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.