By William Isau
SONG, May 23: Twelve graves across two Iban cemeteries situated on the outskirts of Song have suffered desecration, with incidents occurring on both May 20 and May 22.
Song District Police chief DSP Rowney Michael Jalak revealed that the initial case involved six graves at the Iban Nanga Engkabau Cemetery.
“On May 20, around 6am, a complainant discovered several graves had been disturbed with noticeable holes while conducting a funeral ceremony for one of the deceased residents,” he said in a statement today.
Following a report on May 22, police initiated an investigation at the cemetery, reachable by an hour-long boat ride from Song, where they found six graves vandalised.
“Four belonged to women and two to men, with dug holes on the sides, feet, and heads, along with fragments of broken cement,” Rowney elaborated.
He noted that the cemetery dates back to 1980 and was last visited by villagers on April 13 this year, with the desecration discovered on May 20.
Relatives mentioned that the deceased were interred with gold jewellery such as rings, bracelets, necklaces, and earrings.
“The primary loss lies in the damage to the tomb structures,” he added.
The second incident occurred at the Iban Nanga Serian Cemetery, Sungai Iran, on May 22.
Responding to the site, reachable by a 30-minute long boat journey from Song town, Rowney said the police team found six graves desecrated—five women’s graves and one man’s grave.
The cemetery, dating back to the 1940s, was last visited by villagers on April 24.
In all the cases, Rowney said the exact losses remain uncertain as relatives could not confirm the missing items.
The cases will be investigated under Section 297 of the Penal Code. — DayakDaily
