Apartment dwellers have no
place to hold the funeral rites for their relatives
25/06/2007 The Star By Dharmender Singh
THOSE who live in high-rise residential buildings are stumped each time one
of their next-of-kin dies, as there is no decent place allocated to conduct
the funeral rites.
Many, like Serdang resident Lim Foo Lin, are caught off-guard when they have
to make the funeral arrangements following the death of a relative because
the community hall in the apartments is closed to them to “honour the
sensitivities” of other residents.
Beyond their means: Low-income earners like Lim Foo Lin, who runs a stall
selling Pau, cannot afford the services of funeral parlours.
Lim said he was caught in a dilemma when an aunt, who lived with him, died
suddenly and he could not conduct the funeral rites in his small three-room
unit.
“I am a petty trader and cannot afford expensive funeral parlours, so my
only option was to set up a canopy in the car park area,” he said, adding
that his problems only worsened from there.
Taboo: 'The Chinese community, in particular, has many taboos concerning the
same facility being used for both the happy occasions and funerals,' says
Liew.
Residents, who had been allocated the parking bays where the canopy was set
up, were angry that they were denied parking space and that the space was
being used for a funeral.
“My family members were already emotionally stressed by the death and when
residents came around kicking up a fuss over parking space, the situation
quickly turned tensed and could have led to a brawl if not for the
intervention of some of the elderly relatives,” he said.
The irony, however, is that al- though people, including the management of
the apartments, could advise on where not to hold the funeral. none seemed
able to suggest where it could be held.
Seri Kembangan assemblyman Datuk Liew Yuen Keong said he, too, had had to
step in to settle matters concerning funerals as residents would object to
the use of the community hall, which was often used for “happy occasions”.
“The Chinese community, in particular, has many taboos concerning the same
facility being used for both the happy occasions and funerals.
“In fact, it is thought that even having a funeral held below your apartment
unit would bring bad tidings to you and your family,” he said.
He said, however, apartment management companies could, where available,
allow the visitors’ parking bays to be used for funerals.
Even worse: The problems are even worse for those who live in
shop-apartments, says Kuan.
Kuan Chee Heng, special assistant to Seri Serdang assemblyman Datuk Mohd
Satim Diman, said the problem was made worse when it involved those living
in shop- apartments as all the parking bays were facing business premises.
The business owners, he said, would always object to funerals being held in
front of their outlets and this left no place for the residents to hold
prayers that could last up to a week.
“There are about 250,000 Chinese in Puchong alone and many are living in
apartments, flats and condo-miniums, and of late, the number of complaints
concerning problems in carrying out the last rites have started to
increase,” he said.
Selangor MCA chairman Datuk Ch’ng Toh Eng said the state government was
aware of the problems faced by flats, apartments and condominium dwellers
and had come up with a way to avoid the tension among residents.
Solution in sight?: 'We are calling on funeral homes to come up with
portable facilities,' says Ch'ng.
“We are calling on funeral homes to come up with portable facilities,
including a closed canopy to place the body, altar for the prayers and
special containers for burning any materials as part of the last rites,” he
said.
He said the Chinese, especially, would burn certain objects made from paper
during the ritual and other residents would often raise a fuss over the
flying ash.
He said the cooperation of management companies would also be necessary as
suitable locations that were not too close to the flats or apartments would
need to be picked.
He added that residents would also have to be informed of the location
designated for funerals so there was no misunderstanding.
Ch’ng, who is also a state executive councillor, said the funeral parlours
could contact the nearest local authority with their proposal or contact the
state government directly with a proposal.
“We (the state government) have not set a limit on he number of parlours
that can offer such services in each district or municipality; it will
depend on the population and demand there,” he said. |