Perkasa demands explanation on tampered Muslim graves

Noorsham Mohd Amin showing the tombstone that she got from the cemetery that wil be given to the Penang Religious council president and Penang municipal council. – Photo by K.E. Ooi

GEORGE TOWN, Dec 24 – Perkasa Penang is demanding an explanation from the state religious council (Maipp), state religious department (JAIPP) and Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) over the alleged removal of 20 tombstones from a Muslim graveyard in Air Itam here.

A group of about 30 Perkasa members, led by Perkasa Penang chief Mohd Rizuad Mohd Azudin, brought three of the tombstones that were removed and presented one to the MAIPP office in Menara Umno, one to the MPPP office in Komtar and handed over one to MAIPP president Abdul Malik Abul Kassim’s office at around 4pm today.

“How could they allow Muslim tombstones to be removed by a developer to make way for a housing project?” said Mohd Rizuad.

He alleged that the tombstones were removed last week and one of the deceased’s relative, Noorsham Mohd Amin, was aghast that her grandparents and parents’ tombstones were removed without any notice.

“This is utter disrespect to the deceased and to us Muslims,” he said.

Noorsham, who was also present, demanded that MAIPP, JAIPP, MPPP and the state government resolve this issue immediately.

“How could they remove my family’s tombstones without informing me?” She told reporters at Komtar.

Mohd Rizuad said that is why they brought the tombstones over to present it to the relevant parties to urge them to go down to the ground to do something about this.

When contacted, Abdul Malik said Perkasa is politicising the issue.

“The JAIPP, MAIPP and the Mufti Department tried to resolve this amicably last week when we held a meeting with Noorsham over this,” he said.

He said the contractor of an adjoining plot of land to the Muslim graveyard was just constructing a new fence to replace the existing fence.

“Only a few tombstones that were close to the fence were affected. My officers, JAIPP, MAIPP, Mufti Department and the Qariah people visited the site and knew about it,” he said.

He said the meeting with Noorsham was to try and settle it amicably but she refused to resolve the matter but had lodged a police report instead.

“Since they have lodged a police report, we will let the police investigate this case and take action accordingly,” he said.

Last week, Noorsham cried foul over the removal of her relatives’ tombstones when she visited the graves at the Jalan Padang Tembak Muslim Cemetery.

She sought the help of Perkasa on this matter and promptly lodged a police report. As for the meeting with MAIPP and JAIPP on the issue, she claimed that no proper solution was offered but that she was told that new tombstones will be given to her and she could put it back on her relatives’ graves.

“How could they offer this kind of solution? These are old tombstones and the cemetery is almost a century old,” she said.

She demanded that the relevant departments look into this issue seriously.