KUALA LUMPUR: Twenty-two-year-old Sidque was born stateless to parents who abandoned him after his birth but he still considers himself fortunate to have two "mothers".
After his birth at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL), his biological mother left him.
But an old woman he calls "Nenek Faridah" stepped in to look after him.
"When I was eight, I started asking her (Nenek Faridah) about my parents, but she said she did not know them.
"She looked after me and loved me like I was her flesh and blood," he told Harian Metro in an interview at Yayasan Chow Kit (YCK).
Then Nenek Faridah passed away of old age but luckily, her friend, "Nenek Mariam" took Sidque under her care.
"She and her family also treated me like one of their own and strived to give me a good education."
Sidque said he is grateful to Allah for the two women he regards as his mothers.
Without them, his life would have been miserable, he said.
"They both told me not to think too much about my past and biological family and that if it was meant to be, I would meet them," he said, adding Nenek Faridah and Nenek Mariam always encouraged him to do his best in life.
Still, as a stateless child, Sidque faced huge challenges. Without a MyKad, his dreams of becoming a pilot were dashed.
"(In the past) I felt inferior because I didn't know who my parents were and I avoided talking about my life to others.
"I feel sad that I have never experienced the love of my parents, but I knew that I wanted a good future."
With YCK's help, Sidque was able to obtain documentation and further his studies.
Last May, he received his MyKad. Today, he works as an electrician, having graduated from a vocational centre five months ago.
Sidque said he no longer feels ashamed of his past and that it was more important to him to be independent and lead a good life.