KUALA LUMPUR – The government has clarified that the Federal Territory Muslim Cemetery Development Project in Hulu Semenyih, Selangor, has been in the pipeline since 2005, aimed at addressing the shortage of Islamic burial land in Kuala Lumpur while easing traffic congestion in Semenyih.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh, in a Facebook post tonight, said the statement was issued following confusion that had gone viral on social media.
She stressed that beyond serving residents of the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur (FTKL), the project will also benefit the local community, with 10 per cent of the cemetery’s capacity reserved for residents from surrounding areas in Selangor.
“The existing Islamic burial grounds in FTKL have exceeded 70 per cent occupancy. As of June 2023, only about 29 per cent, or 34,496 plots, remained available, and these are expected to meet the needs only until around 2032.
Therefore, the provision of a new burial site is an urgent necessity to safeguard the welfare of the Muslim community in the future,” she said.
Hannah said the project will be implemented through a public-private partnership on a 332.6-acre site owned by the Federal Lands Commissioner.
Under the agreement, the developer will fully bear the cost of infrastructure, including staff quarters, a surau, administrative office, cafeteria, toilets, guardhouse and earthworks for 104,470 Muslim burial plots for FTKL.
She emphasised that ownership of the land remains with the Federal Lands Commissioner, while management, administration and operations of the cemetery will stay under the jurisdiction of the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department (JAWI), not any private company.
On the construction of a link road from Jalan Sungai Lalang to the SILK Highway, Hannah said the RM93.89 million cost will not be borne by the government but financed by the developer, as required by the Selangor government.
The 4.3-kilometre link road, she added, will ease traffic congestion and provide a smoother alternative route for residents.
“The Federal Territories Department (JWP) stresses that the project has undergone technical assessments, a Value Management Lab evaluation and the approval processes of both the Selangor state government and the Federal Government.
Every decision made is based on the public interest to ensure the welfare of the people is safeguarded while providing better basic facilities for future generations,” she said. – July 9, 2026