Hit by a falling LED wreath: Enforcement gaps, safety lapses persist 3 years after tightened rules

Funeral homes are not always informed in advance or present throughout the entire wake, making it difficult to track when the wreaths arrive. While they remind families about the rules, the decision to comply lies with the family.

“We can’t force them. We are not any government authorities to do that,” said Ms Harmony Tee, funeral director of Harmony Funeral Care. “We can only advise them and tell them of the regulations, but whether they choose to follow, it’s up to them at the end of the day.” 

Mr Vincent Ng, director of A.LifeGrad Funeral Services, said he cautions families that town councils may issue fines if the limit is exceeded. Some simply reply with an “okay, ask them to fine,” he said.

Passion Bereavement Care chief executive Deborah Kang said her clients have generally complied, with fewer funerals now featuring LED wreaths. The company, which conducts Christian, Catholic and free-thinker services, had no more than two wakes this year with electronic wreaths – all within the limit.

She attributes this drop to her company’s practice of informing families early to avoid added “unhappiness” during an already difficult time.

Meanwhile, LED wreath suppliers like Mr Martin Loke find themselves caught between following rules and meeting customer expectations.

Mr Loke, owner of DMK Services, said town councils typically brief families on the 10-wreath limit. But even when it goes beyond that, it is “very, very hard to say no”, he said.

It would be like pushing the job away, which affects future orders. But more than that, he would be rejecting someone’s well-wishes to their loved ones.

“Someone sends condolences to you, but you say you don’t want … (What if) one day people do the same to you?” he said.

Mr Loke added that his company consults families about excess wreaths and proceeds with their permission to set them up on grass patches, tying them front and back to prevent them from falling.

The supplier also makes multiple checks during the wake to ensure they are secure.

He acknowledged that suppliers like himself are responsible if a wreath becomes loose and falls on pedestrians, though he said his company has not received any complaints.

Referring to the Pek Kio case, he said such incidents give LED wreath suppliers a bad name when others “spoil the market”.

“It affects our business. But what to do? We cannot ask customers not to call them. So we just do our part,” he said.