KUALA LUMPUR: "My sister contacted me to inform me that she was unwell and asked me to buy a ticket for her to return to Malaysia"
That was one of the last conversations Abdul Hafiz Abdullah, 35 had with his sister.
Nurhaslinda Abdullah, 30, passed away in South Korea last Monday.
Abdul Hafiz said that his sister had only recently traveled to South Korea in September to work at a factory there.
According to him, his sister had undergone heart surgery 10 years ago for a hole in the heart, in addition to having asthma.
"On Monday morning, my sister contacted me to inform me that she was unwell and asked me to buy a ticket for her to return to Malaysia.
"I then asked her to find the ticket, and I would purchase it for her after she complained of feeling unwell and experiencing difficulty breathing," he said when contacted this evening.
However, Abdul Hafiz said that in the afternoon, a friend of his sister sent a message informing him that she was critical and receiving treatment in the hospital.
"Around 7 pm, my sister's friend informed me that the hospital wanted to transfer her to another hospital about 130 kilometers away.
"However, at 8pm, I received a call from the embassy informing me that my sister had passed away while en route to the hospital," he said, residing in Kuching, Sarawak.
He added that the cost of bringing his sister's remains home was too high, and after discussing with family members and to facilitate matters, they agreed to bury her there.
"So far, the funds I have collected amount to only RM12,000, and up to now, we need RM31,000 for the burial arrangements.
"It was a difficult decision for us because if there is a possibility, we want to bring her back here," he said.
According to him, he has also signed the embassy's permission letter to allow his sister to be buried there.
He said Nurhaslinda's body is currently at Cheonju Hospital, where costs will increase every day if the burial arrangements are not carried out as soon as possible.