270 participants attend inaugural Sarawak Islamic Cemetery Management Seminar

KUCHING: A total of 270 participants took part in the inaugural Sarawak Islamic Cemetery Management Seminar on Wednesday (Oct 9).

Sarawak Islamic Affairs Department director Mual Suaud said the programme was held for the first time in Sarawak’s Southern Zone, which includes Kota Samarahan, Kuching and Serian.

“The objective of this programme is to ensure that all Islamic cemeteries in Sarawak are managed in an orderly manner, starting from the handling of the deceased to the burial itself.

“This is to ensure that the 453 Islamic cemetery lands across Sarawak, allocated by the government, are used optimally.

“We are concerned that if they are not used efficiently, the land may run out for future burials,” he said.

He said this in his speech when officiating the Sarawak Islamic Cemetery Management Seminar Southern Zone at the Sarawak State Library.

He added that the programme will be extended to other zones, namely the central zone and the southern zone.

“After that, we will hold it at the national level, where we aimed to share information on the well-established management of cemeteries that has been organised systematically, which also includes an online portal,” he said.

He noted that Wednesday’s programme provided insights into the features of the Samariang Cemetery, which includes facilities such as a bathing area, a space for managing the deceased, and a system that enables visitors to check burial sites and locate grave plots via computer, implemented by the Lembaga Amanah Kebajikan Masjid Negeri Sarawak (LAKMNS).

We have also provided information this morning about the Bako Islamic Cemetery, which is currently being managed effectively as facilities for managing the deceased and bathing areas will be constructed.

“There were also insights from the Sarawak Mufti Department regarding laws, particularly concerning the construction of grave markers, Qibla alignment, and other aspects to ensure compliance with Islamic requirements,” he said.

Additionally, he said that they are currently working to formalise the allocation of these Islamic cemetery lands provided by the government.

“According to management regulations, these lands should be placed under the ownership of the Sarawak Islamic Council (MIS) as the sole trustee of the cemeteries and the lands of mosques and suraus that have been endowed.

“While some of these older lands have already been designated as cemeteries, they have not yet been properly managed, and the ownership rights have not been transferred to the MIS.

“Therefore, we are collaborating with Sarawak’s Land and Survey Department (JTS) to issue grants under the MIS,” he said.