Remember the viral story of Rohana Abdullah, the former state woman that melted the heart of Malaysians due to the selfless love of her adoptive ‘Laoshi’? Well, not only has she finally received her citizenship and managed to achieve her dreams of pursuing higher education, but now, her adoptive mother, Chee Hoi Lan has also been given recognition by receiving the prestigious 2022 Perdana Maulidur Rasul award as the ‘Ibu Sejati-Keluarga Malaysia’ icon.
As reported by FMT, 83-year-old Chee Hoi Lan, now a retired Chinese kindergarten teacher went viral earlier this year for her selfless love for her adoptive daughter Rohana, whereby the beloved ‘Laoshi’ took care of Rohana since she was abandoned at two months old by her Indonesian mother. Not only that, despite being non-Muslim, Chee Hoi Lan raised Rohana as a Muslim and did everything she could for her adoptive daughter to ensure that Rohana would not lack in terms of being raised as a Muslim.
These include enrolling her for Kelas Asas Fardu Ain (Kafa) at her own expense and making sure Rohana got all the basic religious education she needed in school as well as guidance from acquaintances. Furthermore, in raising Rohana, Chee Hoi Lan realised that the problem of race and religion would pop up but she persevered and went above and beyond for her adoptive daughter.
Chee Hoi Lan is also a unique recipient of the Perdana Maulidur Rasul award as it is usually given to Muslim recipients, but her exceptional story and dedication as an adoptive mother transcended her to become the top choice for the award. She was presented with the award by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah during a ceremony in Kuala Lumpur today. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs), Datuk Idris Ahmad were also present during the award presentation.
So, what do you guys think of Chee Hoi Lan and Rohana’s incredible story and the recognition received by the former? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
Also read: Former Stateless Woman Rohana Gets Study Offer By UTeM After Getting Her Citizenship
