10 crematorium projects in 8 states target completion by 2027

2026-03-15 - 11:53

Shanmugam Mookan, a special duties officer to the prime minister, conducted a site visit to the crematorium project at the Sri Subramaniya Swami Devasthanam Temple in Sungai Petani, Kedah, yesterday. PETALING JAYA: All 10 crematorium projects funded by the government are expected to be fully completed by the end of 2027, according to Shanmugam Mookan, a special duties officer to the prime minister. In a statement, Shanmugam said 10 crematorium projects have been approved in eight states — Johor, Perak, Selangor, Melaka, Kedah, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang and Penang. “All 10 crematorium projects are expected to be fully completed by the end of 2027, fulfilling the government’s aspiration to provide more organised and accessible facilities for the Hindu community nationwide,” he said. Johor and Perak will each receive two crematorium projects, while the remaining states will receive one facility each. In September 2024, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced that RM20 million had been channelled for the construction of crematoriums in Kedah, Johor, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Penang. Shanmugam said that following further evaluation and discussions with local communities and temple management committees, the government decided to expand the initiative. He said that in some areas, new crematoriums are being built, while in other locations part of the allocation is being used to install additional incinerators at existing facilities. Shanmugam said he conducted a site visit yesterday to the crematorium project at the Sri Subramaniya Swami Devasthanam Temple in Sungai Petani, Kedah, which has now reached a “promising stage of implementation”. He said for the Sungai Petani project, the application was submitted by the temple management around June. It received approval in October the same year. As part of efforts to ensure smooth implementation, he said periodic site visits will also be conducted in all the states involved to monitor construction progress and help resolve any issues that arise. “This reflects the government’s ongoing commitment to ensure every community in Malaysia receives fair and equitable attention.”