Staff and public gather by road to send off Sheng Siong bosses' mum

Crowds of Sheng Siong staff as well as members of the public showed up on Friday (Sept 11) to send off the mother of its founders during her funeral procession.

Ng Lye Poh, affectionately known as Sheng Siong Ah Ma, died on Sept 5 aged 91. Her funeral procession, comprising around 500 people, began at about 2.15pm amid heavy rain, according to Lianhe Zaobao.

At about 3.15pm, just as the rain subsided, the hearse made a detour to the supermarket chain's headquarters at Mandai Link for about 300 members of staff to bid Sheng Siong Ah Ma farewell, the Chinese daily reported.

Members of the public also showed up by the road to pay their respects.

Videos of the funeral procession posted to social media show people lined up outside the building and bowing their heads in respect as the hearse drives past them.

Some clips also show mourners clad in raincoats or holding umbrellas to shield themselves from the rain while walking alongside the hearse.

The funeral procession later continued to Choa Chu Kang Cemetery, where Ng was buried.

She was first thrust into the public eye when she was abducted in 2014 and released in return for a $2 million ransom.

Sheng Siong's CEO Lim Hock Chee, the fifth of her nine children, previously told Lianhe Zaobao that his mother enjoyed patronising markets and had a "voice which arrived before her".

bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com

9月11日（星期五），大批昇菘超市员工和公众人士前来送别其创始人的母亲。

吴丽宝（人称“圣松阿妈”）于9月5日逝世，享年91岁。据《联合早报》报道，她的葬礼队伍约有500人参加，于下午2点15分左右在大雨中开始。

据中文日报报道，下午 3 点 15 分左右，雨势渐小，灵车绕道前往位于万代连路的这家连锁超市总部，约 300 名员工前来向昇菘阿妈告别。

路边也有不少民众前来悼念。

社交媒体上发布的葬礼队伍视频显示，人们在建筑物外排成一列，当灵车驶过时，他们低头表示敬意。

一些片段还显示，哀悼者身穿雨衣或撑着伞，在灵车旁行走，以躲避雨水。

随后，送葬队伍继续前往蔡厝港墓地，吴先生被安葬在那里。

她于 2014 年被绑架，后因支付 200 万美元赎金而获释，由此首次进入公众视野。

昇菘超市首席执行官林福志（她是她九个孩子中的第五个）此前告诉《联合早报》，他的母亲喜欢逛市场，而且“说话比她先到”。

bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com