A foster father’s lie leads to a fake birth certificate? A deep dive into the ‘heartbreaking lessons’ from cases of adopted kids’ nationality issues
In November 1996, the adoptive parents heard from an acquaintance at a night market in Johor that a newborn baby girl had been abandoned. They then paid RM500 at a house in Segamat to take the child, and in December of the same year, they lied to the GEMAS police station, claiming they were the baby’s biological parents, and obtained the first citizenship birth certificate. What happened next: In 2018, 22-year-old Ms. E went to renew her ID card, but her Malaysian card was withheld, her birth certificate was canceled, and her status became ‘undetermined’ (Belum Ditentukan), leaving her stateless. Verdict: In June 2026, the appeals court ruled against Ms. E, meaning she would not automatically gain Malaysian citizenship.


