The group that ensures no one is forgotten in death

KUALA LUMPUR: His body was found beside a building in the capital city. Homeless and alone, the elderly Malaysian man had died without anyone by his side.

What made the situation even more heartbreaking was that his remains lay unclaimed in a hospital mortuary for nearly a week as the authorities tried to trace his next of kin.

Eventually, the body was handed over to Skuad Pengurusan Jenazah Malaysia (SPJM), which stepped in to arrange his burial.

“We were informed that the hospital managed to contact the deceased’s nephew, who lives in Melaka. Unfortunately, the man said he could not afford to claim the body due to financial hardship,” SPJM founder Rafieudin Zainal Rasid told Bernama.

“He asked the hospital to make the necessary arrangements, and that was when we intervened.”

For Rafieudin, who has more than two decades of experience in funeral management, such cases are a painful reminder of why SPJM exists.

The organisation handles about 30 unclaimed bodies each year. While many involve unidentified individuals, he said there has been a rise in cases where relatives are alive but unable, or unwilling, to claim the deceased.

“This may be due to strained family relationships. The relatives may still be around, but they either deliberately choose not to come or cannot afford to come,” he explained.

Founded in 2017, SPJM began as a one-man effort after Rafieudin noticed a growing number of unclaimed bodies at hospitals.

“As the need on the ground continued to increase, I began gathering volunteers and formally established this squad to help ease the burden on the authorities and the government.”

Today, SPJM has about 2,000 registered volunteers nationwide. Its main mission is to ensure every unclaimed Muslim body is managed with dignity, professionalism, and in accordance with Islamic principles.

The group also provides logistical support, including hearses and coffins, for non-Muslim remains, while helping to ensure their final rites proceed smoothly.

“We do this because it is a communal obligation,” Rafieudin added.

SPJM is usually contacted only after hospitals, the police and other authorities have exhausted efforts to trace a deceased person’s relatives.

In cases where the body is identified but no family member comes forward, the process can take between 24 and 72 hours while hospitals, police and the social welfare department try to locate relatives.

For unidentified bodies, including undocumented foreign nationals, the process can be far more complicated. Some remain in hospital mortuaries for months, or even years, while authorities verify details such as identity and religion.

“There are many matters that need to be verified before a body can be handed over to us,” Rafieudin said. “All these processes are carried out by the authorities.”

Since its establishment, SPJM has managed more than 300 unclaimed bodies, including cases involving relatives who declined to claim the deceased, individuals with no known next of kin and unidentified persons.

Rafieudin believes there is room for a more structured national approach to the issue, including clearer guidelines and stronger logistical and financial support.

At the same time, he hopes Malaysians will see the issue as a shared responsibility. “This issue is not a burden that should be carried by one party alone,” he said.

Beyond the work of volunteers, the issue has also prompted wider discussions about loneliness and changing family dynamics.

Social scientist Dr Mimi Hanida Abdul Mutalib said migration, weaker family ties, and increasingly busy urban lifestyles can leave some individuals isolated from their support networks.

“In the past, the family institution served as the core of emotional and social support,” the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia lecturer highlighted.

She noted that while Malaysia is not facing a crisis on the scale of Japan’s “kodokushi” phenomenon, the growing number of people dying alone should be viewed as a warning sign.

Psychologist Dr Nurhafizah Mohd Sukor added that prolonged isolation can affect a person’s emotional wellbeing and lead individuals to gradually withdraw from family and friends.

Both experts stress that simple acts such as checking in on neighbours, encouraging community activities, and maintaining social connections can help prevent people from becoming isolated.

Rafieudin, meanwhile, believes the solution begins with something simple: caring for one another. “If ordinary citizens like us do not care, who else can we depend on?” he said.