JOHOR BAHRU: The management of Surau Nurul Haq in Kampung Sungai Sayong 1, Kulai, has expressed deep sadness and disappointment after their newly acquired hearse van was stolen and severely damaged in a road crash.
Bilal Zahiruzaman Saim explained that the van was obtained from a government department last December through a property disposal process and had not yet been used for its intended purpose.
The community had only managed to repaint the vehicle and affix stickers, as it was not fully operational due to the missing stretcher and was used only off-road within the village.
Previously, the surau’s congregation of 30 families relied on a hearse from the Kampung Murni Jaya Mosque to transport bodies to the local Muslim cemetery.
Simultaneous deaths often caused delays in funeral arrangements, forcing the surau to request members to use personal multi-purpose vehicles for transporting the deceased.
Zahiruzaman stated that the management believed having their own hearse would eliminate the need to borrow large vehicles from friends.
Although he accepts the incident as fate, the surau management will now try to find a suitable used van to serve as a hearse and welcomes contributions from any willing donors.
Police arrested a 21-year-old man suspected of stealing the Toyota Hiace van between 1 am and 2 am yesterday.
Kulai police chief ACP Tan Seng Lee confirmed the suspect was involved in an accident with a lorry while attempting to escape with the stolen vehicle around 2.30 am. – Bernama