HDB complaint: Funeral service flyers given to residents are deemed unlucky and seen as inappropriate

SINGAPORE: A funeral service provider received complaints from some residents as they distributed flyers promoting free day trips and pre-death planning services, as these were deemed unlucky and inappropriate by people. 

As reported by Shin Min Daily News, homeowners of an HDB block in Bishan Street felt uncomfortable after seeing flyers from a funeral service outside their units. One of the flyers was advertising a visit to a temple, to the weekend market, and a memorial hall, and another flyer stated offerings of funeral services available.

Funeral Service Flyer

When reporters visited the said area, it was discovered that many residents received similar flyers, and they felt the same thing. When interviewed, a 21-year-old student told the reporters that she felt uneasy reading the flyers and admitted that she is still young and is just planning for her future. She declared, “It felt like a curse to make me die early, and I felt uncomfortable seeing it.” 

Another resident, a 55-year-old, shared that he understands that the funeral industry has limited channels to market their services, but delivering them directly to people’s doorsteps was a bit too much. 

However, regardless of the recent concerns from residents, the service director of the company conducting these one-day trips stated in an interview that these events had been organised for nearly 10 years, and around 50 to 60 people were participating. Furthermore, the director admitted that their feedback has always been good and that they have yet to receive any complaints regarding the flyers. 

The director emphasised that the purpose of the flyers is to relay relevant information to others so that they can decide on making arrangements in advance. The company understood that matters related to death are a sensitive issue, and that they respect the opinions of the public. Moreover, they pointed out that they have instructed their staff not to distribute flyers to doors with a “No Flyers” sign. 

As of now, the company organizes four day trips per month, and their flyers are being distributed in various locations across the country. 

Other HDB complaints

In other news related to HDB concerns, there has been a report where garbage bags filled with glass bottles and wine jars were hurled from a high-rise building, nearly hitting a child. 

The alarming incident happened at an HDB block located in Choa Chu Kang Crescent. Read more about the news story here.