New Sin Ming Funeral Parlour: Incense Must Be Burnt Indoors

Source : The Straits Times, Nov 13, 2007

A PLANNED funeral parlour in the Sin Ming area that has aroused residents' anger will have to ensure that incense is burnt indoors.

It will also have to confine processions to its premises.

These are among the requirements set, said Minister of State for National Development Grace Fu yesterday, as she assured Mr Hri Kumar (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC), that the Sin Ming area will not become a 'funeral parlour hub'.

The Government is taking residents' concerns on the development seriously, she said in a reply to Mr Hri, the MP for the area.

Residents, worried about the noise and a possible dampener on property values, had complained about the new parlour, a modern purpose-built development on an empty plot next to Bright Hill Temple.

Already, they have to contend with 12 funeral parlours clustered in two single-storey blocks in Sin Ming Drive.

Yesterday, to allay their concerns, Ms Fu said the Government has brought forward the development of an adjacent industrial site so it can serve as a buffer between the new parlour site and the nearest residential areas and school. It will not start work on the parlour until after the industrial site is developed.

It has also moved the proposed site of the parlour farther from the nearest residential areas, and put parking lots in the plans.

The parlour operator will also need to have fully enclosed and air-conditioned premises and confine all activities indoors, including the burning of incense. Processions will also be within the premises. All services and activities will be screened from public view through the design and landscaping of the development.

Ms Fu said the new development - modelled after similar ones in Hong Kong and Tokyo - will be an improvement on current options. Most funeral wakes today are held at temporary premises such as void decks, streets and carparks, which cause traffic jams and create noise pollution.

The Sin Ming site was chosen for this modern funeral parlour because it was within an industrial estate - and away from residential areas - yet still accessible.

If the development succeeds, more purpose-built funeral parlours will be created elsewhere in Singapore, said Ms Fu. Demand for funeral services is expected to rise as Singapore's population ages, she noted.