PETALING JAYA: Chloe Lam Kai Xin is looking for her natural mother to apply for citizenship.

The 17-year-old has a total of three birth certificates where the second and third birth certificates state that she is not a Malaysia citizen.

Lam’s natural mother was said to have given birth to her at a maternity clinic in Kuala Lumpur 17 years ago.

She was later adopted by her parents and her first birth certificate records the details of her adopted parents.

Her nightmare began when she applied for MyKad when she was 12 year old.

“I was informed that my birth certificate could not be used to apply for an identity card.

“Later the National Registration Department in Putrajaya told me they wanted to investigate my identity card.

Lam waited for four years and received her second birth certificate when she was 16.

The details of her parents were marked as “unavailable.”

Her status as a citizen was changed to a non-citizen.

“We were told to apply for adoption but the outcome might still be a non-citizen for me,” she said.

Her adopted parents initiated the adoption procedures and she was issued her third birth certificate early this year.

Her non-citizen status remained unchanged.

Without an identity card, Chloe is unable to open a bank account nor sit for driving test.

She was also required to pay school fees as a non-citizen.

“The National Registration Department told me that to receive an identity card I must first resolve the citizenship issue,” she said.

Chloe said her adopted parents had prepared many documents for the department to submit to the Home Ministry.

While waiting for a decision from the Home Ministry, she was told it would be easier for her to be granted citizenship if she could locate her natural mother.

Hence, she posted on Facebook so that she can find her natural mother, although she has very little information about her mother.

All she knows is that her mother was an 18-year-old university student when she gave birth to her.

She hopes she can find her natural mother so that she can get her citizenship.