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Lorry driver's son who holds a Thai passport will be given Singapore citizenship. He is seen here with a letter to collect his Singapore passport.
By Joyce Lim
The New Paper
Saturday, Feb 25, 2012
SINGAPORE - All he wanted for Christmas was a Singapore citizenship, 11-year-old Lim Itthiphat had told The New Paper last year.
Last week, the Kranji Primary schoolboy got what he wished for.
His grandmother's application for his Singapore citizenship was approved by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority of Singapore (ICA).
Said Itthiphat, whose father drowned in an accident last year: "I was super happy when I saw the line "your grandson's application has been approved" in the letter.
"I told my grandmother and she was extremely happy too."
The letter states that the boy will be able to collect his Singapore citizenship on March 12.
"I couldn't sleep that night and I wanted so much for my father to know that I am now a Singapore citizen," he said.
It was an "impossible" dream that had come true.
For the past 10 years, Itthiphat's late father had been unsuccessful in all his attempts to get Itthiphat Singapore citizenship, the boy told TNP.
Mr Jason Lim Wei Kwan, 37, a Singaporean, had not registered his marriage in Singapore when Itthiphat was born in Thailand. A Singapore marriage registration at the time of birth is one of the conditions that has to be fulfilled for the child to be eligible for citizenship.
Mr Lim and his Thai wife, Madam Samai Chatthahan, registered their marriage here only when Madam Samai was pregnant with their second son.
So, unlike his three younger siblings, who are all Singapore citizens, Itthiphat holds Thai citizenship and has a student pass to live with his family in Singapore.
His mother, Samai, 28, also holds Thai citizenship and lives here on a long-term visit pass.
Since he is a foreign student, Itthiphat had to pay more for his school fees, which are close to $200 a month, Madam Samai told TNP.
Madam Samai would also need a relevant work pass issued by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) if she wanted to work here.
As Mr Lim was the sole breadwinner in the family, Madam Samai and her children's future became even more uncertain when Mr Lim was killed in an accident on Dec 10 last year.
The lorry driver drowned when the vehicle he was in rolled off a barge into the sea off Pasir Panjang Terminal.
The freak accident and unusual predicament of Mr Lim's family was highlighted in the media, drawing the attention of several agencies.
The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports approached TNP for assistance to reach Mr Lim's family.
Tough situation
Madam Samai said in Mandarin at the time: "I feared that our family would be broken up as Itthiphat and I are foreigners and my three other children are Singaporeans.
"I would need to find work to support my children and it is not easy with the high cost of living here and Itthiphat's costly school fees.
"And I can't possibly take all my three Singaporean kids back to Thailand if I can't continue living here."
When Mr Alex Yam Ziming, Member of Parliament for Chua Chu Kang GRC, learnt of the family's tragedy and plight, he stepped in to render help to the family.
Mr Yam told TNP over the phone last night: "Theirs is a unique and rare case - the unfortunate death of a Singaporean man, leaving behind his son and wife who are foreigners and three of his other children who are Singaporeans. There is also no other breadwinner in the family.
"My grassroots leaders and I gave the family time to settle their family affairs before visiting them to find out the areas that we could help them.
"Our priorities were to have the kids' education taken care of. We also wanted to help get the family back on their feet and be self-sufficient as soon as they can, even though social support will always be available."
After visiting Madam Samai and her children, Mr Yam returned home that night and wrote to the Ministry of Home Affairs, MOM and ICA to notify them of the family's situation.
He added: "We have also put the family under our ComCare scheme and CDC financial assistance. It requires a multi-agency effort to help the family."
Madam Samai told TNP that she has also managed to apply for a relevant work pass from MOM, so that she can work to support her children.
"When she starts work, I will fetch my grandchildren home from school in the afternoons and take care of them in the evenings," said Madam Samai's mother-in-law, Madam Chen Siew Mui, 58.
"My son can rest in peace now."
