Struggling Malaysian clerk working in Singapore suffers miscarriage, receives free funeral services

Six months into her pregnancy, Mary, a Malaysian single mum working in Singapore, suffered a miscarriage.

With nowhere to go to seek assistance and a monthly wage of less than $1,500, Mary was at a loss — until local funeral parlour, Funeral Guru, reached out to help, China Press reported on Monday (Sept 28).

Funeral Guru's director, Karen Ong, shared with Shin Min Daily News that Mary, a clerk, had been very distraught as they worked with her to process paperwork regarding her miscarriage, which happened on August 27.

"Our hearts sank when we received the body of this little angel this morning at SGH Mortuary," the funeral parlour said in a Facebook post on Sept 4.

"Her mother was deeply grieving and requested that we assist her in handling the entire funeral process during this incredibly difficult time."

Struggling with financial difficulties, limited English skills and unfamiliarity with local funeral procedures, Mary was reportedly left uncertain about what to do after losing her unborn child.

Assisting with the baby's pro bono funeral, their team then prepared a small white casket, clothes, toys and a pacifier for the dead child, wanting to give him "dignity and care" during his final journey.

Dressing the child up in a "little prince outfit", staff from Funeral Guru and the National Environment Agency then accompanied him to a crematorium before pushing the casket into the cremation chamber.

"It was a heartbreaking moment for everyone involved," Funeral Guru said.

The pro bono funeral concluded with a sea burial, as staff gathered at Changi Ferry Terminal and boarded a ferry at about 2.30pm for a 20-minute journey offshore.

A blessing ceremony was performed in different religions, beginning with a Taoist scripture reading, then a Christian prayer, and finally a Buddhist scripture reading.

"Although people have different faiths, they all share the same wish — that the little prince can pass away peacefully and quietly in love and blessings," Funeral Guru shared in a Facebook post on Tuesday (Sept 29).

Ong also personally scattered the baby's ashes into sea, followed by flowers, offering her final prayers, Oriental Daily reported.

"Within our capabilities, we will continue to provide public welfare and free assistance to families in need, especially those facing financial difficulties and unable to afford funeral arrangements," Funeral Guru promised.

"We do this not because of their race or religion, but because when a person is most helpless, we hope to be able to lend a little strength.

"Because life is not discriminatory, the final farewell should not be different because of financial ability."

khooyihang@asiaone.com

怀孕六个月时，在新加坡工作的马来西亚单身母亲玛丽流产了。

据《中国报》周一（9月28日）报道，玛丽无处寻求帮助，每月工资不足1500美元，生活十分艰难——直到当地殡仪馆“殡葬大师”主动联系她提供帮助。

殡葬服务公司 Funeral Guru 的负责人 Karen Ong 向《新明日报》透露，Mary 是一名职员，在他们协助她处理有关她流产的文件时，她非常沮丧。她的流产发生在 8 月 27 日。

“今天早上我们在SGH殡仪馆收到这位小天使的遗体时，我们的心都沉了下去，”殡仪馆在9月4日的Facebook帖子中写道。

“她的母亲悲痛欲绝，请求我们在这个极其艰难的时刻协助她处理整个葬礼事宜。”

据报道，玛丽在失去未出生的孩子后，由于经济困难、英语能力有限以及不熟悉当地的丧葬程序，不知所措。

他们的团队为这名婴儿提供免费葬礼，并准备了一个白色的小棺材、衣服、玩具和安抚奶嘴，希望在孩子最后的旅程中给予他“尊严和关怀”。

殡葬服务公司 Funeral Guru 和国家环境局的工作人员将孩子打扮成“小王子”，然后陪同他前往火葬场，最后将棺材推进火化炉。

“对所有相关人员来说，这都是一个令人心碎的时刻，”殡葬专家说道。

这场公益葬礼以海葬告终，工作人员聚集在樟宜渡轮码头，于下午 2 点 30 分左右登上渡轮，开始了 20 分钟的离岸航程。

不同宗教都举行了祈福仪式，首先是道教经文诵读，然后是基督教祈祷，最后是佛教经文诵读。

“尽管人们信仰不同，但他们都怀着同样的愿望——希望小王子能在爱与祝福中平静安详地离世，”殡葬专家周二（9月29日）在Facebook上发帖分享道。

据《东方日报》报道，翁女士还亲自将婴儿的骨灰撒入大海，随后献上鲜花，并进行了最后的祈祷。

“我们将继续在力所能及的范围内，为有需要的家庭提供公共福利和免费援助，特别是那些面临经济困难、无力承担丧葬费用的家庭，”殡葬服务专家承诺道。

“我们这样做不是因为他们的种族或宗教，而是因为当一个人最无助的时候，我们希望能够给予他们一点力量。”

“因为生活不歧视任何人，所以最后的告别也不应该因为经济能力而有所不同。”

khooyihang@asiaone.com