Death is a part of life, yet we hardly ever talk about it. More Singaporeans are pre-arranging for their columbarium niches than before, but there is still a long way to go in our discussion of death.

‘Pantang.’ That is how many Singaporeans still consider the subject of death. Many people are afraid of it, but it is an unavoidable part of life. As such, funeral services are a necessary segment of society that must be supported. This is what Ang Ziqian, Director of Ang Chin Moh Funeral Directors believes. In a long and expressive interview featured in Channel News Asia 19 November, he believes that Singapore is “A first world country with third-world death care services.” He insists that the discussion of death needs to be had. So should we be more open when planning for death?

Ang is adamant that we, as a nation, must change the way we look at death. “As a professional funeral director, my opinion is that discussion of funeral plans when we are alive is of utmost importance. I say this because it takes away the need for a painful decision from our loved ones who are in the midst of coping with their loss.”

So do Singaporeans pre-arrange their burials? Roland Tay, founder of Direct Funeral Services, says that there are some, but it is not very common. “We do have people pre-arranging their funerals and burials, these mostly happen over the phone. However, they have to want to pre-arrange, and we suggest it if they want to.” When asked who pre-arranges their funerals, Tay says that there is a split. “Usually it is the children, if their parents are in hospital. Not many people arrange their own funerals, and even then only if they are ill. If they are still healthy then they don’t want to.

“I do feel however that the next generation are making arrangements before death more so than before. Right now, I would say it is about a 50 – 50 split.”

One aspect of planning for death is deciding where you are buried. For Muslims, choices are somewhat limited. Fin Bahari, senior director at Pengurusan Jenazah Sinaran Baharu (PJSB), explains that for Muslim burials, the National Environment Agency (NEA) controls all land used for graves. “For every plot of land there is a price fixed by the NEA. Any difference in price between the different directors is based on the other services, such as embalming or shrouding the corpse.”

The more expensive option, open to Buddhists, freethinkers and Christians, is the use of Columbaria, where ashes are stored in a niche. Government columbaria, controlled by the NEA, have a fixed price of S$500 for an allocated niche, but if you want to choose your own niche it is an extra S$250. NEA has expressed however that pre-booking a niche is not allowed in government controlled columbaria.

It is only private columbaria that allow for reservations. Here, prices can vary even within the columbarium itself. Tay explains that this is because certain places within columbaria have special meaning, such as having the niche at eye-level. “Since these are special places, everyone wants that location, so prices go up.” Whilst this sounds an awful lot like the property market, Tay is quick to say otherwise. “Columbaria set their own prices, they do not force you to choose special locations. It is just up to the families to decide.”

The luxury of choosing your own niche beforehand comes with a heavy pricetag. Darren Tan, owner of CCK Marble, which designs the plagues for columbaria niches, gives an idea of the average customer. “I would say it is average to high income families who pre-select their niches.

“Private columbaria are definitely pricey,” Tan agrees, “but I feel that people are more accepting of paying the price and making arrangement beforehand. After all, they cannot take their money with them into the afterlife.” Those who cannot afford a niche? Tay says that he directs the families to consider a burial at sea.

Nevertheless, the funeral directors all agree that it is very important to make plans for burial before your death. “If families make their plans earlier, they will be safe for when the day comes, they will not have to panic or rush,” says Tay. “They need to know what they are going to spend, which undertakers they will use.

“Before, very few families would plan their funerals. Now it is more common to see families make arrangements beforehand. It is mainly for their loved ones however, it is still rare for people to plan their own.”

Ang believes however there is still a long way to go. “The taboo of talking about death in Singapore is still prevalent in Singapore,” he argues, “especially amongst the majority Chinese. These fears, entrenched by centuries of traditions and cultural beliefs, can only be removed with proper information through education.”

Ang has dedicated a lot of time and effort towards changing the way Singaporeans talk about death through his Ang Chin Moh foundation, which in conjunction with the Lien Foundation “The taboo of talking about death in Singapore is still prevalent in Singapore, especially amongst the majority Chinese. These fears, entrenched by centuries of traditions and cultural beliefs, can only be removed with proper information through education.” Ang says that with the inverted age pyramid of the Singaporean population, the discussion is becoming increasingly important