MR NORDIN Montong's employers have said that they will pay for the $3,000 funeral and transport expenses.

The company, Sun City, have engaged funeral director Roland Tay's company to handle the arrangements.

Mr Tay, in return, has said that he will donate the full sum to Mr Nordin's family in Sarawak to help them through this difficult time.

Sun City's operations director, who declined to give his name, claimed Mr Nordin's body from the mortuary yesterday.

He said he would be accompanying the body back to Kuching. The company decided to pay for the expenses as 'it's our responsibility to the worker'.

He added that the company will also donate a separate sum to the family.

He declined to give a figure, saying: 'We have something in mind.'

He added that Mr Nordin was insured, but whether or not the family will receive a payout would depend on the insurers.

On the incident, he said: 'He went in prepared to die. You saw the pictures; he was taunting the tigers. He did not fall into the moat... It wasn't preventable.'

He added that the zoo and tigers were not to blame for the tragedy.

He said: 'I think the security is ample. It's like blaming HDB if people jump from the parapet.'

He said there was no indication that MrNordin was not his usual self.

'By the time he said goodbye to the keepers, it was just a few minutes before the situation.'

The operations director said that it was only later that Mr Nordin's cousin told him that MrNordin missed his parents. But Mr Nordin's sister said she was not aware of this.

The operations director said that the company has arranged counselling for the other workers, as they are concerned that they may be traumatised.

Mr Tay said he contacted the company to offer his services after reading the story yesterday morning in The New Paper.

He decided to donate the $3,000 to the family as he felt sorry for them.

He said: 'From my heart, I just want to do my best to help the family.

'This person came from far away to do work here and was bitten by a tiger. It's very sad.'

This article was first published in The New Paper on November 15, 2008.