KUALA LUMPUR, July 9 — The government has emphasised that the Federal Territory Muslim Cemetery Development Project in Hulu Semenyih, Selangor, has been planned since 2005 to address the shortage of Islamic burial land in Kuala Lumpur and to help ease traffic congestion in Semenyih.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh said the clarification was issued following confusion about the project that had gone viral on social media.
Besides meeting the needs of residents in the Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory, the project would also benefit the local community, with 10 per cent of the cemetery's capacity allocated for the burial of residents from surrounding areas in Selangor.
“The existing Islamic burial grounds in the KL Federal Territory have exceeded 70 per cent occupancy. As of June 2023, only about 29 per cent, or 34,496 plots, remained available, and these are expected to meet the needs only until around 2032.
“Therefore, the provision of a new burial site is an urgent necessity to safeguard the welfare of the Muslim community in the future,” she said in a Facebook post last night.
Yeoh added that the project will be implemented through a public-private partnership on a 332.6-acre site owned by the Federal Lands Commissioner.
Under the agreement, the developer will fully bear the cost of providing infrastructure, including staff quarters, a surau, an administrative office, a cafeteria, toilets, a guardhouse, and earthworks for 104,470 Muslim burial plots for the KL Federal Territory.
The project land will remain under the ownership of the Federal Lands Commissioner, while the management, administration, and operation of the Muslim cemetery will remain under the jurisdiction of the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department and will not be managed by any private company.
Regarding the construction of a link road from Jalan Sungai Lalang to the SILK Highway, she said the total project cost of RM93.89 million would not be borne by the government but would be financed by the developer as a development condition imposed by the Selangor state government.
The 4.3-kilometre link road would be built to ease traffic congestion while providing a smoother alternative route for local residents.
“The Federal Territories Department stresses that the project has undergone technical assessments, a Value Management Lab evaluation, and the approval processes of both the Selangor state government and the federal government.
“Every decision made is based on the public interest to ensure the welfare of the people is safeguarded while providing better basic facilities for future generations,” Yeoh said.
