S’porean woman carries out corridor ritual and offerings spark neighbor complaints

SINGAPORE: A female resident at Block 270A in Toa Payoh East was charged with holding rituals in the corridor of the flat every month. This has caused disturbance towards other residents, especially when they saw the altar filled with spirit tablets and offerings. 

In a complaint given to Lianhe Zaobao, the female resident had performed her rituals in the public corridor at least three times in the past three months since she moved in. A 67-year-old neighbour said in an interview that the woman held her religious ceremonies on Jul 10, Aug 7, and Sep 23. She had set up the altar outside her home and also placed food and spirit tablets on display. Moreover, others believe that there were people who chanted scriptures inside the unit. 

“Before, there were only about two people chanting in the office, but recently on September 23, there were so many people that I couldn’t even open the door,” the neighbor admitted. It was observed that at least five people participated in the ritual, and 10 pairs of shoes were placed outside the door. 

Another resident also expressed that when the woman performed her rituals in the past, she would stand at her door for her offerings, which made others feel uncomfortable and inconvenienced. She also admitted that the woman would place small iron plates near the stairwell containing incense, food, and powder as well. “When they burned, the corridor would be filled with the smell of burning incense,” the resident remarked. 

With all the complaints, the female resident explained that she had just wanted to pray for the souls of the deceased and the sick. She told the reporters that she was the ‘master’ who would chant scriptures at home on weekdays, and after she moved to the flat, she performed her rituals occasionally. She also believed that the iron plate is used for ‘food smoke offering’ to feed the hungry ghosts. 

“I will give alms to orphans and chant sutras to help lonely souls to be reborn. The offerings are for the spirits of infants and their enemies and creditors,” the woman stated. 

After learning about her neighbours’ complaints about her rituals, the female resident stated that she would now find another place to offer her sacrifices and perform her funeral ceremonies. 

Singapore laws on religious groups

In Singapore, it is written under the Societies Act that any group with 10 or more members is considered a society and must register with the Registry of Societies. 

However, registration can be refused or cancelled if the group is involved in illegal activities or threatens public order, and unregistered or de-registered religious groups are illegal in Singapore unless all their activities happen outside the country. 

Moreover, smaller groups with fewer than 10 members are not automatically societies but can still be illegal if they break local laws or threaten public safety.