‘Gazette place by the seaside for Hindus to perform rituals for the dead’

A government backbencher has called upon the government to provide a gazetted location near the seaside in all states that enables the Hindus to perform rituals, particularly related to death rituals.

“I would be proposing to the government to provide a gazetted location at the seaside that enables the Hindus to performs death rituals for the departed,” said Jelutong MP RSN Rayer.

“At present the Hindus in Selangor, Kedah and Penang conduct rituals for the departed but it needs to be gazetted,” added Rayer who is also Penang Hindu Endowments Board chairman.

Elaborating further he said the gazetted location should have proper facilities that enables the community to conduct the rituals.

“It should have dedicated facilities for Hindus to bathe and immerse the ashes of their loved. There should be facilities for bathing, immersing ashes, changing and for a proper funeral pyre ritual.

Yesterday Singapore Straits Times reported that the Hindu community across the Causeway has a sheltered space to perform rituals for their departed loved ones.

The Karma Kaariya Nilaiyam is a facility made up of one building with four private halls at Changi Beach.

Rayer of the DAP is confident that his proposal would be realised by the unity government.

“I am confident that the proposal would be looked into since we have two ministers,” he said in reference to Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo and Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Ramanan Ramakrishnan.

His confidence also stems from the fact that apart from the Malay belt state that is controlled by the opposition coalition – Perikatan Nasional, the rest are led by PH-BN governments in Peninsular Malaysia.