A Singaporean mother who’s lived in Johor since 2015 is facing the risk of being separated from her two adopted children, who are Malaysian citizens.
Due to immigration issues, Ms Elisha, 40, was allegedly told by authorities that she might be unable to return to Johor Bahru (JB) for the foreseeable future.
This means she’ll be unable to be with her children in Malaysia.
Now, she is seeking help to return to JB.
Ms Elisha tells MS News that she moved to JB in 2015 for a change of pace as she had medical conditions brought on by stress. Before that, she suffered anxiety attacks and was in and out of the hospital.
So, together with some friends, she packed her bags and rented an apartment in JB.
Although her medical condition improved since moving across the Causeway, she soon struggled with another issue: coming home to an empty house.
A divorcee, Ms Elisha wasn’t prepared to find another partner due to her independent nature. She also felt that her medical conditions would affect her ability to have kids.
But in 2016, she discovered an NGO that could help people adopt Malaysian kids. At the time, she was living in JB and had no issues crossing borders, so she decided to adopt her children in Malaysia.
“I [asked myself], what else can I do with my money other than living like this? So I went ahead,” she said.
Thus, she took guardianship of Eyva and Evanh in the same year. Both of them are currently aged six and are Malaysian citizens.
Image courtesy of Ms Elisha
She continued to live in JB until the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 when she decided to bring her kids with her to Singapore.
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) granted both of them passes to remain in Singapore for the next two years while borders were closed.
When borders reopened in April 2022, Ms Elisha and her kids moved back to JB, where they are still based.
At the same time, she quit her job at Boost and went back to running her own business, although it is not registered in Malaysia.
All was fine until February this year when Ms Elisha tried to enter JB from Singapore.
But for the first time, she was told by JB authorities that she would not be allowed to return to Malaysia if she tried to re-enter without any relevant passes.
“They said, ‘You are not supposed to live in Malaysia without any proper permit, you will be denied entry the next time you come in if you continue living in Malaysia’,” she recalled.
Although Ms Elisha was advised to enter Malaysia by air through Putrajaya in Kuala Lumpur instead, she was told the same thing when she entered the country on 8 Mar.
As far as she knows, she has never faced this issue before.
While the male officers appeared helpful, Ms Elisha alleged the female officers were uncaring, even telling her to “return [her] kids to their biological parents if [she has] problems”.
This led her to snap at the customs officer, shouting, “How could you be so heartless?”
Ms Elisha is now unsure if she can return to JB after what immigration told her while her kids remain in Malaysia.
She has asked her parents to temporarily care for her kids as school there has started, but her situation looks complex and uncertain.
“The only thing I could arrange for my children’s care is to employ a babysitter [in JB],” she said.
“My parents are also Singaporeans, so both of them won’t be able to care for them long-term,” she added. As they entered Malaysia in March, they have to return within the next two weeks.
To make matters worse, both kids have expired passports, which means Ms Elisha cannot bring them to Singapore.
Image courtesy of Ms Elisha
Efforts to renew their passports have failed so far because Ms Elisha is Singaporean, although a guardianship certificate, which she possesses, is usually the only requirement.
However, the immigration department allegedly refused to accept her guardianship certificate, saying she needed an adoption certificate.
Even though Ms Elisha has contacted Malaysian immigration departments, non-governmental organisations, and the Consulate-General of the Republic of Singapore in JB, she has not received a response or solution from Malaysian authorities.
The embassy also shared with her that they’ve been unable to get a response from anyone.
She said although Singapore authorities have been responsive when approached, they are unable to help her enter Malaysia as that is a matter for Malaysian authorities.
Meanwhile, her lawyer has told her that suing the Malaysian government is possible due to a discrepancy between adoption and immigration laws.
However, if it fails, the lawsuit would cost a great deal, and Ms Elisha would have to shoulder more costs.
Now, she is practically at her wits’ end, and after seeing a report about a Singaporean who was warned about re-entering JB, she decided to write to MS News for help.
“I’ve been crying, and I’m messed up,” she shared. “I have never been apart from them, and going across the Malaysian channel, it’s been an egg or chicken story again and again.”
Ms Elisha also fears that she may be separated from her kids indefinitely as they cannot enter Singapore, and she may not be able to enter Malaysia again.
Although she has a guardianship certificate, they’re not legally adopted, and she cannot do so unless she is a Malaysian permanent resident.
Unfortunately, the NGOs are also at a loss as they have not encountered such problems until this year either.
“I’ve been taking care of them for six years. It’s not like taking care of a child or cat for a day. There’s no way I can return them to their biological parents,” she said.
Ms Elisha hopes to find a way to stay in JB legally with her children and be issued a long-term visa so she won’t face the same situation if she returns to Singapore.
According to the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) website, Singaporeans don’t require a visa to enter Malaysia for up to 30 days.
On the other hand, the Immigration Department of Malaysia states that foreigners can stay in the country for up to five years under the Long Term Social Visit pass.
However, they must have a Malaysian spouse. Ms Elisha is single.
MS News has reached out to Malaysian authorities and the Singapore High Commission for comment.
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Featured image courtesy of Elisha Aziz.
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