PUBLISHED ONApril 14, 2026 11:45 AMBYEsther LamBishan residents are split after funeral planning flyers were left outside their homes, with views ranging from "inauspicious" to a "harmless" marketing move.
The incident occurred at Block 173 Bishan Street 13, reported Shin Min Daily News.
A resident told the Chinese daily that they received flyers from funeral provider Nirvana Memorial Garden a few days prior.
One flyer advertised a "relaxing and free day trip" which included an itinerary for participants to visit a Buddhist temple and a vegetable wholesale market before heading to the memorial garden.
The funeral home, located at 950 Old Choa Chu Kang Road, has a columbarium and offers funeral and exhumation services.
One resident, who only gave her name as Xiu (transliteration), 21, said she felt as thought the flyers were "cursing me to die earlier", making her feel uncomfortable.
Another resident, Fu (transliteration), 55, saw the flyer being dropped at his doorstep and assumed it was a regular advertisement, but was shocked when he realised its contents.
Weng, a 65-year-old technician, said that such flyers have become increasingly common and did not see the need to make a big fuss over them.
For Zhang, a 35-year-old administrator, who thinks that "everyone dies eventually", pointed out that the flyers are just paper and that being informed about funeral processes is not necessarily bad.
Raymond Png, a service director at Fu Gui Services - an authorised agency of Nirvana Memorial Garden - explained that the trips and flyers are meant to help people have a better understanding of funeral processes so they can "plan ahead" and make arrangements in advance.
He added that the company has not received complaints about the flyers and that the funeral home has organised such trips for almost a decade with around 50 to 60 participants per session.
Regarding the concerns raised by residents in Bishan, Png told Stomp he understands that it is a sensitive topic and respects the taboos surrounding it.
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