New site for post-death rites to be at Changi Beach
No scattering of ashes will be allowed; plans for sea burial site in Tanah Merah shelved
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The beachfront near the upcoming post-death ritual facility at Changi Beach near Carpark 2. The site was decided upon after extensive review and consultations with relevant public agencies and stakeholders, said the National Environment Agency. It has a carpark and toilets, and is near public bus services.
ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG
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The first coastal facility for post-death rites will be built at Changi Beach, but the National Environment Agency (NEA) will not proceed with a previously announced sea burial site in Tanah Merah.
Following extensive review and consultations with relevant public agencies and stakeholders, the site at Changi Beach - located behind Carpark 2 and between two pavilions - will be designated for conducting post-death rites, said the NEA in a statement yesterday.
The site will not be used for the scattering of ashes, which is done at designated locations, including a site south of Pulau Semakau.
The Changi Beach site has a carpark and toilets, and is near public bus services. NEA said more detailed parameters of the facility are being worked out.
In 2018, NEA announced a sea burial facility that will be built along the shoreline in Tanah Merah, with a boardwalk that extends into the sea to allow the scattering of ashes.
But the plan received opposition from the public and the sea sports community, as up to five water sports centres, including the National Sailing Centre, are located near the proposed site.
There were also concerns over the possibility of swimming among - or even ingesting - human remains.
NEA then commissioned an Environmental Impact Study. Although it did not highlight any significant adverse impact if the facility were built in Tanah Merah, a preliminary design study identified some safety concerns.
It found that it was not feasible to conduct post-death rites in the area due to the gradient of the beach and sea tidal conditions at the site.
The facility at Changi Beach, which will be properly demarcated and enclosed, is in response to public feedback to preserve the dignity and decorum of after-death proceedings, and to ensure adequate provision of after-death facilities.
It will be open to all communities, although the Hindu community is expected to be the main users.
Such rites will mostly be conducted during pre-dawn hours, thus minimising any inconvenience to beach users, said the NEA.
The Hindu Advisory Board's chairman, Mr Rajan Krishnan, said he is pleased that the Hindu community will have a proper designated site for post-death rituals, and he hopes that the Changi Beach site will be sheltered.
"Currently, many in the community would go to an open spot near a carpark at Changi Beach, place a mat on the ground and conduct simple prayers, and take a dip in the sea before completing the rites," he said.
"We've been asking for a proper place with shelter, so that if it rains, we can conduct the rites with more decorum."
The NEA did not specify if the new site will be sheltered.
The scattering of ashes in the sea usually happens three days after cremation, and post-death rites are usually conducted after 11 or 30 days following the death, added Mr Rajan.
Mr Simon Pugalenthi, director of Khailaash Funeral Services, said the Changi Beach site is the "next best option" than the previously proposed site in Tanah Merah which is not as accessible.
Mr Chung Pei Ming, general manager of the Singapore Sailing Federation, said NEA has been thorough in its engagement with the affected communities in Tanah Merah and it is a "win-win for everyone" to settle on the Changi site.
