RECENTLY Michael Tong Wai Siong or Uncle Mike who went viral because of his willingness to take care of three Muslim Malay boys who are also orphans received the Maulidur Rasul Award.
The award was presented by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim in celebration of Maulidur Rasul 1446H/2024 at the national level here.
In a post by Buletin TV 3 on X, Uncle Mike, 55, described receiving the award as giving him more motivation and inspiration to continue his charity work and help many people.
MAULIDUR RASUL 1446H | Michael Tong Wai Siong atau Uncle Mike yang tular kerana kesudiannya menjaga tiga anak angkat lelaki Melayu beragama Islam yang juga yatim piatu, menerima Anugerah Maulidur Rasul, hari ini.
Uncle Mike, 55, menyifatkan anugerah diterima memberinya lebih… pic.twitter.com/iT3OqRg7IZ— Buletin TV3 (@BuletinTV3) September 16, 2024
“I feel overwhelmed, I never expected to receive this award because I come from an ordinary family. For 16 years I didn’t tell anyone the story until it was published in Harian Metro,” he said.
The cyberspace was flooded with praises for the man, as he well deserved it.
Then there was a netizen who wondered if a Muslim could foster non-muslim children who remained in their religion.
According to replies given to him, such a scenario was possible although rare. It appears that non-muslims cannot adopt muslim children as their own.
Uncle Mike was able to do so because the children were not officially registered as his foster children, and that he was only a caretaker.
Several Muslims netizens even called for Uncle Mike to embrace Islam since his family is composed of Muslims.
The story of Uncle Mike gained attention when he took in Rafei Ahmad Fauzi, 29, and his two younger brothers, Rasyid, 28, and Abdul Rahman, 24, and even loved them like his own children even though they were not related by blood and did not know each other before.
We suppose Uncle Mike deserves more than just an award. His story represents the pinnacle of racial harmony in a nation constantly divided by the 3Rs. – Sept 18, 2024
Main image: malaymail
