The case of Mohan Singh represents another high-profile case of ‘body snatching’ where a deceased Muslim convert’s body is taken away from his surviving non-Muslim relatives.

I would like the government to consider an appeal from a compassionate and non-Muslim relatives’ point of view.

After a non-Muslim dies in Malaysia, his next of kin have the sole legal rights to determine what happens to the body. If a person is married, his surviving spouse has the sole legal right to determine what happens to the body.

If the deceased had been intended for a burial, it is within the right of the surviving spouse or next of kin to cremate the body.

Say the deceased has decided to donate his organs and even had an organ donor card, the surviving spouse has the right to refuse the harvesting of the organs and no hospital or court of law would dispute this right.

Hence why is it different just because the deceased is a Muslim and the relatives are non-Muslims? Has this been determined by the Federal Court that a non-Muslim has no legal rights over a Muslim relative’s body?

The constitution merely states that syariah law shall be applicable to Muslims.

Islam is a way of life which has laid down rules from the cradle to the grave. There are rules to be followed even when it comes to the burial of deceased Muslims.

However, does this mean that a good Muslim will not go to Heaven if he/she was not given a proper Muslim funeral? I’m certain that the answer is No.

Many hundreds of thousands, if not millions of Muslims, have died since the founding of the great religion without being given a proper Muslim burial.

From the time of the Crusades and various conquests of the Ottoman Empire, to World War I, World War II, many Muslim soldiers and civilians died without a proper funeral.

Does this mean that these good Muslims who died serving their country and religion will not go to heaven?

I’m certain that there are exceptions to the rule of a proper Muslim burial and one of these exceptions must cover exceptional circumstances and show basic human compassion that the surviving relatives are able to claim their deceased spouse/next of kin’s body.

Perhaps the body should be blessed first by the religious authorities before releasing the body but it is inhumane to deny the surviving relatives the deceased’s body because they are of a different religion.

Islam is supposed to be a great religion which preaches compassion and justice. Where is compassion and justice in cases like these. I agree that a recently deceased Muslim convert’s body should be released to Muslim relatives if any.

But if the deceased has no Muslim relatives, the body should be given to his non-Muslim relatives. Why portray such an inhumane view of such a great religion.

The case of body snatching is not about giving the deceased a Muslim funeral but the state of politics in our country; the politics that one race/religion is superior to other races/religions.

The kind of politics that has been allowed to flourish for the past 30 years mostly under former PM, Tun Dr Mahathir.

It is commendable that the cabinet under Najib Razak has decided to inject some clarity especially in relation to the conversion of minors and what happens when one spouse converts to Islam.

The cabinet should also clarify guidelines for recently deceased Muslim converts where there are no Muslim relatives to prevent further cases of ‘body snatching’.

Each time there is a case of ‘body snatching’, Malaysia is in the international news for the wrong reasons.

Just imagine what would be the headlines in Utusan Malaysia if the reverse happened, say in the UK that a Muslim converted to Christianity and passed away and the UK police came to take away his body from his surviving Muslim relatives for a Christian funeral.

Imagine the outrage, the outcry but when this happens in Malaysia, are we just suppose to pretend that it’s okay?

Non-Muslims are not against Islam but merely want justice and compassion for everyone and we all hope that these brave reforms can be carried out.