KUALA SELANGOR: It was a poignant reunion for Mohammad Sadam Roslan and his biological father, Roslan Md Nur Kasim, when they finally met after 24 years of separation.
This significant meeting was the first time that Sadam, 27, saw his father as the former was only 3-years-old when the latter returned to his home country, leaving him and his mother behind.
Accompanied by his cousin Rahmayani Sulaiman, 33, and her husband Muhamad Safwan Sharom, 35, Sadam travelled to Batu Bara in Medan, Indonesia.
The heartbreaking video captured the moment he embraced his 55-year-old father Roslan, who also could not contain his emotions.
Reflecting on the reunion, Sadam, who lives in Kampung Asam Jawa here, said he initially never expected to see his father again, and therefore, had been eagerly awaiting this moment.
"My father is Indonesian and my mother is from here (Malaysia). As far as I know, they have separated for a long time.
"Since my father left, my mother raised me and my siblings, so I depended a lot on her.
"I could not experience the love of a father, only seeing it in others. So it would be a lie if I said I did not miss him. In fact, I used to blame my father for leaving us," he said.
Sadam said he had tried searching for his father before, but faced difficulties in doing so, as financial constraints are a hindrance to his efforts.
"I never had a passport my whole life, but I made one just to meet my father in Indonesia.
"I wanted to find my father for a long time and my lack of resources was a barrier until my cousin from Indonesia, who is working in Malaysia, came across my aunt.
"My cousin then traced my family and arranged the reunion with my father," he said.
He recounted that no words could capture the intensity of his emotions during the initial meeting with his father.
"We hugged immediately and my father cried. During the meeting, my father's wife (stepmother) and their two children were also present.
"I spent three days there (in Indonesia) before returning home on Jan 21," he said.
Sadam wishes to meet his father again in the future.
"I see that my father is facing difficulties, so if I am fortunate, I will go there (Indonesia) again to meet him.
"If possible, I want to celebrate Aidilfitri there with my father, but I need my mother's permission first," he added.
