The Maqbarah is an Amanah.

On 10 December 2025 and again on 24 March 2026, the news reported that Tolgah Bassier had obtained a court order permanently halting the proposed mortuary at the Mowbray Maqbarah.

But Tolgah Bassier was just the name on the court papers. This was a concern of many members of the community. This is the page arranged by us members. Some of us were concerned about the mortuary itself and the consequences it could have brought, while others were deeply concerned about the long-standing governance defects, despite repeated pleas over the years for these to be addressed and resolved.

The mortuary would have partially taken away our autonomy as Muslims in terms of controlling this Maqbarah, and given the State more control over it. But this is our Maqbarah, we paid for it and as reflected in our title deed, which is why the mortuary was halted.

The court however went further than our request to halt the mortuary and also stated that a new Board be elected at the Special General Meeting to be held on the 23 August 2026. However, the fundamental governance issue remains unresolved: the failure to hold an Annual General Meeting (AGM). Without our AGM, we put ourselves as a community at risk again of another “mortuary” like scenario playing out. Issues like these need to be discussed at an AGM to avoid opening us up to potential commercial exploitation or loss of autonomy.

Our concern is that, if members of the previous Board are elected again, AGMs may once again be avoided through various reasons or excuses. There is also the possibility of another attempt to change the Constitution, as happened in 2020. That amendment was subsequently declared unlawful and had been adopted at a Special General Meeting on 23 April 2020 with hardly any members present, if any.

If AGMs are put off again, we could be back at square one.

To finally get us over the finishing line, we need an AGM. Under the 1948 Constitution, this should take place in October, with the financial statements presented to the membership.

The original members who endured the difficulties that followed have now aligned around a common purpose: to ensure that an AGM is held and that the financial statements are properly presented to the members.

There are much more than 11 who support this endeavor, but for ease sake, and since 11 must be voted in, these are 11 people we know and trust to try and get the AGM: