Family In Shock After Learning The Body They Were About To Cremate Is Not Their Son
"Our son is still alive, but whose body is at our house now?"
A family in Negeri Sembilan was about to begin the cremation ceremony of their son when they received a call that shocked them.
The person whose body they were about to cremate was not their son.
The baffling incident took place on Sunday, 5 March, in Taman Desa Permai, Tampin, Negeri Sembilan.
The father, identified as 45-year-old Chantren, was informed last Thursday, 3 March, that his son died under custody at the Sungai Buloh Prison the day before on Wednesday, 2 March.
The Prisons Department told the family to claim the body from the Sungai Buloh Hospital.
However, Chantren said he did not know why his son was in jail in the first place, only that he was arrested on 28 February and was being remanded at the Sungai Buloh Prison, reported New Straits Times.
When the family went to the hospital, they were not allowed to see the body and were told to come back after the post-mortem examination had been completed. The family then went back the next day.
"After signing the necessary documents, we were then allowed to view the body," Chantren said, adding that when he and the rest of his family saw the body, they were puzzled as it did not resemble their son.
The family attributed it to surgical marks and stitches on the body's head, which was shaved clean. They decided to claim the body anyway and took the remains home on Saturday night.
"The whole family was grieving and making preparations. As we were about to cremate the body at the crematorium [at 10am Sunday], we received a phone call from the Prisons Department," he said.
"They told us that we have the wrong body. The body was instead of his cellmate, who had died of lung failure. They said our son was still alive, and immediately asked us to do a video call," he added.
According to Chantren, the Prisons Department then did a video call to show his son.
"I do not know how to even express my feelings. Our son is still alive, but whose body is at our house now?" Sinar Harian quoted him as saying, adding that the family was stunned by the news.
Chantren with his wife looking at the remains of the deceased, who they thought was their son.
Image via Ahmad Hasbi/New Straits Times
"This is all very confusing"
While the family is happy to hear the news about their son being alive, the mix-up has resulted in the family having to fork out around RM20,000 to rent a tent and cater food, along with the cremation costs.
Now, Chantren has only one question, "How did such a mix-up happen?"
Authorities from the Prisons Department have since gone to the family's house and collected the body.
Meanwhile, the boy's mother, who only wished to be known as 48-year-old Parameiswary, said that she has lodged a report at the Jinjang police station to seek an explanation over the matter.
"We don't want just a verbal statement, we want this in writing. We also want to see our son, to confirm that he is still alive. This is not a small matter, it's literally a matter of life and death," the mother said.
Chantren (right) and his family members show documents, while his wife holds a photo frame of their son.
Image via Ahmad Hasbi/New Straits Times
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