Unclaimed bodies and the slow disposal processes have exacerbated the congestion at many hospital mortuaries in the Klang Valley, according to sources with knowledge of the matter.

As the daily number of Covid-19 death cases continue to soar high, Malaysiakini learnt that some health officials are hoping for a policy change to help them speed up the burial or cremation of remains.

A high-ranking health official claimed that many mortuaries are keeping bodies that have been there for several years, either because nobody came to claim them or because they are tied to legal cases, among others.

"We are also facing problems when it comes to bodies that belong to foreign nationals, as there are embassies that stick to old procedures when it comes to claiming the remains.

"As a result, undertakers have to wait for a certain period of time, on average one week, before they are able to obtain release letters from certain embassies.

"Further compounding the issue is the fact that there are now fewer international flights, which caused bodies that can already be claimed to continue being kept at mortuary...