old lady holding a red IC sadly said that she has never been abroad before because she was unable to apply for a passport while another old woman said that she did not dare to go abroad as she was afraid that she may not be able to return with her red IC.

There were 32927 pending citizenship applications before 31 Dec 2007. After Hishammudin's efforts in recent months, 9878 (30%) pending applications are still waiting to be approved. (By FAN AIYAN/Translated by SOONG PHUI JEE/ Sin Chew Daily)