Inauspicious or harmless? Flyers advertising funeral services placed outside Bishan homes split residents

Mr Weng, 65, a technician, told Shin Min that flyers of similar nature are increasingly common and there was no need to make a fuss over them.

Others felt that end-of-life planning should be normalised, since death is inevitable.

“Everyone dies eventually,” said Madam Zhang, 35, an administrator. She added that advertisements are just a piece of paper, and understanding funeral processes is not necessarily a bad thing.

Speaking to Stomp, Desiree, 40, a media professional, said she found the flyers somewhat amusing, but understood why the company might target the area.

“Bishan is an older neighbourhood with many elderly residents who have lived here for decades, so perhaps they feel more people here may need their services in time,” she said.

While she does not see it as a major issue, she acknowledged why some might feel unsettled. “Nobody likes to be reminded of their eventual mortality. It’s a scary thing to have to prepare for.”

Outreach efforts facilitate early planning

Nirvana Singapore’s service director, Raymond Png, told Shin Min that the company has been organising such day trips for nearly 10 years, with each session attracting about 50 to 60 participants.

Speaking to Stomp, Mr Png said Nirvana conducts four day trips a month, with flyers distributed across different parts of Singapore for each session. Participants range from those in their 30s bringing their parents along to seniors looking to make their own arrangements.

He added that he has seen some in their 30s choosing to secure funeral packages early to hedge against rising costs.

Such outreach efforts aim to educate the public about funeral planning and encourage early preparation, he said.

Participants are given an hour to tour Nirvana Memorial Garden’s facilities, with staff present to answer questions, but the likelihood of a package being bought during the tour is “very low”, Mr Png said.

In his experience, children are often “dismissive” when their parents mention afterlife planning.

“People will get tense or worked up when such issues are being raised. Everyone has one mother and father so it’s a sensitive topic. They only face this issue twice, so we’ll help them do the planning,” Mr Png said, adding that seniors often already have preferences, though their children may be reluctant to discuss them.

Despite the resistance, he noted that children often feel “relieved” and “thankful” when they discover their parents had already made arrangements and paid off the costs.

Distribution of flyers will continue

According to Shin Min, the company has not received complaints about the flyers.

Responding to the concerns raised by some Bishan residents, Mr Png told Stomp such reactions are understandable, adding that it is up to individuals to decide whether to find out more or discard the flyer if they are not interested.

He also noted that funeral service providers have limited advertising channels. In addition to flyers, Nirvana uses social media to showcase its services.

As such, there are no plans to halt flyer distribution.

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