KUALA LUMPUR: At 72, Rageswery Kanniah has one final wish before time runs out: to find her biological parents or siblings and reunite with them this coming Chinese New Year.
She was born in 1954 at the General Hospital in Seremban to a Chinese Hakka family and was originally named Wan Chow Lan.
Her biological father, known as Wan Wah, was a contractor who reportedly gave her up due to poverty, but later regretted the decision and tried to look for her.
MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong said the department decided to assist after being moved by her determination to uncover her roots.
“Even if her biological parents are no longer alive, we hope she can reunite with her biological siblings. This is her wish for the new year,” he said at a press conference yesterday.
Rageswery first approached Datuk Seri Michael Chong in 2005 to seek help in locating her biological family but was unable to proceed due to family tragedies, including caring for relatives with cancer and the death of her husband.
“She came back again after 21 years because she wants to know who her biological parents or next of kin are before she passes away,” he said.
Rageswery did not stop the search, even when she went through personal hardships.
“I don’t want to die without knowing who my biological parents are. I want to see my brothers or sisters, or at least hug them for a while. That is my wish before I pass on,” she said.
She said she had lived with questions about her identity since her teenage years.
“When I was 15, my friends asked me why I was different, why I was fair and had an Indian name. That’s when I started searching,” she said.
She said her adoptive parents never told her the truth, and she did not force them to do so.
“They gave me education, food, clothing, everything. I didn’t want to hurt them,” she said.
It was only later, after she married, that her elder sister told her she had been adopted.
“My sister told me my biological mother, Hiew See, came looking for me, but I was hidden away by my adoptive parents.”
Her son, 36-year-old Saravanan Kumar, said the family decided to come forward to fulfil her lifelong wish.
“My mother wants to see her father, mother, brothers or sisters. That’s why I brought her here today,” he said.
He added that the family hopes members of the public with any information will step forward.
“We are taking her everywhere to look for her family. Hopefully, someone can help us find them,” he said.
Those with information are urged to contact the MCA Public Services and Complaints Department at 03-2716 5954 or Rageswery at 019-358 0235.
