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Story of a mother with adopted children

Frankly speaking, I'm really salute her for adopting the ill children.


Sunday May 10, 2009
Rosnah enjoys being with her adopted children and stepson
Stories by LEE YUK PENG

KUALA LUMPUR: Six years ago, a teenager sought help from a Puteri Umno division chief after giving birth to a child out of wedlock.

Her baby, who was born premature, suffered from epilepsy and she could not afford to bring him to the hospital.

Happy family: Rosnah posing for a photo with (from left) Siti Aishah, Siti Khatijah and Mahathir.

Despite being single, Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin, who was then Kota Marudu Puteri Umno division chief, adopted the baby from the 14-year-old.

“I love children and felt that I was ready for such a responsibility,” said Rosnah, who was 30 then.

The lawyer-turned-politician from Sabah, who is now Puteri Umno chief and the Deputy Health Minister, said she fell in love with the baby at first sight and named him Mahathir Musa Abdullah.

A year later, the Papar MP went on to adopt a pair of twin girls, who were abandoned at a mosque in Kudat, when they were six months old.

Siti Khatijah Abdullah and Siti Aishah Abdullah, now five, have thalassaemia and undergo blood transfusion every month.

“I love children and have a lot of support from my family to look after them as well,” said Rosnah, the only girl among nine siblings. She has about 30 nieces and nephews.

“My family plays a vital role in assisting me. It did not bother me to be a mother while I was still single and active in politics. I still managed to spend a lot of quality time with my children,” said Rosnah.

Likewise, she left it to God when it came to marriage and last July, she tied the knot with Fadli Juanas, a staff of the Sabah information department.

She now has four children, including her four-year-old stepson Faiq Adli.

Rosnah said she enjoyed being a mother to her adopted children.

“It gives me a good feeling to be a mother, to be able to provide love and care for others although they are not my flesh and blood.”

Rosnah, who hopes to have her own children one day, added that being a mother made her a better person.

Source: The Star

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