It was an experience that left an indelible mark.

“When she passed away, our family did not have enough money to manage her remains. It was quite expensive, so we had to borrow money from our relatives,” he said.

Firdaus said it affected him so much that he made a commitment to help others so that they would not have to go through the same thing.

Last August, he and a friend, Shahrol Muhammad, set up a free service to help those who could not afford to manage the remains of their loved ones.

Being short on funds to start the service, they took to social media to announce their plans to help others and asked if there was a used van that anyone could donate to get them started.

“I published the post at 9am and by 5pm, I received a call from a person who wanted to remain anonymous. The person asked me to go to Pandan Jaya to collect a van which they wanted to donate to us.”

For the past five months, Firdaus and Shahrol have helped 15 families through their Setia Kasih Fardu Kifayah service.

They first collect the body of the deceased from the morgue and return it to the family who then bathe and prepare the body for burial. They then take the deceased to the cemetery to be buried.

The pair use their own money to run the service, with some help from their friends.

“We just want to help people who don’t have enough money to manage their loved one’s remains. We don’t want to be paid for what we do, we only accept donations for the service.”

Firdaus said they would prefer donations in kind, that is, items like burial cloths and biers, the stand on which coffins are placed.

“We feel it is better for people to purchase the items they wish to donate to us. However, if it is easier to donate cash, then it is okay too, we can go and purchase the items we need.”

For those who wish to help Setia Kasih Fardu Kifayah, do drop us a WhatsApp message on FMT’s Helpline at 019-389 9839. Click here to Whatsapp us.