Family urges for compassion after video of wake in Tampines during circuit breaker circulates

Saying goodbye to a loved one is never easy, especially during such trying times where circuit breaker regulations mean being unable to honour one's passing the way it normally would.

Due to the sudden passing of a relative, a family in Tampines had organised a small-scale funeral wake to allow other relatives to pay respects to the deceased.

As if to add fuel to fire, a netizen managed to snipe a photo of their funeral procession in an attempt to shame them on social media.

The now-deleted post questioned why there weren't any actions taken against the family involved, plastering the location of the wake along with the photo.

"Not trying to be racist but what is fair should be fair," the poster claimed.

Nuraqila Yusazli, the niece of the deceased, took to Facebook to clear the air on Sunday (May 24).

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Following social distancing measures, the family had set up a temperature-taking station and a website to record details of funeral attendees to facilitate contact tracing. During the wake, everyone had to stay a metre apart from one another and keep their masks on at all times.

Additionally, visitors were also scheduled to prevent unnecessary gathering and tables were limited to a maximum of four pax per table.

Nuraqila emphasised that her family did not see the funeral as a celebration nor an opportunity to gather with one another.

"We are heartbroken to be unable to give our family members the funeral they deserve."

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Despite the precautions taken on their side, being lambasted on social media and having to see their relative's casket resulted in a very painful experience for them, knowing that their relative wasn't allowed to rest in peace.

In turn, Nuraqila pleaded for understanding from the community for her and other similar grieving families during such unfortunate times.

"Allow us and other families to grieve and cope with the sudden death of family members in a dignified way."

The National Environment Agency had previously addressed similar concerns after images of another funeral held in Clementi circulated on social media.

They reminded the public that funeral processions are permitted under circuit breaker regulations — as long as attendance is fewer than 10 and limited to family members as far as possible.

Members of the public were also urged to be sensitive towards the bereaved families and refrain from sharing photos or videos of these events online.

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rainercheung@asiaone.com

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