By: Ramya Bhai and Humaira Anuwar
Whether it is 3 am or 3 pm, Mr. Damien Tee is always on standby for work 365 days. Being in an industry where he never knows when his next job is going to be, he still faces stereotypes about it being an ‘easy-money’ making profession.
“With a manpower of six to ten full-time staff, we usually get about five to ten calls a week for business. Some weeks we get nothing, leaving us stockpiled with no one to serve. So, I do not know how people interpret it as easy money,” Mr. Damien shared with a laugh.
Damien Tee (Right) next to his father, Tee Siew Gim (Left) in their coffin showroom. Deep down, Damien always knew that taking over his father’s business was going to be a breeze as he has been exposed to this industry at a very young age from visiting his father’s office frequently in the early days. PHOTO: NUR HUMAIRA BINTE ANUWAR
Mr. Damien is the third-generation funeral manager of Hock Hin Undertakers, along with his father, Mr. Tee Siew Gim. They are one of the 20 licensed funeral casket companies, even though there are more than 300 funeral companies in Singapore. They provide direct funeral services to the various religious groups, supply coffins to subcontractors, and have their own embalming theatre.
One of Hock Hin’s employees, Lim Sze Seng, is adding additional trimmings to the coffin, according to the religion of the deceased who happens to be a catholic. The different trimmings added to the coffins vary according to their religion where the Bhuddist will have lotus trimmings and etc. He has been actively working in the funeral industry for two and a half years after leaving his previous career as a taxi driver. PHOTO: NUR HUMAIRA BINTE ANUWAR
Life and Death
When a life is brought into the world, people throw parties, hold a naming ceremony, and celebrate with love and joy. However, when the same life is taken away, it is often shunned upon and left for the ‘adults’ to deal with. Why is death always associated negatively, with stereotypes and taboo? Why do Singaporeans avoid talking about death when it is a natural part of human life?
Who to go to?
According to signstat sg, in the year 2019, 21,446 people passed away. That is an average of 58 deaths per day. Every moment when one is celebrating life, someone else is mourning the death of their loved ones.
So, who do we go to when a death occurs? Who are the key players that help families grieving and ensure a good send-off for their loved ones?
Numerous questions with no answers, because many are not ready to have a conversation that is associated with death. So, we did. We had a conversation with people who deal with deaths every day and found out more about what it is like to be in an industry that is overlooked and shunned by society.
“Easy-money”
As a funeral director, Mr. Damien has encountered stereotypes such as the industry being an easy money-making job though it is beyond just that. There are loads of hard work involved, from maintaining their resources like the coffins in their coffin warehouse to getting things prepared in a span of a few hours, right after the death of someone.
They were also hit hard due to the Covid-19 pandemic when funeral wakes could only be attended by 10 people and their coffin supplies fell short due to the export restrictions placed.
In a week, two to three shippings of coffins take place, where they receive about 20 to 40 sets of coffins. When delivered, the packaged coffins are kept in the warehouse while the showroom showcases different colors and designs of coffins to choose from, catering to the various religions in Singapore. PHOTO: NUR HUMAIRA BINTE ANUWAR
“As a whole industry, we faced a shortage of coffins. We overcame it by giving our customers a free upgrade to the more expensive coffins when we fell short of the normal coffins. We could not sell our better packages too because of the downsize and restrictions. However, it did not really matter because we just wanted the funeral to be held well for the family and the deceased,” he said with a positive spirit.
Competition
What was once stereotyped to be owned by people of the underworld society is now booming with many new faces in the market. Today, there are about 800 businesses providing funeral and related services, according to industry estimates.
With businesses thriving, how do the minority groups cater and keep their heads above in the industry? Ms Durga Devi, 38, is the funeral director of New Indian Casket Singapore and Indian Casket Services. With 21 years of experience in the industry, it was not an easy way up.
In a population of 5 million people, only 10% make up the Indian community in Singapore. According to Durga, there are currently 15 to 18 funeral companies catered for the Indian population.
During Indian funerals, the families of the deceased have control on how the transportation van can be decorated, with different types of fresh scented flowers and garlands. In the Hindu society, flowers in the form of garlands are used as a form of offerings. PHOTO: Courtesy of Durga Devi
“Business is tough as with new companies, comes lots of confusion and confliction for customers. However, we have been in the market for so long, with so many years of experience. We know what standards to upkeep and protocols to follow, which is what I feel makes us stand out,” shared Ms. Durga.
Gender Discrimination
Being one of the few women leading a funeral company in the industry, she has faced many discriminations and stereotypes due to her gender, especially within the Indian community.
“When I first began, people looked down on me, questioning how a woman could do this job and gave me funny looks. But it took me lots of time to expose myself, gain experience, and get my way up here. Now, people look at me with respect and honor,” she shared with a smile.
Grooming the dead
While funeral directors work closely with the grieving families to provide a peaceful and meaningful burial for the deceased, embalmers work behind the scenes to prepare the body before their final farewell.
“I do not just do make-up. I am a surgeon for the dead,” Mr. Alvin Khoo said. Mr. Alvin Khoo, 50, is a freelance embalmer, working for various funeral companies regardless of race or religion.
According to the National Environmental Agency (NEA) list of licensed funeral parlors, there are 39 embalmers and 20 embalming theatres in Singapore. Being one of the 39 embalmers, he is on standby round the clock.
Alvin’s routine goes about when he receives a call to embalm a body. His job scope consists of preserving the deceased body and organs. To do so, he has to cut open the body and inject chemicals into various parts of the body. After which, he stitches them up and prepares to make them look presentable by showering and dressing them up. Lastly, he ends the body off by applying make-up before they are sent to the funeral directors to bring to the family.
What makes an Embalmer
To be an embalmer in Singapore, you need to be exposed to embalming and the industry as well as understudy a professional embalmer for a year. After which, you have to go through a basic infectious disease course set up by NEA to be able to carry out embalming.
This embalming theatre is located at Hock Hin Undertakers, one of the 20 licensed funeral companies in Singapore. There are 2 types of embalming processes; normal embalming and post-mortem. Post-mortem embalming is done when the deceased has passed away due to abnormal reasons where officials are unable to find a cause of death. Normal embalming is the removal of internal organs and preservation of the body. PHOTO: NUR HUMAIRA BINTE ANUWAR
On top of just experience, an embalmer needs to be physically and mentally fit. One has to often transfer bodies and work alone. Most importantly, an embalmer needs to be able to work without getting any emotions in the way.
“Sometimes, I bump into my long-lost friends on the embalming bed, making me reflect on how I have not contacted them in a long time. It makes me feel sad and regretful, but I just think about how they are free from their sufferings, gone to a better place. So, I use that final chance to do a good job and send them off peacefully,” Mr. Alvin shared sentimentally.
More than just Business
Retiring at the age of 38, Mr. Alvin was mobbing around with ample free time in his hands. When his childhood friend reached out to him for assistance in the funeral industry, he got really invested and wanted to be part of it more.
Alvin Khoo in his leisure outfit (Left) and in his embalming attire (Right) including his gears like goggles, facemasks, gloves etc., getting ready to embalm a body. Dealing with chemicals daily, it is important to be in personal protective equipment (PPE) so that they do not inhale the harmful toxins while operating the body. PHOTO: Courtesy of Alvin Khoo
“The very moment I stepped into the embalming room, I felt that it was something for me. I really wanted to be a part of it, being an embalmer and making a person look good for their last journey is rather noble,” he shared with passion in his eyes.
Mr. Damien, who previously studied computer science at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) switched to the funeral industry due to his calling and exposure since young, with his family business.
“I am very thankful to my dad and ah gong, to have already paved the way for me. But there are still many changes needed in the funeral industry which I hope to lead. I hope people will see that it is more than just being transactional,” he shared.
Giving back to the Community
In an industry that is segregated and isolated from the rest of the market, it makes their service very transactional, though a funeral is an emotional event. Funeral directors always ensure that they are there for the families for the full funeral period, varying from three to five days of the wake, juggling between the various funerals occurring the same day. It is more than just business, but being there for the family and community grieving.
“I am not sure about other companies, but me and some of my subcontractors feel that the image and presence of the funeral industry needs to change, and be more involved within the community,” Mr. Damien shared.
With many corporate companies practicing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Mr. Damien hopes that he too will be able to get Hock Hin Undertakers involved in CSR. Some ways he has planned to carry it out would be doing ‘pro bono’ for elderlies that passes away alone or families with financial difficulties to approach them when in need.
“That is the direction I feel the funeral industry should go towards, beyond just doing business. We want to be socially connected, playing a part to contribute to the community in Singapore,” Mr. Damien mentioned with a smile.
Kampong Spirit
Taboos and superstition has always been tied to anything related to death. However, back then, the kampong spirit always brought people together, regardless of celebrations or hardships.
“There was always a ‘togetherness’ during my grandfather's days, where all the different kampongs will come together and help each other out regardless of circumstances. I feel that that is lacking now, and people just avoid anything to do with death,” Mr. Damien shared, hoping the impression people have of the funeral industry will change in the future.
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