It seems to be a small matter, or one can even say that this is a victory for MIC (there’s a blog that keeps track of MIC’s success stories). Let’s see the news by NST today:

CREMATION cremony at the crematorium in Bandar Baru Sentul will no longer be exposed to public view with the construction of parameter wall soon.

Deputy Federal Territories Minister Datuk M.Saravanan said the construction of the eight-metre high walls costing RM200,000, which was approved by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), would begin in one week’s time.

The cost of the construction will be borne by several non-government organisations, including the Sentul Crematorium Association, he told reporters after chairing a meeting with residents on the crematorium here today.

He said the association could also apply for a financial aid from the government to pay the remaining cost of the project.

Residents have complained to the authorities that the burning of bodies at the crematorium were not shielded from public view while smoke and dust get into their houses whenever a body is cremated.

Sounds like a great news, ya? Of course until you read that the approval is for the WALL, and money is from the association. Wah…to get a wall approval for a 100 YEARS old crematorium needs A DEPUTY MINISTER interference. That’s not success to me. That utter humiliation and discrimination. Yup, 100 years old. The place was there before any development took place. Surely the highrise property buyers had the brains to survey the area? That there’s a OPEN AIR crematorium next to their home sweet home?

Now, let’s flashback a bit. Way back in April, Malay Mail reported that the FT Minister Zulhasnan Rafique had agreed to upgrade the facility into a modern crematorium at a cost of RM1.3 million. However, fast forward to November, and our Deputy FT Minister have to cover the gaffe by his boss:

The burning issue of the outdoor funeral pyre in Jalan Bandar Baru Sentul, which has been upsetting residents in the vicinity, took a different dimension yesterday with the authorities saying there are no public funds to modernise the crematorium.

There is no provision for government funds, Deputy Federal Territories Minister S. Saravanan said, to build a modern crematorium on the privately-owned land. He went on to deny that the ministry promised the funds.

Malay Mail reported in April that Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Zulhasnan Rafique had agreed to upgrade the facility at a cost of RM1.3 million.

“We never said such a thing. I know there is no government provision or allocation to fund the building of a crematorium on private land,” he said.

The government could only do it, Saravanan added, if the land owner, in this case the Sentul Crematorium Association, handed the land over to the government.

“Since it is a religious issue, we left it to the association and it decided to keep the crematorium as a private concern,” he said. “The association assured me it has the funds and we decided to help with the legal aspects and secure the necessary approvals.

“I personally asked City Hall to give the approval for an eigh-foot-high perimeter wall to shield the place from the public. I am sorry to say City Hall can only help in approving plans for such a facility. It is not responsible for setting up the crematorium with government money,” Saravanan added.

So, the crematorium is on private land, meaning the government could not allocate funding to it. OK, rather than blaming the minister, let’s just blame Malay Mail for reporting wrongly. Easier 🙂

Now, its clear from above that Saravanan said the association has the money and work will start soon. However, the Star reported something different in September 5th. It said the association will build a new, modern crematorium! And there’s a committee too!

The Sentul Crematorium Association is planning to build a new furnace crematorium in place of the old open air cremation in Sentul. With the modern crematorium, residents from neighbouring areas like Gombak and Jalan Ipoh will not have to travel to Cheras for cremation purposes.

The Deputy Federal Territories Minister Datuk M. Saravanan has decided to form a crematorium committee that will comprise leaders from the Sikh, Hindu and Buddhist communities in Sentul.

At present, only the Hindu community uses the traditional open air crematorium behind the Shivan temple.

However, the religious groups in Sentul had mixed reactions to the building of the crematorium.

“We are definitely all for it because we have a big Hindu and Sikh community,” said committee member for the Gurdwara Sahib of Sentul, Surinderpall Singh.

Surinderpall said if the project would ensure the use of hygienic methods, including being electricity-run, it will serve the community well.

The Malaysian Hindu Sangam President Datuk A. Vaithilingam also said the association was all for the project.

“We think it is a good idea to have a modern crematorium for the non-Muslims in the area,” said Vaithilingam.

Vaithilingam also feels that it is the duty of the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to turn it into a modern crematorium.

“It should also be the responsibility of the DBKL to convert the present open air crematorium to a modern facility,” he said.

The Siri Jayanthi Association, however, has not agreed to be a part of the committee for the new crematorium.

“We don’t think it’s a good idea because the crematorium will be too near the temple and it is unhealthy for the monks who live here,” said the association’s president, Mervyn Weerasena.

Weerasena said although the new crematorium would function well in the beginning, it might cause problems in the long run.

“For now there are not many bodies being cremated so it is not too bad but what will happen once the furnace is in place,” he asked.

“We have classes here on Sunday with 300 children so it is definitely not a conducive environment to have a crematorium,” Weerasena added.

So, we have a committee of which two groups supports and another opposes.

Ok, so far we seen the delay being attributed to the association. Let’s read on:

Saravanan said City Hall has given its approvals, but until now, nothing had been done about the crematorium.

Saravanan, who is also MIC information chief, said the party would help out if the association had difficulty raising funds to modernise the crematorium.

Sentul Crematorium Association president R. Balasubramanium confirmed City Hall approval for the perimeter wall has been received and work would start next week.

“I am sorry to have delayed the building of the wall,” he said when contacted in Johor Baru yesterday.

Residents nearby have for years been complaining of foul smell, dust and smoke from the open-air crematorium situated just behind the Kaliamman temple.

S. Chandran, a volunteer at the Sri Lankan Buddhist temple, which is just 50 metres away from the pyre site, said the devotees have to put up with “a terrible smell” whenever a cremation was conducted.

“We send our dead to the Cheras Crematorium Centre. Of course, there is a small charge for the service,” Chandran said, adding that with residential development taking place all round the crematorium, it would be better for it to be modernised.

Malaysian Hindu Sangam president Datuk A. Vaithilingam said the movement was all for the project.

“We think it is a good idea to have a modern crematorium,” he said.

Open burning of the dead has been practised in Hinduism for over 5,000 years. Its adherents believe the practice is spiritually the most appropriate way to free the soul from the body.

Not sure if the MHS president is confused, but having a wall doesn’t mean it’s modern. Perhaps he was thinking that its the original plan of upgrading the crematorium.

But read what the association president says in Malay Mail. While he apologised in the Star for the delay, he expressed his disappointment with the empty promises.

Corpses are still being burned for all to see and public outrage is mounting. Six months after the open burning at a crematorium in Bandar Baru Sentul was first highlighted, all that residents have had is a lot of hot air and broken promises from the authorities.

Even crematorium owner C . Balasubramaniam’s hopes have evaporated, saying he was  disappointed that he had been given lip service while having to endure constant criticism from the public.

“I was promised that funds would be given to upgrade the crematorium or at least to put up perimeter walls to shield the burning of corpses from public view. “So far, there has been no action.

Several politicians and NGOs have visited the site and promised the same thing, but nothing has been forthcoming.”

Federal Territories Deputy Minister Datuk S. Saravanan, who six months ago said measures would be taken to upgrade the facility to a modern crematorium centre, yesterday sang a different tune.

“We were not supposed to build the facility. It was the Sentul Crematorium Association who pledged to do so. We only allocated the land,” said Saravanan. “I’ll be calling for a meeting within the next 10 days for an update.”

When Malay Mail checked yesterday, the crematorium was operating as it had done before, much to the frustration of residents in the vicinity.

M. Manikam, 73, commenting on the situation, said: “I am disappointed with those people who made the promise to upgrade the crematorium but didn’t keep their word. This crematorium has been here for 100 years but back then, there weren’t so many people living here.

“A few months ago, so many government officials visited the site and said walls would be erected. As you can see, they only gave us false hopes.”

Mohd Amirul Ikhwan, 22, who lives right across the crematorium at Pangsapuri Melor, said smoke and dust get into his apartment whenever a body is cremated.

“I would like the government to help upgrade this facility. I was told many Hindus still use this place. I am fine with that as long as the government does as it promised and shields the open burning from public view,” he said.