The suspected car thief A. Kugan was finally buried at 5.30pm today after mourners circled his casket and conducted last rites at the Puchong Batu 14 cemetery, eight days after his death in a police station reignited a public outcry about custodial deaths.
The 22-year-old was laid to rest after his hearse and thousands of mourners traveled 20km through hot sun and driving rain from the University Malaya Medical Center (UMMC) to the USJ8 police station where he died before finally making its way to the cemetery.
The Selangor government has undertaken the costs of the funeral on "humanitarian grounds", Kapar MP S. Manickavasagam said, adding he had thanked Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim for the gesture.
During the funeral procession, thousands of mourners who accompanied his grieving family and several lawmakers had shouted "Polis Pembunuh" and "We want Justice" with some unfurling banners that said "Polis Pembunuh Berlesen".
The crowd slowed traffic in Puchong and brought it to a standstill in front of the USJ8 police station where a police helicopter hovered overhead during brief family prayers.
Police had earlier arrested five men wearing Hindraf T-shirts as they threw a tight cordon around the medical centre for the suspected car thief's funeral. They only allowed some 50 people, including family and several lawmakers, to claim Kugan's body.
Lawyer Gobind Singh Deo said family and friends paid respects at the mortuary five at a time. Police had earlier chased away reporters and nearly 100 supporters around the mortuary waiting to pay respects.
The Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) and Light Strike Force had cordoned off the teaching hospital this morning but crowds, responding to text messages, have turned up for the funeral procession. Several tried to go through the barricade but police ordered them to disperse.
Source: The Malaysian Insider