(NST) MUAR: What could have been a tense stand-off was averted when the family of a deceased Muslim convert was allowed to bring home his body to pay their last respects.
The conversion of Abdul Rahman Abdullah, 52, was only discovered by his family after he died of renal failure at Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital here about 5am yesterday.
He was formerly a Hindu with the name V.V. Ramakrishnan.
A discussion between family members and officials of the Johor Islamic Religious Department (JAIJ) at the hospital mortuary resulted in an agreement that Rahman's body be taken home for a while but without a Hindu burial rite being performed.
Muar Indian Association vice-president Dr Samuel R.T. Abraham and Malaysia Hindu Sangam Muar branch chairman R. Suppiah were also involved in the talks.
Rahman is survived by his Hindu wife and two sons. He was the site supervisor of a landscaping company in Kuala Lumpur.
Suppiah, who acted as the spokesman for the family, said they were not aware of Rahman's conversion until his death but respected his choice of religion.
However, he called for clear-cut guidelines to be formulated to avoid problems faced by family members of converts at the time of their death.
JAIJ Muar head Dzulkifli Mohamad said the Islamic authorities had always practised tolerance when dealing with such cases. "We always try to provide the best solution for everyone, be it the family of the deceased, the Muslim community or the deceased.
"This is definitely not a case of us unfairly exerting our authority over anyone as we are merely doing what is right for everyone under the circumstances."
Dzulkifli said Rahman had converted to Islam in Selangor several years ago and married a Muslim woman in Indonesia.
Rahman was buried at the Muslim cemetery in Bakri here.
The conversion of Abdul Rahman Abdullah, 52, was only discovered by his family after he died of renal failure at Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital here about 5am yesterday.
He was formerly a Hindu with the name V.V. Ramakrishnan.
A discussion between family members and officials of the Johor Islamic Religious Department (JAIJ) at the hospital mortuary resulted in an agreement that Rahman's body be taken home for a while but without a Hindu burial rite being performed.
Muar Indian Association vice-president Dr Samuel R.T. Abraham and Malaysia Hindu Sangam Muar branch chairman R. Suppiah were also involved in the talks.
Rahman is survived by his Hindu wife and two sons. He was the site supervisor of a landscaping company in Kuala Lumpur.
Suppiah, who acted as the spokesman for the family, said they were not aware of Rahman's conversion until his death but respected his choice of religion.
However, he called for clear-cut guidelines to be formulated to avoid problems faced by family members of converts at the time of their death.
JAIJ Muar head Dzulkifli Mohamad said the Islamic authorities had always practised tolerance when dealing with such cases. "We always try to provide the best solution for everyone, be it the family of the deceased, the Muslim community or the deceased.
"This is definitely not a case of us unfairly exerting our authority over anyone as we are merely doing what is right for everyone under the circumstances."
Dzulkifli said Rahman had converted to Islam in Selangor several years ago and married a Muslim woman in Indonesia.
Rahman was buried at the Muslim cemetery in Bakri here.
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