‘Rubbish disposal directive at cemetery shocking’

KUCHING: Dr Timothy Hatch, a frequent visitor to the cemetery at Mile 7, which goes by its unofficial name of Sacred Heart Church Cemetery is shocked by the Catholic Church Cemetery Ministry committee chairman Peter Wong’s suggestion for visitors to throw their rubbish at the ‘designated’ dumpsite.

Hatch said this was unacceptable because Wong was still encouraging the public to dump their rubbish in an open area near the graves. It would make an unsightly and unholy mess, which many relatives of those buried there would fi nd offensive.

The deplorable state of the cemetery with many parts unkempt and littered with garbage have made the public to complain to The Borneo Post, with the hope that the Catholic Church committee could be more proactive in managing the cemetery.

An observer informed The Borneo Post that the management committee disposed the rubbish but the fi lthy condition would revert within a week.

Wong, in his response to public complaint, assured that his committee was monitoring the condition of the cemetery, adding that the cemetery was being cleaned once a month.

Wong said the committee had been maintaining the cemetery; sending a worker to dispose of the rubbish there. He added that in fact, a worker had just cleaned the cemetery a few days ago.

However, Wong said visitors to the cemetery had been indiscriminately throwing rubbish all over the place.

Hatch, meanwhile, said he had read with some interest of Wong’s comment regarding the ongoing problem with the deplorable state of the cemetery at Mile 7.

“Today (Jan 5) I visited the cemetery where two of my close relatives are buried, and I find that the so- called ‘cleanup’ was done in a very superficial manner. Rubbish, cardboard boxes, plastic containers, piles of sand and gravel remain on the site and there is even a marble headstone which has fallen over next to the newly erected sign – it has been there unattended to and not repaired for months!

“I looked around in vain for a ‘designated’ dumpsite that was mentioned by Peter Wong. There was only the usual dumping spot at the beginning of the path, and if that is the designated dumpsite, I am completely shocked at the suggestion,” he said.

As an immediate action, Hatch suggested that an immediate ‘gotong-royong’ be carried out, led by the Catholic Church Cemetery Ministry committee, to completely clear the cemetery of rubbish.

He proposed that a paid staff be appointed to attend to the cemetery to keep it clean and tidy.

“I would also like to suggest that some big refuse bins be positioned at the cemetery so that mourners will have somewhere to place their refuse.”

Hatch said he recently visited the Teochew Cemetery at Batu Kitang Road which is kept wonderfully clean and tidy.

“The same goes for the Nirvana Cemetery, which is immaculate. Why is it that, what must be one of the wealthiest churches in the world, seems totally incapable of even keeping a small cemetery in Kuching in a presentable and tidy condition?”

Hatch said he could not help but feel that Wong and his committee were in a total state of denial over the matter and persisted in making excuses for something that should never have been allowed to occur in the fi rst place.

“Is it too much to ask that, in addition to immediate and thorough practical action, we at least now get a fulsome apology from someone in authority in the church for permitting this state of affairs to come to pass?”