New Straits Times
SHAH ALAM, MALAYSIA, June 4, 2005: An almost 20-year wait for a proper burial ground for Hindus here is finally over. The Shah Alam City Council today opened its Hindu burial ground in Section 21 which covers almost three hectares with about 3,000 plots. City councillor R.S. Maniam said the authorities have built a road to the site and a congregation hall. The burial fees are US$21.04 for adults and $10.52 for children. The council is also providing hearse services at a nominal fee of RM20 $5.26 within the Shah Alam area. For areas outside the city, the charge is $0.13 per kilometer. He said the burial ground would solve the problems of the Hindu community here, which numbers close to 100,000. Prior to this, the burial or cremation had to be done either in Petaling Jaya or Klang, he added. Maniam said the city never had any designated Hindu burial site and the ones that existed belonged to former estates. “We have been pushing the Government for such a site since the early 80s and many community leaders have been fighting for it since then.” He said the new site would be maintained by the council which has assigned five staff to look after it. There is also a car park. He said there were plans to build a crematorium near the site as many Hindus preferred to cremate their loved ones. The council has allocated about 0.32ha but the matter has yet to be decided by the State privatization committee.
HPI Adds: In Malaysia, some Hindus believe that if someone has not been married, they should be buried rather than cremated. The belief various from region to region. Burying is not uncommon even if the person is married, and in many cases follows the will of the deceased. Each Hindu cremation ground is called Hindu Burial Ground and has a portion of it set for cremation rites. Anyone with additional information on these customs in Malaysia can e-mail ar@hindu.org.