ISKANDAR PUTERI: Government burial grounds for Muslims in Johor Baru's urban and suburban areas are at critical capacity, with utilisation reaching over 90% for some, says state executive councillor Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid.
The Islamic religious affairs committee chairman said data from the Johor Islamic Religious Department showed that the three main government-managed Muslim cemeteries in Johor Baru have reached between 80% and 95% capacity.
"The Bukit Alif Muslim cemetery in Kempas, which spans about 8.75ha, has reached 95% capacity with only 20 burial plots left and is expected to be full in about two months.
"In Perling, the 2.42ha Sungai Danga cemetery is also 95% utilised and is expected to cope for only about one more year with its remaining 100 plots.
"Meanwhile, the 2.67ha Taman Impian Emas cemetery in Skudai is about 80% full and is expected to last for about a year with its 600 remaining plots," he said during the state assembly sitting at Kota Iskandar here on Wednesday (Nov 19).
Fared said the state government is aware of the critical situation amid rapid urbanisation and population growth and has taken several measures to address the matter, including proposing new burial sites.
"Among sites proposed is the 4.152ha Bukit Rodziah Cemetery in Gelang Patah, which is currently under development by the Iskandar Puteri City Council with a RM1.8mil allocation.
"For the 2.558ha Taman Setia Eco Garden Muslim Cemetery in Gelang Patah, development works worth RM1.5mil are also ongoing, funded by developer UEM Sunrise Sdn Bhd," he said, adding that both sites are expected to be completed next year.
He added that the Johor Baru City Council also plans to develop a Muslim cemetery near Mount Austin Stadium, covering 4.868ha with a RM5.8mil allocation.
Fared said the state government is also coming out with the Johor State Muslim Cemetery Master Plan.
"It involves capacity studies and 10 to 15-year projections for each district, based on population growth and mortality rates.
"The plan also includes collaboration with local councils to identify several new strategic sites in Johor Baru to meet the district’s burial needs.
"Some of these proposed sites are in the process of obtaining technical approvals and gazettement, while others are under development and expected to be completed next year," he told Datuk Ramlee Bohani (BN-Kempas) and Datuk Pandak Ahmad (BN-Kota Iskandar).
Ramlee had asked about the state government’s plans to ensure there are sufficient Muslim cemeteries to cope with the state’s growing population, while Pandak wanted to know if Johor’s rapid development would still take cemetery needs into account.
