Raja Permaisuri Wants To "Adopt" Sarawakian Child With Rare Congenital Hair Syndrome
Their Royal Highnesses met the girl while touring Sabah and Sarawak.
By Dale John Wong — 03 Nov 2023, 03:37 PM
Malaysia's Raja Permaisuri has offered to adopt a two-year-old Sarawakian girl with a rare congenital syndrome, nearly two months after their first meeting
In September, Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah met Missclyen Roland while touring Sabah and Sarawak alongside the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah.
The child was born with congenital generalised hypertrichosis, a genetic disorder that causes excessive hair growth on her face and body. She was also born without nostrils.
During the visit, the royal couple warmly embraced Missclyen and referred to her as "a child from heaven".
"The King said, 'Take good care of this child. She is a child from heaven... a blessing from God'," Missclyen's father, 49-year-old Roland Jimbai, told New Sarawak Tribune.
At the time, the royal couple was on their "Kembali Kenali Borneo" tour, covering a distance of over 2,000km from Tawau, Sabah, all the way to Telok Melano, Sarawak.
Missclyen's first meeting with the Agong and Raja Permaisuri in September 2023.
Image via @istana_negara (Instagram)On 1 November, Missclyen's 29-year-old mother, Theresa Guntin, shared an update on her Facebook page, revealing that the Raja Permaisuri had offered to "adopt" Missclyen
The offer had arrived in the form of a letter addressed to Roland, dated 10 October, in which the Raja Permaisuri had expressed her wish to pay for Missclyen's school expenses and medical treatments.
"I wish to take Missclyen Anak Roland as an adopted child. Through this arrangement, I will provide expenses through you, as her guardian, for the purpose of Missclyen's schooling. Additionally, I will bear the cost of treatment for the hypertrichosis or werewolf syndrome that she currently faces.
"I hope that this assistance will alleviate the burden on Missclyen's father in providing care and raising her," the letter read.
In her Facebook post, Theresa expressed her utter joy and excitement at the Raja Permaisuri's offer, describing it as "like a dream"
Speaking to New Sarawak Tribune, Missclyen's father also expressed his joy and gratitude towards the royal family for their generosity and kindness.
"Upon receiving and reading the letter, words cannot express how I felt at the time. I was full of emotions. I was really shocked, happy, and touched at the same time," Roland was quoted as saying.
"This means our little Missclyen is a princess. And we will call her Princess Missclyen," he added.
The government has also pledged to provide Missclyen with adequate assistance and education
On 2 November, the Ministry of Women, Childhood, and Community Wellbeing Development promised to provide the child with the assistance and education required for a proper upbringing.
According to New Sarawak Tribune, Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said that Missclyen would receive the necessary resources after her ministry had evaluated the available options and made preparations for her long-term education.
Minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah with Missclyen Roland.
Image via Ghazali Bujang/New Sarawak Tribune"Missclyen already holds a person with disabilities (OKU) card, making her eligible for assistance as a disabled individual. After that, we need to check on childcare assistance and healthcare.
"The department will assess the forms of assistance that can be provided to the family to address these issues," she said.
