Tuesday, January 6, 2009

Penggali Kubur (Grave Diggers)

We take them for granted. Many want to forget that they ('he') exist. But they ('he') perform a very important function in a kampong community. Without them ('him'), we ....... well we would not be able to bury our dead properly. They ('he') must be recognised and rewarded accordingly. Are we rewarding them ('him') accordingly now? Is their ('his') reward commensurate with the function they ('he') perform in the village. Are they ('he') given the respect of their ('his') function? If not, its time to think it over.

But do we have a fixed person as grave digger in the kampong now? Do we have succession plan? What if they ('he' currently I think) go ill (or is out of town), who will bury the deceased? Have they got helpers (temporay or permanent)? I got the picture that in Lipat Kajang, the grave digger has got help from non-Malaysian, why is this so?

So many questions, but are we in the kampong looking after our grave digger (penggali kubur) respectfully, and rewarding him accordingly?


Lipat Kajang people (or decendents) are encouraged to participate& contribute (Orang Lipat Kajang, atau keturunan, di jemput memberi sumbangan idea)

4 comments:

  1. in line with civilisation and the changing times (we are already in the 21st century), the profession as "grave digger" is not to be treated one of those dreaded spooky labourer-type of job nobody wants, it is a very specialised unique professional commensurately-paid job,
    many semi urban settlements and of course urban authorities employ full-time gravediggers who does nothing else but dig graves, and the less frequent people die the lesser job he has to do, he can shake legs or utilise that free time to earn some money through other activities, such as hawking or retailing;
    i'm not sure if Lipat Kajang Pahang has been and is having a fix grave-digger though not full time, and whether this task has been hereditary for any particularly family, but the remuneration to be given to him certainly must be reviewed, and aligned with thr requirements of the time;
    maybe dr dad (of IGP eGroup) has some idea about gravedigger's earnings, MBPJ has fixed gravediggers...and dr dad being the MBPJ environmental health director surely knows....dr dad?

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  2. apparently not many people (if not nobody whatsoever) is bold and brave enough to say anything about gravediggers? why, i am wondering, taboo maybe? anything to do with the grave is eerie and frightening?
    what a misconception !

    look at the original posting on "Penggali Kubur (Grave Diggers) by bro mylias, there are many questions there to be pondered at and to be given answers, in the same way as we are seeking answers on how to rid Kg Lipat Kajang Pahang of cow dung and kerbau (buffalo) dung,
    so we cannot sweep aside the plight of the gravedigger regarding them as the lowest paid labourer, and misconstruing their role as insignificant and not important, and not recognised with the due attention and respect

    i suppose this is also a matter to be duly discussed and sorted out by the community so that the kampong will not have to depend on an Indon or a Bangla or a Vietnamese as substitute gravedigger, this is not like a EPL soccer game where you can deploy any tom dick or harry as substitute, as long as he knows how to kick the football (as long as he knows how to dig out the earth)
    what a shame?

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  3. bukan macam tu, banyak orang yang melayari internet ni tak tahu siapa penggali kubur di Lipat Kajang pun. Deme mungkin duduk luar Lipat Kajang, dan deme bila mati nati ( kita berdioa lah untuk panjang umor masing2 untuk berbakti kepada ugama dan negara) deme kata "tanam lah saya di mana saya mati nanti di mana2". yang menagggung tu adalah waris2 mereka dan kadang kala (dari pengelaman saya) deme tak tahu pun tanah kubur di tempat deme. bila berlaku kematian baru lah nak cari pak imam, deme kadang kala tak datang pun ke surau atau mesjid di tempat deme bermastatutin ....... di Lipat Kajanag jauh sekali. waris2 mereka kadang kala sibuk seomor, tahu suaru masjid pun ...... tak tahu. deme kata deme maseh muda, kubur jauh lagi ..... deme tak mengerti dan tak tahu.

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  4. Grave Diggers

    An honourable profession in Islam. A lot to be learn and banyak iktibar diperolehi dengan mengingati mati.

    Information on them, in my opinion, should be made known to the public.
    This information should be posted on the Community hall(if there is one), balai penghulu, masjid, surau and so forth.

    Tak lah seseorang itu, especially from outside Lipat Kajang, run around and can focus on such places for such information. Thus other info can also be posted likewise.

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