Saturday, October 2, 2010

02-10-2010 温馨、感动、.............




Woman reunites with daughter after 45 years
By ANN TAN Star
GEORGE TOWN: Poverty drove a mother to give her daughter away 45 years ago. But fate brought them together again yesterday.
For a few moments both were speechless. Then, saleswoman Low Por Boey rushed into the arms of her long-lost mother and tears flowed freely.
“I never thought I could have the chance to meet my daughter again,” said 78-year-old Chiam Siew Ngoh, who could not contain her joy to be able to also meet son-in-law Tan Kim Chooi, 46, and two grandchildren.
The emotional reunion at Chiam’s house in Weld Quay here came three months after Tan decided to make his wife’s cherished dream come true.
Happy ending: Low reuniting with Chiam yesterday. With them are Low’s husband Tan Kim Chooi, daughter Tan Chia Jia and son Tan Chia Te.
“I had always wanted to find my mother but I did not know where to start,” Low, who lives in Alor Setar, told reporters at her mum’s home.
She knew she was adopted because her birth certificate bore the names of her foster father and biological mother.
Chiam said Low was given away in 1965 when she was a month old. Her late husband and Low’s foster father were good friends and their families lived in the same village of Bukit Jenun, near Gurun in Kedah.
“We worked as farmers and were too busy to take care of nine children. So, when Low’s foster parents asked to adopt her, we agreed,” added Chiam.
Her family moved to Penang in 1966 and she visited Low in Bukit Jenun only once in 1974.
Low’s foster parents later moved to another village and Chiam lost contact with them.
Three months ago, Tan called on Loh Eng Chong, the private secretary to Alor Setar MP and Housing and Local Govern¬ment Minister Datuk Chor Chee Heung.
“I checked with various departments to find out where Chiam lives but they refused to divulge such confidential information,” said Loh.
He said he went to the National Registration Department in Putrajaya recently, where an employee agreed to give him Chiam’s MyKad number.
“I tried my luck by checking her MyKad number in the electoral roll and found that she is a registered voter in the Tanjong constituency,” Loh said, adding that he sought the help of Paya Terubong Barisan Nasional co-ordinator Koh Wan Leong on Monday to trace Chiam.
Koh called him the next day to say his team had found Chiam’s address.