KUALA LUMPUR — Human rights activist Edlyn Beverly Joeman died today in her hometown of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, after battling illness for the last three months.
Civil society group Projek SAMA, of which Beverly was co-convener, described her death as a profound loss to Malaysia’s civil society community, remembering her as a devoted activist, passionate human rights defender and friend.
“In Beverly, we have lost a devoted activist and a cherished friend,” the team said in the statement.
It said her vibrant personality had brought warmth and vitality to meetings and gatherings, while her passion, compassion and perspectives had added depth to discussions and advocacy on human rights and institutional reform.
Beyond her role at Projek SAMA, Joeman served as project coordinator for the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Children’s Rights and was an executive committee member of ENGAGE.
She was also closely involved with grassroots Indigenous Peoples’ communities in Malaysia through Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia (JOAS), and worked with Indigenous Peoples’ non-governmental organisations across the Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand.
Beverly had represented JOAS at international forums including the United Nations Forum on Business and Human Rights and the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Geneva. She also worked with Land Rights Now in Amsterdam and various Indigenous Peoples’ movements in Manila, Jakarta, Da Nang and Bangkok.
She was formerly vice-chair of the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) in Sabah from 2018 to 2023. Her work with the electoral reforms movement as well as the CSO Platform for Reform earned her respect and extensive expertise in institutional reform, the statement said.
She also served as a Central Committee member of the Kadazan Society Sabah (KSS).
Projek SAMA said Beverly’s involvement across a broad range of causes reflected her deep commitment to justice and human dignity.
“She never hesitated to step forward, take a stand, and right a wrong.”
The organisation said she would be deeply missed and fondly remembered by the civil society community in Malaysia and beyond.
Many civil society groups and figures have taken to their social media accounts to pay tributes to Beverly, indicating her wide network with activists upholding different causes.
On her own Facebook page, Beverly had posted in June that she was facing acute myeloid leukaemia. – Sept 7, 2026