M’sian Couple With 8 Kids Took 15 Years To Get Marriage Legally Recognised, This Is Their Story

How long would you wait to get married?

For Malaysian Zeng Xueli and Myanmar-born He Zhansheng the answer is 15 years.

The heartwarming story of the couple, who have eight (yes, eight) children aged between one and 15, recently swept the internet.

According to reports, Zhangsheng and Xueli’s marriage application were rejected by Malaysian authorities four times because he was born in Myanmar and does not have a resident visa in Malaysia.

Though the couple did hold a traditional Chinese wedding after dating for two years, Zhangsheng was worried about not being allowed back into the country should he go back to Myanmar.

He effectively became an illegal immigrant when he decided to stay on in Malaysia to be with his family,

But the worry of their marriage not being legally recognised and Zhengsheng’s residential status constantly hung over their heads.

They also feared that should law enforcement officers catch on about Zhangsheng’s status, it could implicate Xueli and the kids.

After four failed attempts, the couple were finally given the go-ahead to get their marriage legally registered on Feb 6 at the National Registration Department in Negeri Sembilan.

Xueli even turned up in a wedding dress to mark the occasion.

Scroll down for the video. 

Coincidentally, their youngest daughter turned one on the day of their marriage registration, making the date extra special for the family.

The couple shared with the media that this was only made possible due to Chew Seh Yong, who is a member of the Negeri Sembilan State Legislative Assembly hearing about their situation.

The kind Samaritan even went out of his way to contact various departments to help make their marriage legal.

“Thanks to Chew Seh Yong’s assistance, I could pass the immigration process in time. After returning to Myanmar for a short time, I was able to re-enter Malaysia with a tourist visa. Now, I can stay [in Malaysia] to continue taking care of my wife and children without any worries,” shared Zhangsheng.

Xueli who owns QIQI Oakland Restaurant in Seremban also shared that she never thought she would see this day come.

“We thought that there would be no chance in this life, but because we met our benefactor, our dream finally came true,” she said.