Looking for 19-year-old’s biological parents
Published on: Sunday, June 16, 2024
By: Jonathan Nicholas
Norambailah (left) with Ayryn in a 2023 Hari Raya photo.
Kota Kinabalu: A mother is looking for her 19-year-old “daughter’s” biological parents for registration purposes.
Norambailah Sabil, 55, received Ayryn Nur Marina into her arms from her undocumented parents when she was only two days old.
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“Her mother, Ledi Robin, who is a distant relative of my late husband pleaded with us to look after Ayryn, promising to return. She returned for the first and the last time two weeks later to give us milk.
“Since then, efforts to trace her or any of her family members have failed. We never knew her father either. Ledi told us he was imprisoned,” she told the Daily Express asking for help.
Norambailah, said apart from financial restrictions, the girl’s biological mother was unable to take care of her because her firstborn son is allegedly handicapped.
“We love Ayryn. I regard her as my daughter and myself as her mother. She found out she was adopted at 15.
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“No wonder I have different facial and skin tone she said when she found out. Ever since, she has been quite sensitive.
“After an argument she would say it’s because she is not my ‘real’ daughter. But we love each other all the same.
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“Even if a cat of two years died I would bawl my eyes out what more with this girl,” the cleaning lady said.
Raising five of her own, she said Ayryn was never a burden. Her late husband was a hardworking handyman and fisherman who made sure to put food on the table.
“Immigration caught Ayryn during operations last year resulting in a five-month detention. They finally let her go after we did all we can.
“They warned us that she cannot be caught again or will face deportation. We don’t know anyone in the Philippines and worry what would happen to her.
“Despite never attaining a proper education, she has learned to read thanks to an NGO school accommodating the stateless in Likas.
“However, she has never been employed because she doesn’t have an identification card. The registry department has told us to seek out her immediate family.
“We had received a tip that her mother was residing in Telipok but we couldn’t find her. We asked around and people didn’t know who we were speaking of,” she said.
When asked why they didn’t carry out adoption procedures when Ayryn was a baby, Norambailah said ignorance caused fear.
“We were scared the welfare department would take her away from us. But now we can’t follow through because she is already of age.
“That’s why we need to find her kin. We have done everything we could and will continue to do so,” she said.
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