No birth certificate or formal education till 11, as dad didn't register girl's birth on time

SINGAPORE – For 11 years after she was born in 2006, Ruby Lee Hui Ying did not have a birth certificate. 

Her father, Mr Lee Kia Por, did not register her birth on time due to difficult family circumstances.  His subsequent attempts to do so failed because of the lapse of time. According to Immigration and Checkpoints Authority guidelines, all births in Singapore must be registered within 42 days.

Without any official identification, it was hard for educational institutions to open their doors to Ruby.  

“I was turned away by even the private schools,” Mr Lee, 67, told The Straits Times in Mandarin.  

The Chinese-educated man taught his daughter Chinese and took her to the library instead. 

With no relatives and friends, Ruby’s world revolved around her parents.

The family’s plight came to light in 2016 when Mr Lee had to undergo a heart bypass operation at the National Heart Centre.

The medical social workers contacted the Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC), which then approached various agencies like the Ministry of Social and Family Development for help.

Ruby finally obtained her birth certificate at age 11. But her family still needed more help afterwards.

Her mother died from sickness in 2017, while Mr Lee’s poor health put him, a former dishwasher, out of a job.

The family had no income and needed help on multiple fronts, noted Ms Diong Siew Kuan, CDAC’s senior director for family support and development.

A volunteer from CDAC’s kidsREAD programme taught Ruby basic English, and prepared her for primary school.  

When Ruby was enrolled in Primary 2 at Cantonment Primary School, volunteers from CDAC’s Supervised Homework Group gave her one-on-one academic guidance. CDAC also helped Ruby apply for a bursary and provided interim financial support. 

Now 17 and a Secondary 1 student at Bedok Green Secondary School, Ruby still receives tuition and mentorship from the volunteers.

“There are too many subjects now,” said the teen. “My favourite is Chinese and weakest is science.”

“I am very grateful to these volunteers who are like her big sisters,” said Mr Lee, who shared that his shy daughter used to be reserved and depressed. “They helped her in her character development too.”

They live in a one-room rental flat in Tampines. Mr Lee, who has chronic health issues, helps out at a food stall three days weekly. They also receive ComCare payouts and supermarket vouchers.

Ruby hopes to be a psychologist to “help others overcome mental health problems”.

“I only wish that she will give back to society and be independent,” said Mr Lee. “I know that the volunteers will help her when I’m no longer around.” 

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.