KUALA LUMPUR – Despite what the naysayers say, racial unity still exists in this country, displayed when a group of Malaysians banded together to help another in need of assistance.
Social activist Kuan Chee Heng has hailed several Malay youths who volunteered to transport the dead body of an underprivileged Chinese man 300 km back to his hometown of Melaka from Ipoh, recently.
Kuan, who is more affectionately known as Uncle Kentang, noted that he was also overwhelmed that a “Van Jenazah” (Muslim hearse) was used to bring the deceased on his final journey.
“A Malay youth got to know of this case. He asked me if he could help and whether he would offend any Buddhist beliefs? (sic) USING A VAN JENAZAH,” Kuan said in a Facebook post.
“What would people say??? I say who cares what people say. We answer to God and not humans. What is halal or haram is god’s decision.”
Kuan said the deceased was a 32-year-old photocopy machine technician who worked in Teluk Intan. The father of the deceased had come to Ipoh to claim the body but needed to cough up RM1,600 to bring his son back to Melaka by a casket company.
“If not, he would need to bring (the body) back using his own car,” Kuan noted in the post.
“But what would the Chinese say (about transporting a Chinese body in a van jenazah. I said no problem. We had the agreement from the father. ‘He is ok, you just do it’ (I told the Malay youth).
“(Performing) Fardu Kifayah (individual duty to God) is not restricted to Muslims only. But it includes easing the plight of the deceased.”
Kuan also called the Malay youth “kind” for helping the father who had an “empty pocket”.
According to the Malaysia Gazette, the photostat machine technician had died of a heart attack and the arrangement for the transportation was done by Kuan and Amalteam, a Muslim non-governmental organisation.
On January 11, Amalteam Perak representative Syariman Shaari said he had received a call from the family of the technician for assistance.
“The family has asked for the body of their son to be sent to Melaka because they did not have enough funds to rent a vehicle according to their customs,” Syariman was quoted as saying.
“Usually, it costs up to RM1,500 for that purpose and we agreed to help for free.”
Syariman said the body was driven from Perak to Puchong, where Kuan is based, and later sent to a Buddhist cemetery in Ayer Keroh.
Syariman also said Amalteam usually arranged transportation of deceased Muslims but the group was ready to help do the same for non-Muslims.
Kuan had also previously made headlines for providing a van jenazah transportation for impoverished Malays in the Klang Valley, especially in Puchong. – The Vibes, January 14, 2020
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