A Facebook post showing joss paper scattered across a void deck in Bukit Batok drew attention online after a resident questioned why the area appeared messy following a funeral wake.
The post was first shared on Complaint Singapore, and was later reposted by Singapura Channel.
Resident questions cleanup after funeral wake
In the original post, the resident said a family had held a funeral at the void deck of Block 436 Bukit Batok West Avenue 5 for the past three days.
While walking to fetch their children, the resident said they saw joss paper scattered across the space and questioned who would be responsible for cleaning up the mess.
The resident also stated that the image shared was “not AI-generated”.
Photos accompanying the post showed large amounts of joss paper on the floor, with funeral items still present in the void deck.
Funeral director steps forward to clarify
Under the post, a man who identified himself as one of the funeral directors for the wake came forward to explain the situation.
He said the funeral was a Hokkien Taoist funeral, and that the tossing of joss paper was part of the final ritual before the deceased was sent for cremation.
According to him, the ritual is meant to allow the deceased to have a smooth journey before leaving the wake.
He added that town council cleaners had been contacted to clean up the area, but they may have arrived later than expected, which was why the scene was photographed and shared online.
The funeral director also said the void deck had been officially booked for the funeral until that day, and that the area was subsequently cleaned up. He added that the original post had since been taken down.
Appeal not to blame the bereaved family
In his comment, the funeral director appealed to members of the public not to direct blame at the family, saying they were already going through a difficult time following the loss of their mother.
He added that children often wish to send off their parent according to their final wishes, and called for understanding and respect for different religious and cultural practices.
