They said the faithful could, for instance, pray for their departed from their homes.

According to current guidelines from the National Security Council, movement between states in the case of emergencies such as the death of a close relative is allowed with permission from police, but it is up to police officers to define “close relatives”.

In some instances, only the child, parent or spouse of the deceased will be granted a pass to travel.

For those left out, Buddhist Chief High Priest of Malaysia K Sri Dhammaratana said prayers at home could still “send merit” to the deceased.

“In the name of the deceased, we must also strive to take care of those who are still living and with us,” he told FMT.

“Doing good things to others and performing charity work can also transfer merit to the departed one. If you focus your mind towards the person, you can broadcast those benefits to the person who has passed on.”

He said those attending funerals should try to control their emotions in order to comply with social distancing rules.

Pahang Mufti Abdul Rahman Osman said the same applied to Muslims, and that one could benefit the soul of a dead relative by reading the Quran in his honour.

“Also, if you know his good friends and relatives, you can do what you can to take care of them and thereby pass to him the blessing you gain from your charitable work.”

Malaysian Hindu Sangam president RS Mohan Shan said the current rules were fair and must be respected, even if inconvenient.

“The restrictions are fine, as there is a need to control crowds,” he said. “We cannot be forcing police to give permission.”

According to him, private Hindu ceremonies that abide by the necessary practices could be held in order to “send condolences from afar”.