MEANINGFUL EID FITRI FOR NEW MALAYSIAN CITIZENS

KUALA TERENGGANU (Terengganu, Malaysia), Sept 3 (Bernama) -- The desire to
become a Malaysian citizen kept Seegu Alaudeen@Serajudeen Mohamed Rawther Thaha
strong, despite the 40-year wait and three attempts before he was successfully
declared one.

Having submitted his first application when he was 12 and the second at age
24, Seegu Alaudeen did not give up when both attempts failed and proceeded with
a third try three years ago.

Today, the 52-year-old is a proud Malaysian, an event made more significant
as his certificate of citizenship was delivered by Deputy Home Minister
Lee Chee Leong at his home in Simpang Tok Ku, Cabang Tiga, here.

"Each day I pray for my application to be approved and I am overjoyed to
know it has been approved, especially days before Hari Raya (Eid Fitri). I can
now celebrate it as a proud Malaysian," he said when met at a simple
presentation ceremony Friday.

Seegu Alaudeen, who works as a supermarket branch head in Kuala Terengganu,
hails from South India and had migrated to Malaysia with his father in 1962.

Another recipient, Syarifah Mohd Yaakob, 30, from Ladang Titian Village,
here, could not sleep last night after she was told she would receive her
citizenship Friday.

"I've waited so long for this moment. I applied in 2000 and that was the
first time, but I finally got it," said Syarifah, who at age eight, came to the
country from Cambodia with her parents and seven siblings.

Meanwhile, Nasirah Mohd Ali, 30, from Vietnam, siblings Syarifah Shamirah
Mohamed Salahudin and Mohd Sadruddin, eight and seven respectively, as well as
four others will receive their certificates of citizenship in separate
ceremonies.
-- BERNAMA