Limited Grave Land, Belitung Regency Government Needs A Body Burning House

Crematorium venue in Semarang (ANTARA)

BeLITUNG - Deputy Regent of Belitung, Isyak Meirobie, assessed that his area needed a crematorium or burial house for non-Muslim residents because the burial ground was increasingly limited.

"The construction of the crematorium aims to reduce the burial ground of non-Muslims, which is currently getting narrower and more limited," he said in Tanjung Pandan, Bangka Belitung Islands Province, Wednesday.

He conveyed this was to respond to residents' rejection of the construction of a crematorium or burning house in the area.

According to him, the refusal was due to a lack of information and socialization to the community in the surrounding location of the crematorium construction.

"In my opinion, there is communication that there is a distance, so that the community does not get complete information," he said.

Isyak believes, basically the people of Belitung are people who are very tolerant and respect differences.

"Belitung's strength is diversity or rainbow that makes it strong and beautiful," he said.

Isyak argues, crematorium is a future requirement with the aim of reducing the number of burial land, especially for non-Muslims.

He said, currently every area in Indonesia already has a crematorium or burial house.

"The need for crematorium is not only for certain groups but for global or universal needs," he said.

He explained that currently Belitung has become a world-class tourist destination.

He gave an example, if there are tourists who die in Belitung and the family asks for cremation of the bodies, then the crematorium can be an answer.

"But if it can't and the body must be taken by plane and at large costs so that the crematorium is a necessity," he said.

Therefore, he considered that it was necessary to disseminate information and education to the public regarding the construction of a crematorium.

"The foundation can communicate in a more harmonious way if it is necessary to conduct an comparative study outside the region to see how the crematorium works whether it pollutes the environment or vice versa," said the Deputy Regent.