IN FOCUS: Facing death – the conversation that is slowly opening up

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GENERATIONAL SHIFT IN ATTITUDES TOWARDS DEATH

With more than two decades of experience in the field, funeral director Ang Ziqian has seen how attitudes towards death have changed with the times. 

“When I was young, pre-planning was quite common in my grandfather’s time,” said the managing director of Ang Chin Moh Funeral Directors.

Hailing from a line of funeral parlour predecessors, Mr Ang is the fourth generation of his family to work in this field.

According to Mr Ang, migrant workers that first came to Singapore would often buy a casket so that they could be repatriated to their homeland after death. 

“When Singapore started to prosper and people had money, (people) became scared to die. This is one of the reasons why they don’t talk about death and dying,” Mr Ang said.

Where cemeteries were commonly found in the past, modernisation and urban planning began pushing cemeteries to rural areas such as Lim Chu Kang and Mandai, separating death from the living, he added. 

“There’s an artificial divide, so people won’t talk about it because it’s not in your face.”

NTU’s Dr Ho, who runs an undergraduate psychology module called The Last Dance: Psycho-Socio-Cultural Perspectives on Death, Dying and Bereavement to educate students about the topic, described the attitudes towards death here as a “paradox”. 

“On the one hand, we’re very afraid of death. So when someone starts talking about death, we say ‘choi’ (a Cantonese word to ward off bad luck), they don’t want to talk about this. When they see a hearse coming, they walk in the other direction.” 

People are afraid of death because they think of it as “bad luck” and believe that someone who is recently bereaved will “pollute” with their aura, he said. 

“On the other hand, we’re also death worshipping – we have the Qing Ming festival, we have the ghost festival. And when these things occur, we celebrate death,” the associate professor noted. 

These attitudes hark back to religious and philosophical teachings about karma and reincarnation, which tell of how your actions affect your afterlife. 

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In Indonesia’s only synagogue, Jewish worshippers hide their faith fearing persecution, but change is afoot

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So strong is this animosity towards Israel and the Jews that any attempt to bridge the divide is viewed negatively.

In 2018, Islamic scholar Yahya Cholil Staquf was lambasted by fellow clerics for visiting Israel and meeting the country’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Yahya, the older brother of Indonesia’s current religious minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, told local media then that he had been invited to speak at an interfaith forum in Israel, adding that the meeting with Netanyahu was unplanned.

Rabbi Baruch had a similar experience last year, garnering public backlash for simply trying to promote tolerance and understanding when he opened a tiny museum of just a handful of objects next to the synagogue dedicated to victims of the Holocaust.

“They said that (the museum) was an Israeli propaganda. I was simply trying to educate people about this dark period in history and the dangers of racism,” he recounts.

FINDING ROOT

Another reason why many Jews in Indonesia practise their religion in secret or renounce their faith entirely is the fact that Indonesia officially recognises just six religions and beliefs – Islam, Christianity, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism.

Given that religious beliefs are personal details needed in civic administrative matters like obtaining identity cards and marriage certificates, some Jews tell CNA that they would simply identify themselves as Christians to avoid bureaucratic complications.

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‘Buckle up kids or face fine’

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PUBLISHED : 19 Aug 2023 at 05:00

Parents are being told to equip their vehicles with seats and seatbelts suitable for young children now that a new law aimed at promoting child safety has taken effect.

Deputy government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek said the law on mandatory safety seats for children under six came into force on Aug 17 and offenders must pay a fine of up to 2,000 baht. However, public transport vehicles are exempted from this requirement.

Ms Rachada said if children under six years old do travel in vehicles without specially fitted child seats, drivers must not break the speed limit and stay in the left-most lane while the child must be seated in the back seat with a caregiver present. In pickup trucks, the child must be seated in the front passenger seat. If there is no caregiver, the child must be secured with a lap belt.

She said Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has strongly urged parents to abide by the law as it is intended to minimise injuries suffered by children in the event of road accidents.

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Climate focus in royal decree

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PUBLISHED : 19 Aug 2023 at 05:00

The Department of Environment Quality Promotion has officially been renamed the Department of Climate Change and Environment as per a royal command by His Majesty the King.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Varawut Silpa-archa said the name change took effect yesterday, adding the new department will be restructured to meet its new challenges.

Citing recent remarks by UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres on “global boiling”, Mr Varawut said the new department is essential to Thailand’s efforts to address issues related to climate change. According to Mr Guterres, global surface and ocean temperatures have reached historically high levels, which signals that global warming has ended and the “global boiling” era is here.

Mr Varawut said he has instructed natural resources and environment permanent secretary Jatuporn Buruspat to oversee the transition and work closely with the new department chief, Somsak Sappakosolkul, to ensure the work is not disrupted.

Ministerial regulations will soon be issued about the structure of the new department, which will integrate work handled by the Department of Climate Change and Environment and that by the Climate Change Management and Coordination Division under the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (Onep).

“The department is vital as Thailand now has a body that is directly responsible for tackling issues related to climate change,” he said.

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Money launderer nabbed

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PUBLISHED : 19 Aug 2023 at 05:00

A Taiwanese man wanted in his home country for allegedly laundering around 20 billion baht for phone scammers and online gambling gangs has been arrested in Bangkok’s Klong San district.

During a media briefing yesterday, Pol Lt Gen Pakphumpipat Sajjaphan, commissioner of the Immigration Bureau, identified the suspect only as Kuo and said the arrest was made at the request of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Thailand.

Taipei officials told Immigration Bureau officers that Mr Kuo had opened firms in several countries to launder money for gangs based in Cambodia and online gambling gangs operating in several countries in Asia and Europe.

The suspect and his gang members, numbering over 16, were all arrested, according to the bureau, which added that Mr Kuo had entered Thailand under a Thailand Elite Visa.

As he was wanted on the arrest warrant, the bureau revoked his visa and Immigration investigators began a bid to track him down him before finally cuffing him at a luxury condominium in Bangkok’s Klong San.

During the search, many electronic devices believed to be used for committing offences were found. Mr Kuo is being held by immigration police ahead of legal action.

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New plan to attract Muslim visitors

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PUBLISHED : 19 Aug 2023 at 04:57

New plan to attract Muslim visitors
People emerge from the arrival hall at Suvarnabhumi airport after disembarking from a Saudi Arabian Airlines flight from Jeddah via Riyadh on Feb 28, 2022. It was the first direct commercial flight from Saudi Arabia in 32 years, following the recent normalisation of diplomatic ties. (Photo: Varuth Hirunyatheb)

Thailand is aiming to become a top destination for Muslim tourists from other countries by 2027, according to deputy government spokeswoman Rachada Dhnadirek.

She said on Friday that Muslim tourists are one of the biggest targets for the country’s tourism sector due to their growing numbers and high purchasing power.

More than 3 million Muslim tourists visited the country last year, a massive jump when compared with 875,043 in 2017, she said, citing Department of Tourism (DoT) data, adding on average, a Muslim visitor stays for 13 days and spends about 6,000 baht per day.

To further promote the kingdom among Muslim tourists, the DoT has announced a five-year plan (2023–2027) to focus on improving the service quality of tourism operators to meet international standards, she said.

This includes introducing halal goods, services and activities that meet the needs of Muslim tourists and implementing technology to facilitate travellers, she said.

The DoT is working closely with related sectors to identify how to support Muslim visitors and promote Thailand as a Muslim-friendly tourist destination, she said.

This strategic plan is expected to help the country become one of the top destinations for Muslim tourists in the next five years, Ms Rachada said.

“The government sees the importance of opening for the Muslim tourism market,” she said. “We hope the policy can be carried on by the new government.”

According to the Mastercard-Crescentrating Global Muslim Travel Index 2023, Indonesia and Malaysia are tied for the number one spot, followed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey.

Meanwhile, Thailand has welcomed more than 16.472 million international tourists since Jan 1, bringing 689 billion baht for the country, according to the Tourism and Sports Ministry’s Economics Tourism and Sports Division.

The top five groups are from Malaysia (2,581,251), China (2,027,823), South Korea (982,328), India (947,431) and Russia (884,839), it said.

From Aug 7–13, the country welcomed 577,136 foreign tourists, with the number of Japanese and Indian tourists increasing by 84.36% and 22.54% from last week, respectively, it said.

For this week, the ministry estimates that the country will welcome about 570,000 international tourists with the majority of them from East Asia, South Asia and Southeast Asia.

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Khao Yai resort shows support for maltreated staff

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PUBLISHED : 19 Aug 2023 at 05:00

The InterContinental Khao Yai Resort has offered its condolences to a former employee who was reportedly treated unfairly by her manager and threatened when she requested time off due to her mother being seriously ill.

“One of our colleagues has recently lost her mother and we want to express our profound sympathy and support for her and her grieving family,” the resort wrote in a statement it released in response to the widespread criticism it has received online.

The resort, in Pak Chong district of Nakhon Ratchasima, said it is investigating the manager’s conduct and reassured the employee her job was safe.

On Aug 16, Kodchakorn Tongbang­- prong posted screenshots of her Line chat history with the resort’s manager online, showing her request to take business leave to nurse her dying mother and organise the funeral.

However, the manager replied that Ms Kodchakorn should send in a resignation letter once her business leave was over. The post sparked outrage on social media platforms, with many questioning how the resort manager could treat one of her subordinates so callously.

On Thursday, InterContinental Khao Yai released the statement on its official Facebook page, revealing that it had suspended a member of staff while continuing its probe into the manager’s conduct.

On the same day, Ms Kodchakorn told the press she had told the manager days before her mother fell gravely ill that she might have to take leave.

She said she had texted the manager earlier, saying she would like to take one more day of leave to stay with her mother. However, the manager rejected Ms Kodchakorn’s request because she could not find a replacement. Ms Kodchakorn’s mother died the same day.

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Man to sell pickup to fix Rolls

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PUBLISHED : 19 Aug 2023 at 05:00

A 24-year-old man said he will sell his pickup truck to help compensate the owner of a 31-million-baht Rolls-Royce that he collided with on Aug 13.

Sun Yuhan, 38, a Chinese businesswoman, was at the wheel of her Rolls-Royce Ghost when it was rear-ended by an Isuzu pickup truck driven by Pongthep Reunreng on Highway 7 in Bang Pakong district, Chachoengsao.

Ms Yuhan filed a report with the police and demanded compensation.

Mr Pongthep was summoned to Highway Police Station 2, Sub-Division 8, yesterday to pay a 1,000-baht fine for negligent driving. He also met with Ms Yuhan and her lawyer, Anirut Khongsap, to discuss damages.

Police said Mr Pongthep, accompanied by his lawyer Ratchapon Sirisakorn, admitted the crash was his fault.

Mr Pongthep said his vehicle insurance had expired and pleaded with Ms Yuhan that he could not afford full compensation for the repairs.

According to Ms Yuhan’s lawyer, her insurance company will send the total cost of the repairs to Mr Pongthep within a few days. The initial estimation is at least 2 million baht.

Mr Pongthep said the best he could do was sell his Isuzu D-Max pickup, his sole asset, and use the money as compensation.

According to the Land Traffic Act, drivers must maintain a sufficient distance from the vehicle in front so they can slow down and stop safely without crashing into it.

Mr Ratchapon said that car accessories may have affected the braking capacity of Mr Pongthep’s pickup as skid marks were only evident on one side of the road at the accident site.

The lawyer said Mr Pongthep should not have been driving so fast as his relatives and children were in the vehicle with him.

The insurance premium for Rolls-Royce cars reportedly costs around 400,000 baht and covers accidents valued anywhere up to 26 million baht.

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US, Japan and South Korea condemn ‘dangerous and aggressive actions’ by China

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The statement said the three would launch a supply-chain early warning system pilot project to expand information-sharing and fight economic coercion together. On their response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the leaders agreed to continue supporting Kiev and to maintain strong, coordinated sanctions against Moscow, while also aiming to furtherContinue Reading