NGO Donates Funeral Van To Reduce Cost Of Bringing Back Bodies From Singapore

By Nur Ashikin Abdul Aziz

SINGAPORE, Feb 16 (Bernama) -- Non-governmental organisation (NGO) Muslim Care Malaysia (MCM) has donated a hearse to its Johor-based NGO partner, 1ThirdMedia Movement, to reduce the cost and time to bring back the remains of Malaysians from Singapore.

MCM president Zulkifli Wahijan said the donation of the van, worth RM180,000, is hoped to ease the financial burden on family members and facilitate the process of managing the remains.

“The van is currently in the process of being modified to accommodate coffins and so on, and is expected to be fully handed over for use by 1ThirdMedia Movement in May.

“This is a good effort between the NGO and the government through the Malaysian High Commission in Singapore, which advised us in this process,” he told Bernama at the Funeral Van Donation Dinner at the Malaysian High Commission here on Saturday.

Meanwhile, 1ThirdMedia Movement founder Razuan Yazid said the donation was seen to reduce the cost of transporting bodies back from Singapore to Malaysia by land by up to 75 per cent, from around RM10,000 to around RM2,500.

The use of the van was also seen to save time and simplify the process of managing bodies which have been largely dependent on services operated by companies in Singapore, he said.

“Our hope is that from now on, we can save time because the bodies will be brought back directly to their hometowns,” he said.

He said based on information shared among NGOs, there are an average of four to six deaths each month involving Malaysians working in Singapore.

Meanwhile, the Malaysian High Commissioner to Singapore, Datuk Dr Azfar Mohamad Mustafar, said that currently, the government through the Malaysian Immigration Department has prepared a guideline at the Malaysian land entry point to facilitate the process of bringing back the remains of Malaysians.

“Through this SOP, the funeral management can directly contact the operations office at the Sultan Abu Bakar Complex and Sultan Iskandar Building to use special routes to expedite entry into Malaysia,” he said.

He also advised Malaysians, especially the more than 300,000 who commute to work in Singapore every day, to practise safe-driving etiquette.

-- BERNAMA