MyKad seizure: Minister instructs fresh investigation

 

Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has instructed fresh investigations into the claim that the National Registration Department (NRD) had seized the MyKad of an elderly cancer patient in Sarawak.

“Regarding Lina (Samuel)’s case, I have instructed the Sarawak NRD to investigate the allegations. 

“A fresh investigation on Lina’s allegations should be done on an urgent basis,” he said. 

Lina, 65, alleged that her identity card was seized by an NRD officer when she visited the department to change her address in the lead-up to the 15th general election. 

The Lawas resident suffers from colon cancer and fears she will not be allowed to continue treatment at a public hospital without a MyKad.

She said her MyKad was seized in November 2022, but this contradicts Sarawak NRD's investigation papers. 

Saifuddin (above) earlier said Lina’s MyKad was impounded by the department because it found that she is not a citizen.

“The Sarawak NRD’s Investigation and Enforcement Department conducted an investigation on Jan 10, 2018, after it found that Lina’s birth certificate and identity card were not in order. 

“In her children’s records, the subject is recorded as being from Indonesia.

“As the outcome of the investigation, Lina’s MyKad was blacklisted on Sept 25, 2019, before it was impounded on Oct 8, 2019,” he added. 

Saifuddin said the earlier investigation involved checking the birth certificate of Lina’s children and interviewing Lina and the village chief of Singa Taei. 

“Now, we have two versions and timelines of when Lina’s MyKad was taken. So, I have asked for fresh investigations,” he said. 

Meanwhile, Saifudin said he would expedite reissuing a MyKad to Lina if she is able to prove that she was born in Malaysia.

“After I became minister, the NRD formed a special task force to resolve issues of citizenship, especially in Sarawak. 

“We have gathered 948 cases of children without citizenship through this task force, and half of those cases have been resolved,” he said. 

Saifuddin added that the NRD has also formed a special team to assist residents in rural Sarawak who face documentation issues.

“This team will go house to house to assist those who are unable to visit the NRD office. 

“So, in Lina’s case, the NRD will conduct a fair investigation and is always willing to assist her,” he said.

NRD officers visit Lina

Meanwhile, Lina’s daughter Ruran Lukas said Sarawak NRD officers visited her mother in her rented room in Lawas today, as Lina was too unwell to go to the Lawas NRD office. 

However, the officers later insisted Lina must come to the NRD office as they had to capture her thumbprint on the biometric machine, so she was taken there on wheelchair, Ruran told The Borneo Post.

Ruran said Lina is worried she may be unable to visit Miri Hospital for treatment next Monday (April 17) as a MyKad is needed to travel from Lawas to Miri by land or air. Brunei is located between Lawas and Miri.

Following the meeting with Kuching NRD officers, Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) member Agnes Padan revealed that Lina had been issued a temporary MyKad.

This would now allow the senior citizen to travel from Lawas to Miri for treatment.

Yesterday, the Sarawak Health Department clarified that Lina has continued receiving cancer treatment at the Miri Hospital, despite not having a MyKad.

“The cancer patient is under the care of a surgeon at Miri Hospital and has continued to receive appropriate treatment regardless of her identification document or nationality status.

“The Miri Hospital has performed several procedures in treating the patient this year, including imaging on Feb 15, surgical procedures on Feb 17, and a follow-up imaging on March 20,” he was quoted saying by Dayak Daily.

‘Constitutionally Malaysian’

Refuting the NRD, Agnes who assisted Lina, said the latter was born in 1957, before the formation of Malaysia, and at a time when there was no requirement to register births in Sarawak.

According to Lina’s daughter, the elderly woman cannot recall where she was born as her parents passed away when she was a child and she lost her birth certificate when she relocated to Lawas in her teens.

However, her daughter told Malaysiakini that prior to moving, Lina lived in Kampung Long Sui - about 18km away from Lawas - since she was an infant.

Lawyers for Liberty director Zaid Malek concurred, saying that Lina’s situation falls under Part 1 of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia 1957’s Second Schedule.

Part 1 stipulates that persons born after Malaysia Day (Sept 16, 1963) are citizens by operation of law. This rule also extends to anyone born within the Federation after Merdeka Day and before October 1962.

“As of right, she is still a Malaysian citizen.

“In any event, where is the proof that she is an Indonesian citizen? The home minister and the NRD cannot simply make claims to strip her of her citizenship,” Zaid told Malaysiakini. - Mkini