The bond between a mother and her children is often indescribable. The agony of losing sight of one’s child, even for a few minutes, can be heart-wrenching.
Now, imagine enduring over 55 years of separation. This is the reality for one woman on a relentless quest to find her children.
A 86-year-old Malaysian mother had been holding onto a single photograph as a lifeline to her past, with the hope of reuniting with her children whom she had not seen for over five decades.
Che’ah Awang is on a quest to find her son, Muhammad Zain Salleh, now 67 years old. However, she struggles to recall the name and precise age of her daughter, who was taken away by her mother-in-law shortly after birth.
It all began with her divorce
As reported by Buletin TV3, Che’ah explained that the incident happened following her divorce from her husband, resulting in her son being raised by his foster mother and her daughter being raised by her mother-in-law.
Since then, she has never had the chance to reunite with her children. Subsequently, she relocated to Singapore and later to England in 1973 for work reasons. It was during this time that she received a picture of the two siblings from her son.
“In the same year, my son contacted me via phone call to ask about my well-being and seek blessings for his marriage. He also mentioned that his sister misses me and wants to meet, but unfortunately, I lost the address and phone number that I had written on paper,” the mother shared.
Came back to Malaysia in 2012
In 2012, Che’ah made the decision to return to Malaysia, settling in Aulong, Taiping.
Since coming back, she has been eagerly wishing that her quest spanning over 55 years would come to the attention of her children or closest family members.
“I only have black and white pictures of them as a clue. I want to meet and hug them before I close my eyes forever,” the mother emotionally expressed her wish.
Received fake call instead
Che’ah revealed that during her search for her children, she received fraudulent calls from individuals last year, purporting to recognize her two children.
However, these individuals declined to reveal any information about her children’s whereabouts, instead demanding money transfers to their bank accounts.
Fortunately, Che’ah remained vigilant and did not fall prey to these schemes, recognizing their attempts to exploit her situation.
A kind soul offered help
During her search for her children, a compassionate taxi driver has always been there to assist her.
A kind-hearted individual offered assistance. During her search for her children, a compassionate taxi driver, Benjamin, has consistently been by her side.
Benjamin, a retired army personnel now working as a taxi driver, recounted their initial meeting at the Taiping Bus Terminal 11 years ago.
Since then, Che’ah has relied on him to navigate to various local media agencies for assistance. Despite widespread coverage of her plea for help in the local news, no positive response has been received.
Benjamin’s selflessness is particularly touching; he has not accepted any payment from Che’ah for the past 11 years.
May her story spread far and wide, leading to the heartfelt reunion she’s longed for with her children.
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