Man swapped at birth files suit to change name, religion on IC

[e-mail] 

KUALA LUMPUR: A Chinese man who became a Muslim due to a swap at birth 29 years ago wants the National Registration Department (NRD) to delete the word “Islam” from his identity card. 

Zulhadi Omar filed a suit against the NRD at the High Court here yesterday, stating that he also wanted his name to be written as Eddie Teyo and his religion as Buddhism in both his birth certificate and identity card. 

In the suit, filed through Gobind Singh Deo & Co, Zulhadi said he was born at the Batu Pahat district hospital in Johor on July 17, 1978. 

The sales executive said his birth certificate stated that his father was Omar Saim while his mother was Hasnah Salleh. 

“On the day that I was born, a woman named Lim Sik Hai also gave birth to a baby boy at the same hospital. 

“Her husband Teyo Ma Liong @ Teo Ma Liong is the father of the child,” Zulhadi said, adding that a DNA test done in Singapore confirmed that he was the Chinese couple’s offspring. 

He said his registration at birth under the Muslim name was wrong and ought to be corrected. 

“I was registered a Muslim based on an error at birth. I should have been named Eddie Teyo, son of Teyo Ma Liong and Lim Sik Hai, and a Buddhist,” he said. 

Zulhadi said his lawyer had written to the NRD asking for the changes to be made but the NRD failed to reply. 

His unusual story first surfaced in February when he sought the help of the Bandar Baru Tampoi MCA branch. 

He was reunited with his biological family eight years ago, after a chance meeting.