Friends of a purported convert allegedly took matters into their own hands to cremate his body yesterday afternoon. It is understood that Lawrence's friends, transporting his body to a church in Seremban for funeral rites, decided on their own to cremate his remains and bury the ashes in Segamat. What can I say? They are great friends, a friend in need even when dead is a friend indeed. Police officers turned up at the family's home in Lukut around midnight to serve a syariah court order on the family, informing them that action would be taken against them. Is a Syariah court order valid if issued to Non Muslims? They are that because they do not profess the faith of Islam and neither do they believe in Islam. That is why they are Non Muslims. Lawrence's body was at the centre of a claim by religious officials, who stopped his family from proceeding with his funeral service and burial yesterday on grounds that he had converted to Islam three days earlier. The family are very unhappy over the incident and the ensuing situation they are now faced with, saying that they have not come across sufficient evidence to back the claim by the religious authorities. The family spokesperson said: "From what we understand, it takes three weeks to complete a conversion process, as a person needs to go through a course first. "Here they are saying that he converted just three days ago. "Secondly, he was never circumcised, and also he never informed his family.“If he really converted, why is it that it was not shown on his death certificate? "If he did convert, they should have keyed it in the (the national registration database) on the day that he converted. After three days there was still nothing, so he was still not endorsed as a Muslim," MalaysiakiniAware that there was this legal tussle between the family of the deceased and the religious authorities as to whether Lawrence be buried according to Islamic or Catholic rites, they took his body to Segamat, had the remains cremated, and the ashes buried. And, so it seems, all hell has broken loose. Frankly, I don’t blame the friends of Lawrence. Since the Everest Climber case, in 2005, culminating in the dismissal by the Federal Court of the application for leave to appeal at the instance of the widow, it has become evident that there is no judge in our civil courts, from the lowest rung to the highest court, that has the courage to abide by their oath of office. When the citizenry lose confidence in the institutions that were set up to protect them, they will take the law into their own hands. Haris Ibrahim. Well, for those who despair, this is a novel solution, you and I know that the law slants one way, their way. Cremation, a speedy one at that is the solution in a hopeless situation, noting, previous cases. My hat's off to these bunch of friends. Well done, you deserve a round of applause.
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