STAKEHOLDERS are demanding Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) consult the public and ensure transparency, after it has suspended a shocking 1,200% increase in cremation service charges amid widespread backlash.
Federal Territory MCA deputy chairman Tan Kok Eng said the local authority had failed to consider the impact of the hike on the poor.
Tan says DBKL must justify creamatorium service price hike.“Why did DBKL push through such an exorbitant hike without engaging the very people it affects the most – low-income residents who rely on the Jalan Kuari Crematorium and other DBKL-managed burial facilities?” he questioned.
While welcoming the suspension, Tan criticised DBKL for failing to consult the public beforehand.
“It is good that they put it on hold, but why was there no consultation in the first place?
“This is a public facility meant for the poor, yet DBKL acted unilaterally without considering the impact,” he said.
Tan pointed out that this was not the first time DBKL had attempted such a move.
“Almost 15 years ago, DBKL tried to privatise the crematorium, but the plan was scrapped due to public pressure.
“Now, they are attempting to raise the price by more than 1,000% – which is outright ridiculous because it is even higher than what private funeral parlours charge,” he added.
Yesterday, StarMetro reported that service charges at the Jalan Kuari Crematorium in Cheras were set to increase by 1,200% from March 1, with cremation fees rising from RM100 to RM1,000 and an additional RM300 daily charge for hall usage.
The total cost of RM1,300 would make it more expensive than private crematoriums, which charge between RM800 and RM1,000 for similar services.
DBKL had also planned to impose a RM1,000 deposit for using the crematorium hall, but postponed all the new charges following protests.
Funeral service providers had condemned the hike as “unjustifiable and excessive”.
Chin says suspending the hike is not enough.Echoing Tan’s concerns, Salak South Village MCA branch deputy chairman Banie Chin said suspending the hike wasn’t enough.
“DBKL needs to explain why they thought it was acceptable to impose such a steep increase without a single consultation.”
While noting that maintenance costs for such services had increased, Chin said charging more than private funeral parlours was not acceptable.
“Either someone is making a profit from this, or DBKL has lost all sense of what public service means,” he said.
Save Kuala Lumpur (SKL) coalition chairman Datuk M. Ali acknowledged that costs were rising but stressed that DBKL must explain their reasoning for increasing the fees, and the quantum should be reasonable.
“Any increase must be implemented gradually,” he said, adding that changes in fees must be fair and not burden the public.
Tan said he would write to Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Maimunah Mohd Sharif and the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Federal Territories, Dr Zaliha Mustafa, for more information on the matter.
He said he had spoken to Federal Territories MCA chairman Datuk Seri Dr Wee Jeck Seng, who has agreed to bring the matter up in Parliament if the matter remained unresolved.
In a media statement, DBKL clarified that the new service and facility charges under DBKL Rate of Charges Standing Order 2025, which took effect on Feb 1, have been temporarily suspended until further notice.
It stated that all charges would remain at previous rates while it reviewed the matter.
DBKL also said that it would announce any further updates in due course.
