Fy Nhad y Swltan

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-My name is Keith Williams.

-When I was 13,

-Mami told me I was adopted.

-I'd never given it a thought.

-I never imagined

-I was related to a royal family...

-..from the other side of the world.

-When I was four or five months old,

-the council took me off my mother...

-..and they brought me here, to

-Caeglas children's home, Ffairfach.

-I lived here

-until I was around 18 months old.

-I don't remember a thing about it...

-..but being here does bring back

-some sort of feeling.

-It makes me think about the time

-I spent in this home.

-My adoptive parents

-had been married for ten years...

-..but they couldn't have children.

-Dadi ran a business in Penygroes

-and he knew a lot of people.

-Someone told him there was a little

-boy in Caeglas children's home...

-..that he and Moira

-should go and meet.

-He called in one day.

-Apparently, as soon as he walked

-into the room, I went towards him...

-..and looked up at him.

-There were other children there,

-but he took a shine to me.

-He went home

-and told my mother about me.

-They went through the adoption

-process and that took a bit of time.

-I was two years old

-by the time everything went through.

-I was a lucky boy.

-Mami and Dadi

-gave me a good upbringing.

-That's never been a question.

-I never wanted for anything.

-Everyone in Penygroes

-knows me as Keith the Coal.

-I've had a brilliant life here.

-My parents were very religious.

-I was raised as a member

-of the Temple Apostolic Church.

-Dadi's uncle,

-Pastor Dan, or DP Williams...

-..founded the Apostolic Church,

-along with his brother.

-They were strict.

-We had to go to Sunday school.

-I was in for it if I didn't listen,

-and if the belt came out, look out!

-My bottom would be red

-and I couldn't sit down for a month.

-I left school when I was 15 to work

-with Dadi in the coal business...

-..up on the yard.

-We worked really long hours.

-We carried bags of coal

-and did big tonnage.

-We worked six days a week

-and it really was a back breaker.

-To be honest,

-I enjoyed that time of my life.

-I miss those good times.

-January

-Up to the time when Keith was 46...

-..he didn't feel any urge to search

-for his birth mother or father.

-I started the process

-of finding his birth parents.

-I was expecting his grandchild...

-..and I asked him if he wanted

-to find his birth parents.

-That's when Dad and Mam

-went to find out.

-Back in 1998, we looked into

-how we could start this search.

-I went to Llanelli to get a copy

-of my birth certificate.

-We left the Registrar's Office

-with my original birth certificate.

-There was nothing on it to tell me

-who my mother and father were.

-It was disappointing, to be honest,

-but I'm not sure what I expected.

-The only new thing

-I did discover from it...

-..was that my original surname

-was Hodge.

-From there, we looked

-through the telephone book...

-..for Hodges.

-There weren't a lot of people

-called Hodge.

-There were a couple in Llanelli

-and here and there.

-I assumed

-that my parents were from Llanelli.

-That's all we had to go on.

-We found that someone called Hodge

-owned a bike shop in Llanelli...

-..but the shop had closed.

-We then decided

-to go up to the Box Cemetery.

-It was fascinating,

-but we reached a dead end.

-We couldn't find anything out.

-It pointed to the name Hodge having

-no connection with Llanelli...

-..apart from the fact

-I was born there.

-We had to go back

-to the drawing board.

-I went back to Social Services...

-..and I made an application

-for a full birth certificate.

-The adoption details were on it

-and that's how I found out...

-..that my mother's name

-was Elizabeth Rosa Hodge.

-We went to London for a meeting...

-..at the records office

-for births, marriages and deaths.

-We met

-a wonderfully helpful lady there.

-We spent quite a bit of time there

-and she helped us.

-She recommended

-what we should and shouldn't do.

-She advised us not to knock on doors

-in case we got a bad reaction.

-We wouldn't do that anyway.

-We found a reference number

-when she was showing us what to do.

-We found out

-that Elizabeth Rosa had married.

-Her married name was Grzegorzek.

-It's a Polish surname.

-She married a man called Frank.

-We found out that Elizabeth Rosa

-gave birth to two girls.

-Their names are Christine and Anita.

-That really gave me a boost.

-I was raised as an only child...

-..and I now discovered

-that I had two half-sisters.

-It was fantastic.

-It gave us a push

-to find what we were looking for.

-The lady in London

-gave us some advice.

-She said, "Where you have

-your birth certificate...

-..it would help you if you went back

-to the local authority there."

-I did that and I asked to speak

-to someone from Social Services.

-Fair play,

-the lady met me straight away.

-I explained to her what I was after.

-It's not easy

-to get your hands on it.

-Obviously, you can't just walk in

-and ask for information.

-I had to prove who I was.

-She said, "Leave it to me."

-I phoned her

-a couple of weeks later...

-..and she said, "I've found records

-from the archives in Carmarthen."

-When this file was handed to me...

-..I was quite emotional,

-to be honest.

-This is a list

-of my personal belongings.

-One pair of mittens.

-Two pairs of shoes.

-Socks. Rubber pants.

-Ration book.

-This is a Visitor Report...

-..from the time

-when I went out as a foster child.

-"The child appears quite white apart

-from slight swarthiness of skin."

-I turned the page

-and saw these words.

-"The father of the child

-is a Malayan.

-"A married man with a family".

-I took a drive in the car on my own,

-just to absorb everything.

-I drove up to the Scotch Pine

-on Betws mountain...

-..and I sat in the car for hours.

-When I think that my father came

-from the other side of the world...

-..there's a lot of water between us.

-I was really shaken.

-It was hard to take it in.

-It wasn't the news

-I expected to find, to be honest.

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-When I learned my mother's name...

-..and that my father came from

-the other side of the world...

-..it was a shock, but it made me

-more determined to find out more.

-Vanessa and I

-decided to do a bit of PI work.

-We went up to the Peterborough area.

-We'd been given

-a few addresses up there...

-..so we decided to go up there

-for a few days...

-..to find out as much as possible.

-We had the marriage certificate

-and an address was printed on it.

-The witness to the wedding lived in

-Yaxley, just outside Peterborough.

-We came up to Yaxley and we found

-the house where the witness lived.

-He was Polish, like Frank.

-They were workmates.

-We knocked on the door

-and told them our story.

-The man said they used to live

-across the road...

-..and their son

-drives buses in Peterborough.

-We didn't know there was a son.

-The records we found in London

-only mentioned two girls.

-That was another surprise for us.

-Suddenly, I had a half-brother

-as well as two half-sisters.

-We left Yaxley,

-on our detective mission...

-..and we came here,

-to Deeping St James.

-When we reached this village,

-we went to the post office.

-That was the address we had.

-The girl there said

-it used to be a house years ago.

-We explained

-that we were trying to track down...

-..Elizabeth Rosa Grzegorzek.

-She said, "I tell you who'd help.

-Two sisters who live together."

-Midwives.

-I knocked the door and said

-we were trying to find Elizabeth.

-She said,

-"She used to go by the name Betty."

-That was news to us, of course.

-She added, "I know Betty very well.

-I brought Betty into this world."

-Good gracious me!

-That was

-a fascinating thing to learn.

-She said, "I tell you

-who'd be able to help you."

-"She's got an auntie

-living just around the corner."

-She gave us the address,

-so we went up the road.

-We sat in the car for a few minutes,

-Vanessa and I.

-Shall I knock the door or shan't I?

-We knocked on the door

-and a lady came to the door.

-As soon as I opened my mouth,

-she knew I was Welsh...

-..and she said, "Come in! Come in!"

-I said, "My wife's there."

-She said,

-"Get your wife in as well."

-I thought, "Flippin' heck,

-they're nice people here."

-We went in and she knew who I was.

-She said, "You've just missed Betty

-but I've got a photograph of her."

-That was the first photo

-I'd seen of her.

-It was a nice thing to see.

-She gave me Betty's address and we

-decided to go home and write to her.

-"..became the mother of a boy which

-had to be passed on for adoption.

-"With the information we've gathered

-through our investigative work...

-"..the girl in question

-was yourself."

-"It certainly was a surprise

-to receive your letter.

-"My husband, Frank, and myself

-would dearly love to meet you."

-I could tell from the letter that

-she was delighted I'd found her.

-She was over the moon.

-We exchanged a few more letters,

-then we arranged to meet.

-We met for the first time...

-..and as she wrote in her letters,

-she was thrilled that I'd found her.

-We went up to Peterborough...

-..and we stayed in a hotel

-on the other side of the town.

-We didn't know what to expect

-and I was a bag of nerves.

-We saw them

-walking in from the car park.

-When she actually came in

-through the front door...

-..I can't put it into words

-how emotional it was.

-It blew me away.

-We hugged and kissed.

-I met Frank, her husband, of course.

-We got on really well.

-To think that she hadn't seen me

-for fifty-odd years.

-The feeling was tremendous.

-We met several times after that.

-She came down to see us

-and she stayed in Llanelli.

-Robin, her son, his wife

-and their son came with them.

-It was surreal.

-It's hard to put it into words.

-Vanessa and I had been

-talking about it for two years.

-We started the process

-and we did the detective work...

-..and now we'd reached this point.

-It was a different chapter, really.

-We could move forward.

-It was fantastic.

-Absolutely.

-My mother went to Carshalton,

-Surrey, as a trainee nurse.

-When she was doing her training...

-..she met the man

-who turned out to be my father.

-He was studying in London.

-They met

-when they were out somewhere.

-I'm not sure where.

-They went out together

-for quite some time.

-She found out she was pregnant,

-expecting me.

-Because she was there

-under the council's care...

-..she had to come home as soon

-as she discovered she was pregnant.

-So she came back to Llanelli.

-She tried to find

-the man she loved...

-..but he'd gone.

-I'm an open-minded man.

-Mami told me that story but

-there are two sides to every story.

-People give you all sorts of reasons

-for giving up children for adoption.

-But when she met me and explained

-her reasons for giving me up...

-..I had to listen to her.

-I was willing to listen.

-I felt for her.

-I had sympathy for her

-being put in that situation.

-She had no relatives

-and no backup down here.

-Her father was at sea,

-so he was never home.

-I felt really sorry for her,

-to be honest.

-She wanted to keep me.

-There was a bit of a tug of war.

-It's quite sad, really.

-It's very sad.

-Without a doubt, she had a hard life

-when she was young.

-She went through her life,

-up to the age she is now...

-..keeping all these safe and sound.

-She only gave

-some of this stuff to me recently.

-They must have meant so much to her.

-And to think she had to let me go.

-She had no choice, really.

-The man she met in London...

-..and went out with

-as boyfriend and girlfriend...

-..came from Malaysia.

-He was a Malayan.

-She gave me photographs

-that show how he lived out there.

-He was connected to the royal family

-out there.

-He was made a sultan back in 1963.

-He died in 1984.

-He was out on official business

-and he had a heart attack.

-This is his full name.

-I can't pronounce it.

-Paduka Seri Sultan Idris

-Al-Mutawakkil Alallahi Shah...

-..Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar

-Shah Kaddasullah.

-He was the 33rd Sultan of Perak.

-The funny thing is, despite the fact

-he had such a long name...

-..everyone knew him as Robert!

-HE LAUGHS

-How did he get that name?

-I don't know!

-Brilliant!

-Timothy, my son, was on Myspace.

-Myspace was as popular then

-as Facebook is now.

-He was on Myspace and suddenly,

-a photo of my father appeared.

-Someone had posted a photo of him.

-It was pure luck that he saw it.

-It's the same photo

-as the one I have.

-He phoned me up

-and told me to log on to Myspace.

-I didn't have a clue

-what he was talking about.

-I'm not interested in these things.

-He came up to the house

-and I had to log on in my name.

-The woman who posted the picture

-was called Ku Ess.

-I sent her a message,

-trying to be as careful as I could.

-I didn't go at it

-like a bull at a gate.

-I asked her

-if he went by the name Robert.

-She replied that it was him,

-so I knew I was on the right track.

-We exchanged a couple of messages...

-..and she said it was best for me

-to speak to her brother...

-..Ku Shah.

-He'd be able to help me more.

-She put me in contact with him.

-He replied straight away.

-He told me he was very surprised.

-Nobody knew about me.

-He sent a list to me of all ten

-of his children's names.

-I've got ten siblings which

-I knew nothing about until then.

-I became friends

-with his sister too.

-The two of them lived in the palace

-with our father, Robert.

-I was in touch with them and Ku Ess

-and another girl became involved.

-Her name is Mahdia.

-Mahdia and Ku Ess were the youngest.

-They were in their early 30s.

-I got on well with them.

-I haven't been out to Malaysia yet,

-but I'm looking forward to going.

-I'll go in late September,

-all being well...

-..and I'll finally get to meet

-the people I've spoken to.

-I'm only in touch with four of them.

-Shah's dead, poor dab.

-He died last year.

-He would have been

-the best man to have met...

-..because he was more open.

-He was more accepting, perhaps.

-We got along well.

-They said they could see the

-likeness and all this type of thing.

-I'm looking forward to meeting them,

-and I think they feel the same.

-June

-I received a phone call

-at five o'clock yesterday morning.

-I was fast asleep.

-It was a call from America.

-It was my sister, Christine.

-She told me our mother, Betty,

-had passed away...

-..at Christine's home in Arizona.

-She died surrounded by her family.

-She was comfortable.

-It's quite sad.

-They wanted her to move out there.

-She'd lost Frank, her husband...

-..and she lost her son, Robin,

-around seven or eight years ago.

-He popped in to see her every day

-and losing him really affected her.

-The girls

-wanted her to move there...

-..but she didn't want to

-now that she'd met us.

-She felt she'd be leaving us.

-The girls have been settled

-in America for 25 or 30 years.

-I wasn't happy that she went

-over there in October.

-Her health wasn't great even then.

-She had a stroke the year before

-and she was starting to fade.

-She wasn't well...

-..but she wasn't too bad.

-When I last saw her, she was

-walking around quite happily.

-She was happy

-in her own environment.

-When she went out there,

-she left her comfort zone.

-Keith's really sad

-and he's really quiet.

-We're all shocked

-that Betty went so suddenly.

-We knew she wasn't well...

-..but it's a big shock

-that she died so suddenly.

-I'm devastated to have lost her.

-I've now lost two mothers -

-my adoptive mother and Betty.

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-Since Betty's death,

-I've had time to think a lot.

-I've realized there were questions

-I should have asked her.

-I have no reason to doubt Betty,

-but I want to take a DNA test...

-..to prove to the family in Malaysia

-exactly who I am.

-The company in London

-which does the tests...

-..told me that a male sample...

-..would give

-a more direct positive result...

-..than a female sample.

-They spoke to my youngest brother,

-who's in his early 40s.

-His name is Rashid.

-They talked to him about me...

-..and I assumed

-he'd give a DNA sample.

-The indication was

-that he was willing to do that.

-However, when I took it

-one step further...

-..and asked them to supply the name

-and address of a private clinic...

-..so that we could

-send out the packs...

-..she wrote back to me and said,

-"No, he doesn't want to do it.

-"He'd rather keep out of it.

-"The issue is

-we are no ordinary family.

-"We are protecting the family.

-"We do not want to open

-any skeletons in the cupboard.

-"We hope you understand."

-I sent messages to Ku Ess,

-my youngest sister.

-She's transgender.

-She was born a male.

-I've always said I don't want

-to bring my father into disrepute.

-That's not something I want to do.

-I wanted to see the DNA results...

-..to satisfy myself

-that I am who I say I am.

-I think

-they feel a bit threatened now.

-That's the crux of it.

-They feel a bit threatened.

-It's natural

-to feel a bit disappointed.

-But I've got to stay positive.

-If I hadn't stayed positive,

-I wouldn't have come this far.

-A lot of work and time

-has gone into everything.

-I found Betty...

-..and, obviously,

-I then found them out there.

-They've been really supportive

-and accommodating.

-Everything was good.

-So I don't know.

-September

-It's exciting to think

-I'm packing to head out to Malaysia.

-I never thought I'd see this day.

-I'm raring to go.

-I hope Dad gets some closure.

-I hope he achieves his goal...

-..of meeting the family in Malaysia.

-It would be nice

-to find out what it's all about.

-We're all supportive.

-We're happy he's going

-to meet the family in Malaysia.

-It'll be special.

-We're all excited for Keith.

-We're also a bit worried for him.

-We're delighted that Keith

-will get to see the palace...

-..his father's resting place...

-..and the other places of interest

-for him.

-We're worried about whether or not

-the family in Malaysia...

-..will accept Keith

-as their brother.

-It will be great if Dad can meet

-his brothers and sisters...

-..out in Malaysia.

-It will put an end to it.

-I'm glad Timothy's coming with me.

-It means I'll have some company.

-I'm really looking forward to it.

-I can't wait to see the country...

-..and to meet whoever we can

-when we're out there.

-I want to see a bit of the country

-and see how they live.

-It's going to be emotional.

-There's no doubt about it.

-I'm going to see the tomb...

-..where my father was laid to rest.

-That's one of the things

-I want to see.

-It goes without saying

-that will be emotional.

-He's been dead for 30 years,

-of course.

-It's just something I want to see.

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-After a twelve-hour flight...

-..to get out here...

-..it's nice to have my feet

-on solid ground in Malaysia.

-Kuala Kangsar

-is two hours north of Kuala Lumpur.

-First of all, Timothy and I

-enjoy a trip down the river.

-I hope there's a message awaiting us

-when we get back to the hotel.

-Thank you.

-I've been looking forward

-to coming out here for a long time.

-I'm a little bit disappointed,

-to be honest.

-I had hoped to meet

-some of my relatives.

-They'd sort of said they were

-willing to meet me when I got here.

-But things have turned cold.

-I can't get hold of anyone.

-They're not replying to my messages

-and that's a bit frustrating.

-I can't talk to anyone.

-Hopefully,

-someone will reply to his messages.

-Every time he doesn't get a reply,

-he feels very disappointed.

-But we go on.

-We've got to go on.

-I'm just hoping that some of them

-change their minds...

-..and that they contact me

-in the next few days.

-We'll see.

-We can just live in hope.

-Kuala Kangsar

-was built around the royal palace.

-Robert lived there, in the palace,

-for most of his life.

-The current sultan lives there too.

-I had hoped

-to be invited to see it...

-..but I don't think

-there's any chance of that.

-It's like ringing the doorbell

-at Buckingham Palace...

-..and asking

-if you can have a look round!

-I don't think it'll happen.

-I wanted to see

-his final resting place.

-I'm glad I did see it, to be honest.

-It's hard to explain how I feel.

-I didn't know the man personally...

-..but he was my father.

-I'm glad I had a chance to see it.

-I feel as if

-there's a part of me here.

-Well, there is a part of me here.

-Buried here.

-If I ever came back out here,

-I'd want to return here.

-I'd want to see his tomb again.

-This is our final day

-in the Kuala Kangsar area.

-We'll travel

-down to Kuala Lumpur tomorrow.

-The hope is we'll get to meet

-some members of my family.

-Fingers crossed.

-I hope I can talk to someone...

-..just to finish off

-what we've seen.

-That would be good.

-I've been talking to Timothy

-about this.

-We think that it's because

-the whole thing is so sensitive.

-It's all to do with the ascendancy

-which goes up to the sultan.

-My father was the 33rd sultan.

-His second cousin became the 34th.

-He died last year,

-so his son became the 35th sultan.

-We've now come to understand

-that Robert's eldest son...

-..has now been named as the person

-who'll succeed our second cousin.

-What's striking fear into them

-is I'm Robert's eldest son.

-What that means is,

-according to their law...

-..although they've named the heir,

-I should overtake him.

-I wouldn't want to be sultan.

-It's a different culture.

-I wasn't raised in it.

-They don't know that.

-I think that's why

-they're a bit wary.

-It's about that fact, what I'll do

-about it and what I want out of it.

-If they opened up a bit

-and allowed me to meet them...

-..they'd understand

-where I'm coming from.

-I'm not interested

-in becoming the 36th sultan.

-The thought!

-That's not even in my mind.

-As I said, it's in their thoughts

-and that's a shame, really.

-If we could meet,

-it would be great...

-..but who knows?

-We may meet one day.

-We may even meet

-before we leave tomorrow.

-Hello, Ku Ess.

-How are you today?

-OK, we'll meet in the evening.

-Nine, ten o'clock in the night

-is preferable to you.

-OK. Speak to you soon.

-Bye-bye.

-Bye.

-We've been hoping all week...

-..that I'd be able to meet someone.

-This has come

-as a bolt from the blue, really.

-I picked up a message

-on Facebook Messenger.

-She sent me a voice clip.

-I feel really happy now.

-I'm finally going to meet

-one of the family...

-..and we'll do it

-before we go home tomorrow.

-That's the icing on the cake for me.

-We'll meet her tonight

-in this hotel...

-..and take it from there.

-The clock is ticking.

-She said she'd be here

-between nine and ten...

-..so we're waiting for her.

-I talked to her again

-and she's running a bit late.

-I'm a bit apprehensive

-at the moment.

-I'm about to meet my half-sister

-for the first time...

-..on the other side of the world.

-I'm looking forward to it.

-I don't care what time she arrives.

-Although we're leaving

-early tomorrow...

-..it makes no difference.

-I just want to meet her,

-and she wants to meet me too.

-I can't wait.

-I'll have butterflies

-in my stomach later...

-..but I look forward to meeting her.

-The long wait is over.

-I met Ku Ess.

-She did turn up.

-She was running late,

-so I was there waiting and hoping.

-She turned up...

-..and it was quite emotional for me.

-I've known her

-for six or seven years.

-We discussed me coming over here

-and so on.

-The fact that I got to meet her

-in the end was great.

-It really was good.

-I told her we were over here doing

-a bit of filming about my story.

-I asked her how she'd feel...

-..about talking on camera.

-I explained to her

-that she didn't have to say much.

-I just wanted her to chat to me...

-..but she didn't feel

-it would be safe for her to do so...

-..because of her position

-and her title.

-She goes under the title

-Her Royal Highness.

-She didn't feel it would be right...

-..for her to talk on camera.

-She has to be careful

-who she talks to...

-..where she talks to people

-and what she says.

-She apologized.

-She was sorry

-but she didn't feel it was right.

-She wasn't willing to do it,

-basically.

-Unfortunately,

-we had to leave it like that.

-I think I'd like to get to know

-more members of my family.

-I'd like to meet someone

-who's higher up...

-..just to explain

-I don't want anything out of it.

-Whether that will happen,

-I don't know.

-I'll weigh things up and see

-what develops in the coming months.

-I'll take it from there.

-When we started to look into it...

-..to try to find

-the identity of my birth mother...

-..and my birth father...

-..I never imagined I'd end up

-sitting down with a queen...

-..who went out of her way

-to meet me.

-It blows your mind away.

-Beyond that,

-we have the same father.

-She's my half-sister.

-That's a big thing.

-S4C subtitles by Eirlys A Jones

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