Posted on by Kit

Although case lost in Seremban High Court – let 74-yr-old Gan Eng Gor be the last “body-snatching” in Malaysia!

The Cabinet meeting tomorrow must resolve that 74-year-old Gan Eng Gor will be the last “body-snatching” case in Malaysia as it is a standing rebuttal of Malaysia’s boast as a world example of inter-racial co-operation and harmony.

The Cabinet should also decide that the police should not be involved in any “body-snatching” case as public confidence in the police will be adversely affected, on top of the divisive effects of such “body-snatching” incidents on Malaysian nation-building.

The Cabinet decision tomorrow is all the more imperative as the Gor family has lost all avenues of redress in the civil courts, as their application to the Seremban High Court for a declaration that Gor was not a Muslim was dismissed this morning in chambers on the ground that the High Court has no jurisdiction in the matter, as it belonged to the Syariah Court.

This is sad day for Malaysian nation-building and the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s oft-repeated boasts in international conferences of Malaysia as a model of inter-faith co-operation.

I am sure that the founding fathers of this nation, when agreeing to the Merdeka social contract in 1957, would never have imagined that 50 years after nationhood, Malaysia would have regressed to the extent that “body-snatching” has become a nightmare to bedevil inter-racial and inter-religious relations.

I have no doubt that Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak, Tun Tan Cheng Lock, Tun Tan Siew Sin and Tun Sambanthan would have found it completely unthinkable that the nation could be plagued by a problem like “body-snatching” – with the police aiding and abetting the “body-snatchers”.

Enough is enough, and I call on the Cabinet tomorrow to send out a clear and unmistakable message that “body-snatching” is completely detrimental to the process of nation-building in multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-cultural and multi-religious Malaysia and the worst possible advertisement of the nation as “Truly Asia” and a model of inter-faith understanding. The police must be directed that they should never be a party to such disgraceful “body-snatchings” in the country.

In the Gan Eng Gor case, the 74-year-old man was buried as a Muslim last week after his Buddhist family lost a battle with Islamic authorities who said he had converted.

Police seized the body of Gan Eng For, who died a week ago, after his oldest son – himself a Muslim convert – said he had switched to the religion last year.

Other family members said Gan could not have converted because he was senile and paralysed after suffering two strokes.

Gan’s wife and seven other children challenged the claim that the bedridden Gan had made an oral declaration in Arabic to accept Islam, as the family has medical confirmation that the elder Gan was unable to speak after a stroke in 2006. They said the alleged conversion papers were also flawed because they weren’t signed and certified.

All the necessary documentation to rebut the claim that the elder Gan had embraced Islam last year had been put up on the Internet and I urge Ministers particularly from the MCA, Gerakan and MIC to present them in Cabinet for a detailed discussion and a just decision tomorrow.

The Gan family had gone to the MCA for help but the case had been disposed off in a most unsatisfactory and unacceptable manner. It is now up to the four Ministers in the Cabinet to redeem the failure of the MCA to resolve the issue satisfactorily and, together with other fair-minded Ministers, restore justice and fair play to the aggrieved Gan family in Seremban.

67 Replies to “Although case lost in Seremban High Court – let 74-yr-old Gan Eng Gor be the last “body-snatching” in Malaysia!”

  2. “I have no doubt that Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak, Tun Tan Cheng Lock, Tun Tan Siew Sin and Tun Sambanthan would have found it completely unthinkable that the nation could be plagued by a problem like “body-snatching” – with the police aiding and abetting the “body-snatchers”. KIT

    I have no doubt that all are turning in their graves as we write.

  3. An ethnic Chinese Buddhist family was appealing to a Malaysian high court Tuesday, seeking to overturn an Islamic court ruling that found their late father had converted from Buddhism to Islam, prompting his burial as a Muslim.

    The family of Gan Eng Gor said a Shariah court was wrong in ruling he had become a Muslim shortly before his death.

    “We want a declaration that he is not a Muslim. Our main intention is to seek justice, not just for our family but for the rest of the non-Muslim community,” son Gan Hock Ming told The Associated Press on Monday.

    The case was expected to be heard Tuesday at the High Court in southern Seremban state, Hock Ming said. – AFP

  5. What a useless home minister. Police report to whom la?

    I think Najis WAS referring to AAB when he said that the non-performers have to go.

    But TPM also has to go as he is no different. And got model case to boot!

    What a farce of a gomen. What all abuse the malaysian public is willing to endure.

    You know what is the difference between Malaysian and Singapore peoples? We are of basically the same stock!

    Now ask the Malaysians how Singapore without natural resources can be so much more advanced than our ada-had-ada-hari nation?

    Well, they have Malaysians working there and even leading many large companies and MNCs! Now how come Malaysians can perform in Singapore, but malaysia lags behind singapore? It’s simply because the Malaysian leadership is half-past-six.

    We need to change this situation so that we can have a better future for our children. For many of us, the time is past and we wont see benefits. They have screwed the country big time, and WE are all to blame for it. Yes you and me, becasue we did not do enough! The question is, do we continue to carry the blame or do we do something wise about it for the furture of this nation we call home?

  6. Yes, we need to fix our constitution. This is not what our founders intended it to be. Our founders would be ashamed of what we have done to the constitution and what we have done to this country.

    The point about separation religion and politics is really about not putting powerful tools in the hands of a few irresponsible and selfish people who can do tremendous damage with it. This is so classic, an irresponsble child can give grief to his entire family and huge implication as a precedent to other families, to other irresponsible people. Dysfunctional families are a norm and increasing and this ability to do such damage has huge implications.

  7. “…oral declaration in Arabic..” YB Lim

    YB Lim, you posted a few threads about “little napoleons”. That is what this is all about, despite AAB’s insistence he is in “control” of the government. Of course that itself has a double meaning: if he is in control, he endorses body snatching. The second meaning: the napoleons are effectively laughing at him. (In corporate circle we just say they show him the middle finger, but that is gross).

    In Malaysia we are at a complete loss encountering such incidences. The Syariah and all the Majlis Agama personnel do not recognise mere mortals (khafirs) like us. The High Court cannot judge what their God (through Syariah) has decided! It is ridiculous. The case could be resolved if documents related to his purported conversion is made available to the court – but what court? The case could also be resolved if the miracle of him speaking Arabic could be explained. (Sorry, a miracle is not a miracle if it can be explained; so the Arabic part is unexplainable).

    So we have Ong KT, Bernard and Samy meeting the Hadhari tomorrow. I still doubt if Hadhari would act on this.

  8. Decades of unchecked Islamic extremism and fundamentalism are doing a lot of damage to a multi religious country with permanent and long term consequences.

    Narrow, short sighted, aggressive and damaging politics of religion by some Muslim politicians and their supporters had tarnished the great name of Islam.

  10. We non-muslims will not get too emotional over this latest body-snatching incident. We will not be angry with our muslim brothers. However, we demand that all non-muslim wakil rakyat, including those from MCA, Gerakan, MIC to pressure the PM to resolve this matter ASAP cos we will not accept anything less than the return of the remains of the late Gan Eng Gor to his beloved family to be “sent off” accordingly. Having done all that, MCA will still suffer the most humiliating defeat it has ever suffered in the history of the GE in Malaysia. And MCA running canines, don’t ever threaten us with another 13/5, cos this time, all Malay, Chinese, Indian and the real origins of our beloved Malaysia are united as brothers and sisters.

  11. So we have Ong KT, Bernard and Samy meeting the Hadhari tomorrow. I still doubt if Hadhari would act on this.

    [deleted]

    unchecked Islamic extremism from merdeka till now is the biggest mistake.

    Hindraf came in and now eyes are open. Samy jumping around to see where he went wrong and tring his best to mend his mistakes so that he will be still in power.

    Lim ah! please hantam all the cabinet members for not being fair to all.

  14. “Samy jumping around to see where he went wrong ….”

    Utusan Malaysia says he should get lost:

    “But ‘political talk’ concerning Samy Vellu was really hot last year. The issue now is when will there be a transition of power in MIC,” asked the columnist.

    He pointed out that Umno, MCA and Gerakan have all seen the passing of the baton, but there were no such sign in MIC.
    http://thestar.com.my/news/story…1691& sec=nation

  16. If “Islam Hadhari” is all about dead body snatchings & child kidnappings, then please bring back Tunku Abdul Rahman’s version of Islam. In fact, Dr. M’s version of Islam is much better than this “Islam Hadhari.”

    Why is this happening near election day? Is there a secret ploy by some parties out there to cause disharmony among Malaysians before the General Election so that they could benefit from this tension between Muslims and non-Muslims?

  17. Ong Ka Ting, Samy Vellu and Koh Tsu Khoon,
    All of you have been bragging about how much all of you have been contributing to the welfare of non-Muslims Malaysians, which I am entitled to my doubt.
    Assuming that you all have done so much, have you all forgotten this very important aspects of the non-muslims, ie to give their loved ones a proper manner according to their religious rites. If they are truly converted to Muslims, by all means those Islamic officers can take their bodies because it rightfully belong to Muslims.
    But there are so many doubtful cases whereby bodies were snatched away under the very noses of the grieving family members. Yet you all kept your elegant silence.

  18. “I have no doubt that all are turning in their graves as we write.” – undergrad2
    Yes, this being the umpteenth time in the last several months.
    With AAB’s recent announcement that MCA President Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting is Minister for Buddhist Affairs, OKT now represents at least 4 million Buddhists in Malaysia. So far he is silent on this issue. Could he be ‘turning’ in his grave responsibilty?

  19. The original intend of our founding fathers that Islam was suppose to be a state issue under the purview of the Sultans, not even the Agung, AND definitely not a federal role. The Federal court were suppose to settle matters outside of Islam.

    Procedurally, this should have gone to the Yang di Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, not the Federal Courts and the matter would have ended there. The Yang di Pertuan could then acertain if Syariah law did not provide for such as real intent and undue process and it that would have been that.

    Instead this thing has gotten crazy and we have ever widening role of not only Federal Court but up to the executive branch itself. Our PM is not the head of religion in this country, he is not suppose to be.

    This is what happens when you mess up the constitution.

  20. Ong Ka Ting is Minister for Buddhist Affairs, OKT now represents at least 4 million Buddhists in Malaysia. So far he is silent on this issue. Could he be ‘turning’ in his grave responsibilty? – Earshot says

    ——————————————————————
    This is because he will be constantly reminded of the Law of Karma – how not to be worried?

  22. g2geetoo Says:

    Today at 14: 23.01 (29 minutes ago)
    Let them snatch the body. Important thing is the soul is free and ready for reincarnation.

    The body is just an empty shell, it’s worthless. Free from attachments, brothers and sisters!

    ………………………………………………..

    BoycottLocalPapers Says:

    Dear g2geetoo,

    Spiritually I understand fully well what you meant and I agree with you.

    But practically, do you want your right to be trampled by these irreligious bigots? They will not only snatch the dead body of your loved ones but also their properties. Do you want strangers to take away the body of your family member? I am sure none of us here want that to happen to us. It is like they are not satisfied with stealing your properties that they also wanted to steal away your dead body.

    To me, this case is much more important than that Lingam case as I think that Lingam was just a braggart who was trying to impress his clients.

  23. British Hindus liken Malaysian govt to Taliban
    Tuesday, 29 January , 2008, 10:47

    London: British Hindus are to hold a silent protest outside the office of the British premier this week to highlight the “new lite-Taliban” policies of the Malaysian government, an umbrella group for Hindus said on Tuesday.

    The Hindu Council UK (HCUK) said Hindus would present a petition to Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Friday to protest the condition of Malaysian Hindus, “who number two million and are suffering religious persecution” by the government in Kuala Lumpur.
    http://sify.com/news/fullstory.php?id=14596509

  25. High Court dismisses application to verify thumbprint (The Star online)

    By SARBAN SINGH

    SEREMBAN: The High Court here dismissed an application by the family of a 74-year-old Chinese man who was buried according to Islamic rites to verify his thumbprint on his conversion papers.

    Gan Eng Gor’s widow, Chua Chun, and her six children had filed the application claiming there were discrepancies in the deceased’s conversion papers.

    The family’s counsel Khoo Chin Nam said judge Datuk Azhar Ma’ah dismissed the application without costs in chambers.

    “We wanted to have Eng Gor’s thumbprint on his conversion papers examined by the Chemistry Department. But the judge said we would need to go back to the Syariah Appeals Court to do so,” he said when met outside the court.

    Last Thursday, the Syariah High Court had released Eng Gor’s remains to the state religious council after the deceased’s widow and six children failed to appear in court to challenge his religious status.

    Syariah High Court judge Mohd Nadzri Abdul Rahman in his ex-parte judgment said Eng Gor, whose Muslim name was Amir Gan Abdullah, was a Muslim based on the testimony by officers from the council and his oldest child Abdul Rahman Gan Abdullah.

    In his testimony at the Syariah Court, Abdul Rahman said his father had converted to Islam on July 3 last year. This was witnessed by council officer Shasainie Siau Abdullah.

  28. Firstly, A police report must be made at the police station by Mrs Gan & her other non muslim children that in their absence, the eldest son & a few Islamic officer had cheated their old, sick, senile & paralyzed husband/father.
    They suspected that brutal force might have been used on the poor old man to coerce his thump print on the conversion document.

    (If the late Mr.Gan’s conversion was of his free choice, he would not have continued to eat PORK for a year.
    As such, the family has no business with Islam & therefore has no reason what so ever to appear in a syariah court).

    Secondly, the family should engage lawyer to sue the eldest son & the Malaysian Islamic Authority for carrying out such treacherous immoral act.
    —-

    There is no law against muslim converting people from other faiths into Islam but its a crime the other way round. Even so why can’t the conversion be done with tact & wisdom to make sure that there are other non muslim family members around to witness the conversion to avoid any religious unrest & further polarize the races. Is this too much to ask for?

  29. The perverse beauty of it is that the pork eating Gan, every second, defiles the inhabitants of the cemetery he is now part of.
    Those genuine muslims buried there, their souls, and their families will never have piece. When they perform prayers to the deceased, it`ll always be with knowledge that their ancestors are defiled.

  30. Whatever have happened during the last 50 years, we have ourselves, the rakyat, to be blamed !!!!! We gave them the mandate and the more than two third majority in parliament. With that they can amend the constitution. Without the two third, nothing in the constitution can be altered or changed and therefore, we will not be faced with all these one sided laws.

    YOU AND I HAVE THE POWER TO STOP FURTHER EROSION!!

    OUR VOTE IS VERY VALUABLE SO VOTE WISELY.

  35. The ‘Gan Eng Kor’ case is a brutal and outright act of bullying against non Muslims.YB LKS should continue to condemn the whole lot of
    hypocritical BN thieves to stop blaring about the ‘multi’ status of the country and to withdraw the widely publicised humbug ‘Truly Asia’ slogan.

  36. I am saddened by the fact that the only local media that I do not boycott i.e. Malaysiakini is flooded with that Lingam case instead of the news of this religious discrimination.

    I think Lingam case will not be able to influence or persuade those MCA supporters to vote for the opposition as many Malaysian Chinese out there do not think a hilarious comedic court case like this will affect their lives. But a body snatching case like this Gan Eng Gor case will definitely make the Chinese think twice before voting for MCA/BN. I hope it will receive more coverage at Malaysiakini, MCA controlled newspapers, and overseas mainstream media such as CNN, Al Jazeera, BBC, Fox News, etc.

  38. This will not be the last case of body-snatching from non-Muslim families.

    Non-Muslims in Malaysia should have simultaneous public meetings in all states and FT to voice their fear, unhappiness, and loss over this critical issue of pseudo-forced conversion from non-Muslim to Muslim by people who have no control over their faculties.

  39. The Gan family should have ask DAP to help as they has good record in pursuing the matter.Big mistake asking MCA to help as they are spineless,UMNO just have to make some noise they will run like a dog with the tail between the leg.

  41. Pingback: A journal of my life » Blog Archive » Plea from Gan’s Family

  43. This UMNO led government is really very scary. They wants to rob the non-muslim in this country of everything they can think of be it government contracts, human rights and now their bodies. Yet, MCA thru their leaders like Ong Ka Ting and MIC thru their leaders like Samy Vellu dare to ask the non muslims in this bolehland to support them in the general election to have a strong non muslims representatives in the government. I think is not too much for me to ask these two leaders as well as other non muslims leaders in the Barisan to go and fly kites. My message to these leaders is WE THE NON-MUSLIMS IN THIS COUNTRY DO NOT NEED THIS KIND OF LEADERS TO REPRESENT US.

  44. Frankly I doubt the Majlis Agama gives a damn about a dead body. I suspect they are using this whole episode as a demonstration of their powers and to show to the kafirs whose religion is all mighty. In those puny brains resides the perverted thinking that only their religion is superior and this incident provides the excuse for them to exercise that bigoted belief.

    YB Kit is right to scream from the treetops. The rising incidents of such body snatching acts are pushing racial and religious relations to the brink. With a gutless PM leading a HP6 Cabinet with eunuch non Muslim ministers, the resulting lack of action or decision to act on such matters is sending a dangerously wrong message to the Little religious Napoleons who are getting more brazen by the minute and will not hesitate to seize the flimsiest excuse to flex their muscles in order to demonstrate the superiority of their religious beliefs. It is a volcano waiting to explode.

  47. Sometimes I just wonder what their Majesties and Highnesses discuss at their Rulers’ Conferences.

    When they see injustices and important issues that affect their citizens, what do they do? Do they turn a blind eye and keep silent like Emperor Meiji in The Last Samurai until it is too late?

    Why are “social activists” so silent? All the “National Service” isn’t going to help if injustices continue.

    Where is that fellow who wants and talks about a just world? Is he coming out with another academic treatise?

    And Maximus Ongkili the Minister in Charge of Unity matters? Why is he in the shadows, so silent, so subservient? No wonder our society fails and Mat Rempits rule.

    The problem with Malaysian reporters is that none of them dare ask point blank hard questions at Ong Ka Ting, Samy Vellu, Lim Keng Yaik and even Pak Lah. Maybe they have all been briefed that they cannot ask these tough questions because they have no answers.

  48. The grieving family proceed with Buddhist funeral rites without the body.

    Let Eng Gor’s body lie – even in a Muslim cemetery,…

    As a Buddhist, believing in kindness, compassion and non-violence, if Eng Gor’s soul and heart is with Lord Buddha, the Islamic Authorities may snatch his body, but no mortal beings will ever be able to snatch his soul.

    We Buddhist believe that the body is useless after death. We release all attachments – attachments mean suffering… That is why some donate their bodies to be cadavers. In the Singapore Nicole Highway collapse, when the bodies are not found, the Buddhist funeral can be carried out without a body.

  49. The GE is soooo near.!

    What a time for this issue to happen!!!

    If this issue is blown big, The Star is blowing it big… if will mean bad for them. Looks as if MCA is helping, but the non-Muslims & Chinese will choose DAP for sure.

    But for areas of BN(UMNO)-PKR seats, the non-Muslims & Chinese will surely choose PKR for sure. Malays being 50-50%, for sure PKR will also win big. And we hope Anwar Ibrahim will fight for this cause of Body Snatching.

    Remember that the Islamic Authorities can snatch a body, but they cannot snatch the deceased SOUL

  50. But why is the PKR so silent on this issue? If they support the Islamist position, why should we vote for PKR? They must state their stand clearly whether they support all these body snatching.

    Is PAS also supporting the Syariah Court’s decision? What has the Tok Guru to say about this? If it happened in Kelantan, what do you think PAS would do?

  51. For the Buddhists who can only come out with philosophical statements, you aren’t achieving anything or comforting the grieving family(ies). Think of their sorrows and hardships for their loved ones buried somewhere unknown to them.

    Its time to stand up and speak out. Not some middle-way, pacifist, surrender-type comments because there will definitely be more body snatchings to come. You should try and prevent further sorrows.

  52. Sheriff Singh,

    We never support PAS in any manner & I believe PAS will never support the non-Muslims in matters concerning Islam.

    PKR keeps quiet most likely not to offend the majority people in their process of garnering votes.

    Karpal Singh said “Malaysia will be an Islamic Country Over My Dead Body“, but unfortunately we got a dead body situation here – Just vote DAP & nothing will go wrong. If no choice – make Undi Rosak.

  57. JOHOR BARU: Angry parents held a meeting with a school in Taman Daya after their Year Six children were asked to clean the toilets on Friday.
    [ ]
    Parent M. Anbalagan said instead of studying, his son and a group of other Year 6 pupils were washing toilets.
    [ ]
    B. Darshiney, 12, said the activity took place during the Moral Education period.

    “Other students went for their religious class while we went to the toilet,” the girl added.
    http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/1/29/nation/20154320&sec=nation

  59. Wednesday January 30, 2008
    Settlement is too low, mum of convert tells court
    [ ]
    In her claim, Rukumony said the cooperative had taken out a policy on her son but refused to pay her the RM56,300 and instead deposited it with Amanah Raya.

    The cooperative said that under Syariah Law, Rukumony could not inherit the property of her deceased son because she is a non-Muslim.

    http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/1/30/courts/20166330&sec=courts

  60. k1980 point to the real urgency of this issue. What if this body snatching happened to a Hindu now? Someone saying they are Hindraf leaders send out an SMS and we could see violence in the streets.

    This is nothing less than a systematic failure of our constitution and legal system.

  62. If a non muslim cannot inherit from a muslim relative,then can a muslim inherit from a non muslim relative (say a brother who have no issue etc)??
    Also, why a muslim can receive money etc from non muslim ppl or organization, (eg get scholarship, donation, or employment etc??) What a hipocracy?

  63. Only a muslim can inherit from a deceased muslim’s estate. Non-muslims are excluded.

    That’s (Muslim’s) Allah’s law. They have to obey. Syariah Court cannot go against Allah’s law in everything. So for muslims, no problems. Its fair to them. Never mind others.

    Sigh.

  66. Can somebody enlighten me. This has got to do with classification of Malayans and later Malaysians by ethnic origin or RACE.
    Before 1957 or Formation of MALAYSIA.

    Race in the birth ceritificate of a child follows the child’s biological father. I was told Eurasian was a race created by the Europeans so that their offsprings did not follow the race of the biological father and they did not want their off springs with Asian women classified as Asian. But children of Asian men and European women are not Eurasians. Follow Biological father”s race.
    Point: PAk Lah’s grandfather was not Malay. Could not have been deemed to be Malay because the Constitution came about in 1957 and where Malay is defined.
    So Pak Lah’s grandfather they say is Chinese. Therefore it follows that a Chinese man’s offspring (pre-definition of Constittutional Malay) should be Chinese irrespective of whether his wife is Malay, Chinese Indian Orang Asli the various races in Indonesia etc.
    It was only after 1957 that those not Malay could claim to be Malay.

    Now take Dr M. They say his father is Indian (albeit Indian Muslim, which is not a race in India). Dr M was born before 1957 before the constitutional definiton of Malay.

    So Pak Lah’s grandfather’s Male descendants follow his race until after 1957?
    And Dr M’s father’s descendants follow his race too?
    And UMNO bigots tell the non Malays to go back to China or India?

  67. By Malaysian law, if a person died as a Muslim and had non-Muslim sons or daughters, they would not be able to inherit their father’s wealth and the wealth of the deceased would go to the Islamic authorities. If the deceased was a tycoon or a mogul, the trillion ringgit wealth acquired by the authorities would probably cause the Bumi equity to exceed far in excess of 30% and would seriously upset the equity distribution formula.

    I think our politicians should look into this foreseeable problem and get it solved.

    It is unclear if the sons or daughters could inherit their father’s wealth if they declare to be a Muslim after their father’s death.

Leave a Reply