Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has approved an additional RM1 million allocation for the construction of a modern Hindu crematorium in Bagan, Penang, bringing total project funding to RM2.5 million.
Penang State Hindu Endowments Board (PHEB) chairman RSN Rayer announced the additional allocation at a press conference at the project site on Jalan Siram in Butterworth on 23 August, Malay Mail reported. He said the original RM1.5 million previously approved by Anwar had proved insufficient for the project, prompting PHEB to seek extra funding.
“This additional approval reflects the concern and commitment of the Madani Government and the Prime Minister in ensuring that the needs of Malaysia’s multiracial and multireligious communities are given fair attention,” Rayer said.
Bagan Member of Parliament Lim Guan Eng and Bagan Dalam state assemblyman Kumaran Krishnan were also present. Kumaran described the crematorium as a long-term facility for the Hindu community in Seberang Perai and surrounding areas, The Vibes reported.
“This is a long-term facility for the benefit of the Hindu community, particularly in Seberang Perai and the surrounding areas,” Kumaran said.
The facility, spanning approximately 4,000 square feet, will become Penang’s second modern electric crematorium after the existing facility in Batu Lanchang. Hindu residents in Seberang Perai currently rely on that crematorium, which requires longer travel times for families performing final rites.
Kumaran said the additional allocation was the result of a joint application by Lim and Rayer, who wrote to Anwar seeking extra funding to implement the project more comprehensively. The tender process for the construction has been opened, with the project expected to be completed by the middle of next year.
“The cost of constructing a modern crematorium is high. If similar crematorium projects can receive RM2.5 million, there is no reason why this project should only receive RM1.5 million,” Lim said, according to Buletin Mutiara.
Lim also thanked the Federal Government for responding positively to the appeal for additional funding, noting the facility was much needed by the Hindu community in Seberang Perai.
The new crematorium is intended to provide a more organised, suitable and comfortable facility for the Hindu community to perform final rites according to their customs and religious beliefs, reducing reliance on the Batu Lanchang facility.
