By Asia Samachar| MALAYSIA |
The National Unity Ministry (KPN), with the cooperation of the Housing and Local Government Ministry, will provide financial assistance of RM1 million for funeral arrangements of non-Muslim Malaysians at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital One Stop Centre (Pusara HKL), reports Bernama.
KPN said RM500,000 of the allocation would be provided under the Malaysian Indian Community Transformation Unit (Mitra) and the remaining under the Kampung Baru Development Programme for funeral arrangements of the Chinese and other non-Muslim bodies.
“This financial assistance is to ease the financial burden of the next of kin of the B40s,” Bernama quoted a KPN statement released today (7 Aug).
Pusara is short for Pusat Sehenti Sementara. The report did not make it clear how the needy families can apply for the funds.
The ministry said financial constraints, causing problems to pay the cost for the funeral arrangement, especially among the B40 families and shortage of human resources to handle the matter, were among the reasons for the funeral delay.
These were among reasons for the delay according to a survey and feedback received by the ministry when National Unity Minister Halimah Mohamed Sadique visited Pusara HKL on Thursday (Aug 5), the report added
In a Facebook posting, Halimah said KPN has been given the responsibility to assist the Health Ministry in resolving issues on management of the remains of locals from faiths other than Islam at Pusara HKL.
She was accompanied by KPN deputy secretary general Noridah Abdul Rahim, HKL forensic department head Dr Mohd Azaini Ibrahim and Pusara HKL operation head Dr Ahmad Hafizam Hasni.
In a separate report, National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) has stressed that all matters relating to the management of the remains of Covid-19 victims in the capital are being handled in an orderly manner.
Its director-general, Aminuddin Hassim, said it was done through the setting up of a temporary one-stop centre (Pusara) near the Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) to manage the remains of both Muslim and non-Muslim Covid-19 patients, Bernama reported.
He said there were five containers at the centre that could accommodate 225 bodies at one time, managed by about 70 staff and volunteers.
“In one day, we can release about 50 bodies to be processed and claimed by the families. We will ensure that we collect the data so that the remains can be managed in an orderly and integrated manner,” he was quoted as saying.
Aminuddin said Pusara, which started operations in July, was a joint initiative of various agencies such as Nadma, Kuala Lumpur City Hall, HKL and the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department (Jawi).
He said that the centre also provides facilities for the next of kin to apply for one-off assistance of RM5,000 under the Covid-19 Death Management Special Assistance programme, the report added. (Report updated)
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