MALACCA: Trusting the wrong person during his time of desperation led to 57-year-old Chong Yoon Fatt being separated from his only child for two decades.
And he now wishes nothing more than to reconcile with his son.
Recalling the ill-fated day 22 years ago, Chong said he brought his 18-month-old son, Alexandra Chong Fou Onn to Kota Baru to visit his wife who was imprisoned there.
“After visiting her, I was looking for accommodation when I came across the owner of a bread stall and asked the man to look after my son.
“However, the next day, when I went to get my son back, he refused to return him,” Chong told reporters during a press conference here at the Barisan Nasional Service Centre (Pembela BN) in Kota Cemerlang yesterday.
At that time, Chong had left his son and a bag filled with baby necessities as well as his son’s birth certificate with the man.
Chong added that despite visiting the man a couple of times to get his son back, the man who was in his 50s, still did not reveal his son whereabouts.
“My wife also went to question him about our son after she had finished her sentence but the man claimed he did not know anything.
“After a couple more visits, he finally told my wife that he had given our son away,” he said.
Chong, however, had not given up looking for his son and kept going to and fro from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Baru.
Chong had lived in Kuala Lumpur before moving to Malacca.
“For 10 years since the day I lost my son in 1994, I have been going to Kota Baru to look for the man and my son during every festive season and public holiday.
“I want my son to know that both, my wife and I did not give him away or sell him; instead he was stolen from us. We had not given up searching for him,” Chong insisted strongly that they love their son very much.
Chong recently found out that his son was adopted and had his name changed to Teoh Chia Ting and is believed to be residing in Kuantan.
“All I want is for my son to know that I am his biological father. Whether he wants to accept me or not is another matter.
“I just want to meet him at least once and this is my one and only wish.
“I also do not want my son to regret not knowing his birth parents.
“I hope upon reading this article, he would come forward and contact me so that I can tell him the truth,” he said.
For those who have any information, please contact the Barisan Nasional Service Centre (Pembela BN) hotline at 1-300-22-2352.