VIVAnews - US President Barack Obama's half sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, denied that a woman who goes by the name Liah - familiarly called Mbak Non - is Obama's adopted sister when the newly-inaugurated US President was still living in Indonesia.
"I never knew anyone named Liah in my entire life," Maya told VOA Indonesia on Wednesday, Jan 21.
Maya said that Liah, now living in Sukabumi, West Java, was never adopted by Maya's father, Lolo Soetoro. "She was never adopted into my family," she emphasized.
Maya also dismissed the rumor that she and her family had invited Liah to come to Hawaii. "If that had been true then my grandmother would have remembered her. My grandmother told me that no such thing happened," said Maya.
In fact, Obama as well as her cousins had never mentioned Liah. "He does not recall her. And we don’t recall any stories being told about her. She doesn’t appear in any pictures," said Maya, daughter to Ann Dunham and Lolo Sutoro, the second husband of Dunham. Dunham married Soetoro in 1966 when Obama was six years old.
Liah's birth certificate showed that she only has a single name, that is, "Liah". Soetoro was not attached to her name. Maya says that she does not want her to use her father's name. "Because I value my name very much and I want to honor my father who gave it to me. I would like to say that I don’t want her to use it," said Maya.
Maya believes that Liah has no right to use the name. "Because I don’t feel that it belongs to her and there’s a certain I think sacredness and power in a name. So I would prefer if she would not do that anymore," said Maya.
(Liah, who claimed to be Obama's adopted sister)
Earlier, Liah had told VIVAnews that she had been Obama's nanny when little Obama was still in Jakarta and then Obama's stepfather, Lolo Soetoro, took her in as his own daughter.
Liah said she understood if Maya renounced her as Obama's adopted sister. "Maya left Indonesia when she was two years old. She wouldn't remember. But I did accompany [Dunham] when she gave birth to Maya," said Liah. Nonetheless, Liah did not mention the hospital.
"It's not a big thing whether or not Maya knows me. I'm not upset about it," said Liah.
The 51-year-old Liah also accepted if Obama does not remember her. "Perhaps, Obama is ashamed of having a poor sister like me," she added.
