BATU PAHAT: For 87-year-old Lo Wing Thiam, he is grateful to old neighbours who have never given up hope on helping him to apply for citizenship although he has failed many times in the last 50 years.

After seven years of helping Lo by travelling to Kuala Lumpur, Muar and Kluang with him, Lo finally received a letter from the National Registration Department informing him that his application was granted.

The neighbours, a retired teacher and a couple who run an accounting firm,  accompanied him to the national registration department in Batu Pahat on 20 November to receive the letter, which meant that the long wait for a blue identity card is finally over.

The neighbours felt for him as Lo was worried about the medical costs as he was getting old.

Lo’s wife passed away two years ago and the neighbours took turn to care for him.

To help Lo, the neighbours learned how to apply for citizenship by attending seminars to find out the process, he said.

“The neighbours took me to the national registration department in Kluang where I was asked to write the lyrics of Negaraku,’’ he said.

Lo had given up after Kluang trip but the neighbours insisted on him to go for the interview at the national registration department in Muar on 21 August.

Accompanied by neighbours, Lo went to Muar and he passed the interview, as a letter was sent to him in October.

Lo shed tears of joy by then.

Born in Kuala Lumpur, Lo was working in Singapore in the 1950s. When he returned to Malaysia, he made an application for citizenship three years after residing in Malaysia instead of five years, which was one of the criteria.

Lo’s citizenship was revoked and since then he tried to apply for citizenship through many channels, including seeking help from political parties but all attempts bore no fruits.

“ If I can, I would like to vote in the next General Elections and apply for passport to travel,’’ said a smiling Lo.