Malaysia’s tribute to a Chinese woman who won the hearts of Malaysians by bringing up her adopted daughter with all the blessings, with the prestigious Perdana Maulidur Rasul Award. Chee Hoi Lan, an 83-year-old Chinese kindergarten teacher. The teacher was presented with the award which was given only to Muslims.
Her story of selfless love for her adopted daughter Rohana Abdullah went viral earlier this year. They gained attention by fulfilling Rohana’s dreams of pursuing higher education and raising her in the religion of her birth.
Rohana was abandoned by her Indonesian mother at the age of two months. Despite being a non-Muslim, Chee Hoi Lan raised Rohana as a Muslim. Finally, at the age of 22, Rohana also got Malaysian citizenship.
Chee Hoi Lan enrolled the boy at his own expense in a school called ‘Kapha’, where he ensured that he received a religious education. Also, he went ahead for the adopted daughter despite realizing that the issue of race and religion would come up while raising the child.
The Perdana Maulidur Rasool award is usually given to Muslims. But her extraordinary story and dedication as an adoptive mother made her worthy of the award. The award ceremony was held in Kuala Lumpur in the presence of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yakub and Prime Minister’s Minister for Religious Affairs Datuk Idris Ahmad.