Final Wishes

Maniam Moorthy became a national hero in Malaysia as a member of the first Malaysian expedition to conquer Mount Everest almost 10 years ago. He was a Hindu then. In an interview two months before his death, he told TV reporters about his preparations a Hindu festival. And his family says he was a Hindu when he died. So why, despite their wishes, was he buried as a Muslim? A Shariah court in Malaysia ruled he had converted. His family was not allowed to testify at the trial because they were not Muslims, and Malaysian civil courts refused to overrule the Islamic court.