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Monday, June 30, 2003

Family performs last rites for beloved Canny

By NELSON BENJAMIN AND BEH YUEN HUI

PETALING JAYA: Using a pair of chopsticks, Canny Ong’s family members took turns to place her cremated remains into a marble urn to be brought back to her hometown in Ipoh.

The urn was then placed inside a red box before being put into a paper bag and taken away by Canny’s mother Pearly Viswanathan and youngest sister Lee Shian to a waiting car at about 4.25pm.

The ritual, which lasted about 15 minutes, was supervised by Pearly and crematorium staff.

Canny’s husband, Brendan Ong, also took part in the ritual. His hand trembled when he picked up her remains.

REMEMBERING CANNY: Brendan using a pair of chopsticks to put Canny's ashes into a glass urn during a 15-minute ritual at Kampung Tunku Crematorium in Petaling Jaya Sunday.
The family, who refused to talk to the press, then left the Kampung Tunku Crematorium in two cars.

Meanwhile, the 27-year-old supervisor who is the prime suspect in Canny’s abduction-cum-murder case, had his remand extended by another four days until Thursday.

The suspect, who was arrested on June 20, had initially been remanded for 10 days.

He was produced at the district magistrate’s court at about 11am yesterday for the extension order.

The suspect is expected to be handed over to Kuala Lumpur police today to assist in their investigations into Canny’s abduction from Bangsar Shopping Complex on June 13.

Three other men – a construction site technician and two mechanics, all in their 20s – who were arrested by city police soon after the abduction, were released after their statements were recorded.

A check at the shopping complex here yesterday showed that the car park was mostly full but many motorists stayed away from Basement 2, where Canny was abducted at knifepoint.

Some motorists said they preferred to park at the upper levels or at the nearby housing estate along Jalan Maarof.

REMAND EXTENDED: The prime suspect in Canny's case being led out of a police van at the magistrate's court by District CID chief Asst Supt S. Muniandy (left) in Petaling Jaya Sunday.
Jeniffer Lim, 35, said she did not “feel good” about parking her car at Basement 2 after hearing of Canny’s abduction.

“If given a choice, I will not park there despite the additional security personnel and cameras,” she said, adding that her family regularly went to the shopping complex to have their meals.

An employee of the shopping complex said that the wreaths, flowers and Canny’s photograph, which had been placed earlier at the car park, were removed several days ago after shoppers and outsiders started taking pictures and leaving notes.

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