Edited by FOTHER-MUCKER at 3-1-2026 05:57 PM
After years of waiting, the Ee siblings greet 2026 with ICs
The five siblings, once stateless, now have their own Malaysian identity cards, thanks to good neighbours at Bandar Menjalara.
 (Back row, L-R) Ee Ting Kat, Ting Fok, Ting Choi and Si May, seen here with (seated, L-R) Ting Sang, Sheila Rahman Natarajan and her husband, Abdul Rahman Ishak, who helped the siblings obtain their ICs. (Moganraj Villavan @ FMT Lifestyle)
KUALA LUMPUR:The first morning of 2026 arrives quietly for the Ee siblings, carrying with it something they once only dreamed of – hope for the future.
Inside their wallets, tucked carefully between folded notes, lies a small blue card – an identity card. Considered ordinary to most Malaysians, for Ting Sang, Si May, Ting Fok, Ting Kat and Ting Choi, who were once stateless, this card is life-changing.
Born and raised in Malaysia, their births were never registered. And without documents, they did not have a sense of belonging. But that weight has finally been lifted.
In 2025, the siblings were officially recognised as Malaysian citizens, closing a long, arduous chapter in their lives. From July to September, they collected their ICs, one by one, each moment carrying its own sense of relief.
“I feel so happy because before this, when I didn’t have an IC, I was always afraid when I saw the police. I was afraid they would ask for my IC, and because I didn’t have one, I could be taken to jail,” said Ting Kat, 16.
For them, the IC is not just a document. It represents freedom – the ability to move through life without fear, and to step into the year ahead with confidence.
“We were born here. We should have rights in Malaysia – to travel, get a driving license or open a bank account,” said Ting Sang, 20, the eldest.  Sheila once made a ‘Kad Pengenalan Anak’ containing essential information so the siblings could find their way home if need be. (Moganraj Villavan @ FMT Lifestyle)Behind the siblings stands a circle of care, and at its centre, Sheila Rahman Natarajan, whom the siblings lovingly call “Aunty Sheila”. A former journalist and editor of the Sunday Mail, Sheila, together with her husband, Abdul Rahman Ishak, opened their home and their hearts to the siblings.
Here, the siblings found safety, even as Sheila quietly navigated years of bureaucracy so they could one day be recognised as citizens. Sheila even created her own version of an identification card for them, which she called “Kad Pengenalan Anak”.
“It contained information to help my children feel brave,” recalled Sheila, 71. “They needed to know how to find a way back home if they were in any danger – they couldn’t remember their dad’s phone number and didn’t even know where they stayed or what an address was.
“All children born here deserve to have a life,” she added. “Even if they don’t have full citizenship, they should at least have the opportunity to get an education, so they will be all right in the future.”
But Sheila didn’t walk the road alone. In Bandar Menjalara, it became a neighbourhood effort. Concern grew in 2017 when neighbours noticed the siblings were not in school, left on their own while their father worked. Their mother had left them.
“I’ve seen them since they were three or four years old, running around in front of the shops. They were not notorious – they were great children, very polite,” said Kunasaigran Alagan, 71, chairman of the Bandar Menjalara Residents’ Association.  The Ee siblings with Rahman, Sheila and Kunasaigran Alagan, chairman of the Bandar Menjalara Residents’ Association. (Moganraj Villavan @ FMT Lifestyle)The neighbours soon rallied around the siblings, helping them find their way into school, stability and eventually, citizenship.
Support, Kunasaigran added, came from residents of different races, including Rahim Sudin, Robert Fam, Kenny Lee and Cheah Chong Keong and his wife. During the pandemic, the local surau provided them with food.
For Ting Choi, the youngest at 13, school was initially frightening, but that changed thanks to his teacher. “She never gave up on me. She kept teaching me until I could speak English properly,” he said.  The Ee siblings are happy again, all made possible by the Bandar Menjalara community. (Moganraj Villavan @ FMT Lifestyle)Today, the siblings speak of the future with optimism. “I’m grateful to Auntie Sheila and Uncle Rahman because they pushed for us to get our ICs and they never gave up on us,” said Si May, 18.
Her brother, Ting Fok, 17, echoed her gratitude. “I’m most thankful for this community, especially my neighbours, Aunty Sheila and Uncle Rahman. Without them, I wouldn’t know who I am or have my own IC.”
As the year unfolds, the siblings step into 2026 not with grand declarations, but with something far more powerful: certainty.
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Post time 3-1-2026 04:40 AM
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