We want our father's ashes back, says woman whose dad's ashes were stolen

 

A woman whose father's ashes were stolen from a memorial park in Johor says the family has not received any ransom note for the return of the urn. NSTP file pic, for illustration purposes only. AI-generated image.

KUALA LUMPUR: A woman whose father's ashes were stolen from a memorial park in Johor says the family has not received any ransom note for the return of the urn.

The woman, who only wanted to be known as JC, said the family was distressed over the incident.

"We cannot accept what has happened," JC told the New Straits Times.

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She said the family's primary concern now was the return of her father's ashes. He died five months ago, and his urn was among 22 stolen from Perpetual Memorial Park in Kulai, Johor.

JC said she and her brother had made efforts to gather more than 15 affected families and had since met the memorial park's management and the investigating officer to follow up on the case.

"In Chinese tradition, the resting place of ancestors symbolises dignity and peace.

"All we want is for the ashes to be returned safely and intact. This is non-negotiable," she said.

"We want to ensure that the deceased receives the respect they deserve."

The New Straits Times has reached out to Perpetual Memorial Park management for comment.

She also dismissed claims on social media that the family was speaking up about the case to seek compensation from the memorial park.

JC added that such claims had hurt her family, who were already grappling with the emotional toll of the loss, and that they might take legal action against any party spreading misinformation.

In the past month, 50 cases of urn theft involving three different columbaria have been reported.

The whereabouts of some of the stolen urns remain unknown as police continue their investigations.

Only one columbarium said it had retrieved the urns taken from its property. - NST