Cancer patient who had MyKad seized dies aged 65

MIRI – Lawas cancer patient Lina Samuel, who made headlines after she was stripped of her MyKad, died this morning. She was 65.

Activist Agnes Padan confirmed to The Borneo Post that Lina passed away in Lawas Hospital at around 7am.

“Yes, it is true. Lina Samuel passed this morning. She was admitted to Lawas Hospital last night at around 10pm.”

Agnes said she contacted Lawas Hospital director Dr Ahmad Helmi Hamdan two weeks ago about Lina’s health condition and was told that she had Stage 4 colon cancer.

She added that Lina’s family is preparing to bring the body back to the family home in Long Sebangang, Lawas.

Lina is survived by two sons and two daughters who are all stateless.

Earlier this month, Lina’s concern about getting follow-up cancer treatment in Miri because her MyKad had been seized by the National Registration Department (NRD) in Lawas last November made the rounds on social media.

She had attempted to change the address on her MyKad at the department’s Lawas office in order to vote when staff seized the document.

In response, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail claimed Lina was stripped of her MyKad because the department discovered she is an Indonesian citizen.

Lina’s story caught the attention of many, including Lawyers for Liberty who called on the government to return Lina’s MyKad as the seizure was unlawful and unconstitutional.

On April 13, Kuching NRD sent officers to Lawas to meet with Lina.

Following the meeting, Lina was issued a temporary document to ease her travel to Miri for cancer treatment. – Borneo Post Online, April 25, 2023