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.

@asiaone Madam Ng Lye Poh, the mother of founder of supermarket chain Sheng Siong, died on Sept 5. She was 91. Fondly known as Sheng Siong Ah Ma, her funeral procession took place on Sept 11, with the cortege travelling past Sheng Siong's headquarters in Mandai as part of her sendoff. #sgnews #Singapore #Supermarket #Funeral ♬ original sound - AsiaOne

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".

[[nid:744773]]

bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com