KUALA LUMPUR, 25 Sept 2008: The “congestion” faced at the Cheras crematorium operated by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall will be resolved by the end of October, Deputy Federal Territories Minister Datuk M. Saravanan said today.
He said that presently, only three of the six cremators at the crematorium, used extensively by non-Muslims in the Klang Valley, were operational as repair work was being carried out on the other three.
“The crematorium started operations in 1977. The cremators need constant upgrading. We have to import parts to repair the units which have broken down. This is the cause of the delay. The City Hall is currently repairing three cremators and all six cremators would be in operation by end of next month.
“Besides, the government is also obtaining seven new units with the latest technology. The old ones take three hours to cremate a body but the new units can do the job in an hour. These new cremators would be up and running by June next year,” he told Bernama after visiting the Cheras crematorium.
The Cheras crematorium operates daily from 8am to 4pm. It charges RM100 per body and is affordable compared to privately run cremators which can go up to RM700 per body.
Saravanan said the six cremators, once fully operational, could be used to cremate about 250 bodies a month and by June next year, with the inclusion of the seven new units, the figure would increase to 1,030 bodies a month.
Yesterday, Cheras Member of Parliament Tan Kok Wai said there was a long wait to cremate a body at the Cheras crematorium and this had caused hardship to the people. — Bernama
