

Now, they're trying to snatch hers
But did you know 9 years ago, they snatched her from him?
Toh Puan Bunny Suffian, 80, died of cancer at the General Hospitalin Kuala Lumpur last Thursday, and was to have been cremated yesterday. But her husband, Tun Mohamed Suffian, also 80, retiredLord President of Malaysia, could not recover her body as his brother had staked a claim and wanted her buried according to Islamic rights.Toh Puan Bunny remained both a British subject and a Christian after their marriage in London in 1946. At no time during the past 51years was this challenged.
But it was on her death. The Attorney-General intervened. He agreed with three witnesses who claimed she recited the Muslim declaration of faith (shahadat) at her death-bed, and that madeher a Muslim; and her brother-in-law took her body to KualaKangsar for burial. Tun Suffian was never asked for his views, but this is not required under Muslim law in Malaysia. He did not attend the funeral.
source : http://malaysia.net/lists/sangkancil/1997-10/
even then, MGG Pillai highlighted the Invasion of the Body Snatchers. He writes :
Islamic and religious bodies seize corposes of those they believe had converted, and bury them according to Muslim rites; and unearth bodies in Christian cemetries to bury them as Muslims, sometimes months later.
In an orbituary of him written in the Guardian, Tun Suffian was described as
... private man completely devoted to his wife, Bunny, whom he married, after they met in Cambridge, in 1941 that her death in 1997 devastated him in more ways than one: when she died, the Islamic authorities denied her, a lifelong Christian, the cremation she wanted, and forcibly taken to Kuala Kangsar and buried under Islamic rites in the Moslem cemetry there.
Welcome to Malaysia, where Invasion of the Body Snatchers is more than just a movie.
11 comments:
I wouldn't take Time Magazine's list of top 100 movies seriously. Nor IMDB's top 250 either. But.. Drunken Master? Ikiru and no Seven Samurai? To find Miller's Crossing is surprising, one of my personal faves, but not as surprising as Finding Nemo. Sigh.
I know i'm not on the same wavelength as you're on. Lulu is, goodness gracious, very apt at political commentary! keep it up..
oh my gosh. it is such a bloody disgrace la. time to get a new passport and leave the bloody country
I would like to address this question to JAIS and JAKIM. The Mongolian beuty, Altantaya Shaariibuu, was a Muslim who went by the name of "Aminah". Once the case is settled, will the remains be released to the father to be brought home to Mongolia for proper burial or will we see another body (bone) snatching again? Remember she was killed on Malaysian soil. Now it would be interesting to know what standard of practice will these blokes be applying. If they allow the father to take the remains home, then why treat our fellow Malaysians any differently, the recent being the widow of the late Rayappan Anthony. And if they insist that she be handed over to our religious authorities, would that not spark off a diplomatic crisis which we can do without at this time?. What a catch22 JAIS and JAKIM will be in. Well what goes around, comes around.
i too had never watch 'invasion of the body snatchers' but it's ok because can see it right here in our country.
i really wonder why is it so important for this JAIS people to want to snatch the body from the family for a muslim burial. first of all people already die, have some respect for them. secondly, it's only religion matter, why so serious?
There is more at stake other than the demise body per se.
Inheritance for one.
Custody of minor.
Rich visitors to Malaysia better not die here, your body could be snatched on hear-ay conversion and your wealth transfered to them.
~wits0~
lucia, lulu remembers you from the sangkancil days. you were an active participant then. wonder what mgg would be writing if he were still alive.
ahh... lulu, so you too also were in sangkancil before? lurker? or active participant too like me? those were the good old days, eh. yeah it's a pity mgg is not around anymore to share his insightful interesting views.
lulu:
Good update -- I know MGG wella ~~ I gas he's having his Paporazi guffaw with us!:)m
The body busting, er...snatching aliens in your midst also thrive well in a mind deadening environment like LalLahland after getting their wink implicitly.
~wits0~
Great post! Yes, the Islamic authorities seem to have a penchant to fill up cemeteries with the faithful... although the faithful have long departed from the straight and narrow! - in more ways than one.
Its Hotel California for all Muslims - converts and those born into the faith, you know! Once you check in, you can't check out!
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