Inauspicious or harmless? Funeral flyers left at Bishan doorsteps leave some residents uneasy
Flyers advertising funeral planning services placed outside homes in Bishan have split residents, with some calling them inauspicious while others say they are harmless.
Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, a resident from Block 173 Bishan Street 13 said they received flyers from funeral service provider Nirvana Memorial Garden a few days ago but found them inappropriate and uncomfortable.
One flyer promoted a “Relaxing and Free Day Trip”, where participants visit a Buddhist temple and a vegetable wholesale market before making their way to Nirvana Memorial Garden.
Located at 950 Old Choa Chu Kang Road, Nirvana Memorial Garden houses a columbarium and offers funeral and exhumation services.
Another flyer listed the company’s funeral planning services, describing itself as a one-stop provider for bereavement arrangements.
‘Feel like they are cursing me’
Many residents Shin Min spoke to said they had received the flyers, with some expressing discomfort.
Ms Xiu (transliteration), 21, said she felt uneasy upon seeing the flyers outside her home as she was still young and planning for her future.
“The flyers feel like they’re cursing me to die earlier. I felt uncomfortable seeing them,” the student said.
Another resident, Mr Fu (transliteration), 55, said he saw the flyer slipped into the gap of his gate when he opened his door in the morning. He initially thought it was a regular advertisement, but was shocked by its contents upon closer inspection.
While he acknowledged that funeral services may have limited advertising channels, he felt placing such flyers outside residents’ homes was excessive.
Shin Min understands that the flyers were also distributed at nearby malls and train stations.
‘Everyone dies eventually’
Others, however, did not see an issue.
Mr Weng, 65, a technician, told Shin Min that flyers of similar nature are increasingly common and there was no need to make a fuss over them.
Others felt that end-of-life planning should be normalised, since death is inevitable.
“Everyone dies eventually,” said Madam Zhang, 35, an administrator. She added that advertisements are just a piece of paper, and understanding funeral processes is not necessarily a bad thing.
Speaking to Stomp, Desiree, 40, a media professional, said she found the flyers somewhat amusing, but understood why the company might target the area.
“Bishan is an older neighbourhood with many elderly residents who have lived here for decades, so perhaps they feel more people here may need their services in time,” she said.
While she does not see it as a major issue, she acknowledged why some might feel unsettled. “Nobody likes to be reminded of their eventual mortality. It’s a scary thing to have to prepare for.”
Outreach efforts facilitate early planning
Raymond Png, a service director at Fu Gui Services — an authorised agency of Nirvana Memorial Garden — told Shin Min that the company has been organising such day trips for nearly 10 years, with each session attracting about 50 to 60 participants.
Speaking to Stomp, Mr Png said Fu Gui conducts four day trips to Nirvana each month, with flyers distributed across different parts of Singapore for each session. Participants range from those in their 30s bringing their parents along to seniors looking to make their own arrangements.
He added that he has seen some in their 30s choosing to secure funeral packages early to hedge against rising costs.
Such outreach efforts aim to educate the public about funeral planning and encourage early preparation, he said.
Participants are given about an hour to tour Nirvana Memorial Garden’s facilities, with Fu Gui agents on hand to answer questions, though the likelihood of a package being bought during the tour is “very low”, Mr Png said.
In his experience, children are often “dismissive” when their parents mention afterlife planning.
“People will get tense or worked up when such issues are being raised. Everyone has one mother and father so it’s a sensitive topic. They only face this issue twice, so we’ll help them do the planning,” Mr Png said, adding that seniors often already have preferences, though their children may be reluctant to discuss them.
Despite the resistance, he noted that children often feel “relieved” and “thankful” when they discover their parents had already made arrangements and paid off the costs.
Distribution of flyers will continue
According to Shin Min, the company has not received complaints about the flyers.
Responding to the concerns raised by some Bishan residents, Mr Png told Stomp such reactions are understandable, adding that it is up to individuals to decide whether to find out more or discard the flyer if they are not interested.
He added that funeral service providers have limited advertising channels. In addition to flyers, Fu Gui also uses social media to showcase its services.
As such, there are no plans to halt flyer distribution.
See something interesting? Contribute your story to us.
Explore more on these topics
