It is not only the living who are scrambling for space in Penang. It has become increasingly difficult to find a place even for the departed to rest in peace.

"Do you know how many families have come to me to ask if there is land to bury their dead?" asked Penang Christian Cemetery Association (PCCA) chairperson Ooi Boon Bow.

dap revise relationship with fecam 090410 lim guan eng "There is no more land and the families have to resort to burial grounds of other religions," added Ooi, who raised the issue of scant burial spaces for Christians at yesterday's dialogue between the Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng (left) and various churches and groups at the Caring Society Complex.

Ooi, who is an elder at the St Andrews Presbyterian Church, said the association has been asking the Municipal Council (MPPP) for permission to extend the current Columbarium in Western Road and want approval of their application to be expedited.

There are only about 200 empty burial plots left.

The century-old Western Road cemetery, home to 11,200 graves, occupies state land and is run by the PCCA and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Penang's Cemetery Committee.

In response, Lim said the Church can write in to suggest the location, but must consider the sensitivities of others.

"Without suggestions, the state might identify a place that is not near the Christian community," he added.

Still waiting

Meanwhile, Ooi complained that the association's land in Jawi and Sungai Duri (Penang mainland) are yet to be degazetted for burial and cemetery ground, even after several years of waiting.

"We have received the land title from the land owner but have just been informed that we now need to apply to the Council to degazette the land", said Ooi.

dap counter zahrain 300110 chow kon yeow "We thought it was a government-to-government process and does not involve us.

"Now we have to wait for another two to three years for things to be finalised. If only we had been notified in writing (earlier), we (could) have (found other ways to) move forward. We wasted about three years for nothing," he said.

Ooi also expressed shock that the association was recently asked to pay an assessment fee of RM10,000 annually for the columbarium, a hike of RM8,000 from the previous fee.

"This is a ridiculous amount. The dead are already dead. Who is going to pay for them?" he asked.

"This is an institutional or religious matter and should be given some consideration by the state government," he added.

State Local Government Committee chairperson Chow Kon Yeow (above) , in response, suggested that the Council impose a nominal sum for religious premises.

"Someone must have made a mistake", said Chow, who promised to look into the matter.