SHAH ALAM - Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) began implementing a multi-tier burial method for bodies without next of kin at the Raudhatul Sakinah Islamic Cemetery (TPIRS) in Kepong, Kuala Lumpur, on Tuesday.
In a statement, Jawi said the pilot project was part of efforts to optimise the use of increasingly limited space at Islamic cemeteries in Kuala Lumpur.
It said the project also involved the use of a pulley system developed by the Kuala Lumpur Public Works Department (JKR) to facilitate the handling and lowering of bodies to a depth of eight feet.
The process begins with the first body being lowered using a sling stretcher and a pulley system, while two or three workers stand inside the grave to receive it.
"After the first body is placed, the device used to prevent soil collapse is lifted before the burial chamber is covered with wooden boards. The pulley system is then moved away, and soil is added until the level reaches five feet from the level of the burial chamber.
"A second burial chamber, two feet deep, is then dug on the left side facing the qibla. The second body is lowered using the pulley system and the burial chamber is covered with wooden boards before soil is added until the ground returns to its original level," it said.
Media reports previously stated that existing Islamic cemeteries in Kuala Lumpur were expected to have sufficient capacity for burials only until 2029.
In November 2025, Jawi and Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) were reported to have conducted a study to develop guidelines for implementing multi-tier burials in the Federal Territories as an alternative to address the shortage of cemetery space.
Jawi said the pulley system could improve the efficiency of burial procedures while making the work of cemetery personnel easier.
It added that efforts to improve the management of Islamic cemeteries also included exploring suitable technologies and equipment to ensure bodies were handled responsibly, in an orderly manner and in accordance with Islamic law.