Spread out columbaria in other estates instead of just Mandai, some Nee Soon residents say in dialogue with NEA and MP
Lim Li Ting/TODAY
Member of Parliament Carrie Tan (third from right, left photo) talking to residents on Jan 16, 2024, at a dialogue with the National Environment Agency on a proposed funeral and columbarium complex in Mandai.
https://tdy.sg/47JGhKL
- About 100 residents had a closed-door dialogue with the National Environment Agency on Jan 16 night
- They were concerned about plans to build a new columbarium along Mandai Road
- Some problems they foresee are worsening traffic conditions, destruction of habitat for wildlife and an over-concentration of columbaria in the area
- Member of Parliament Carrie Tan supported exploring an idea to have a few smaller columbaria across the island instead of all in Mandai alone
- Residents asked for more dialogues with relevant agencies moving forward
BY
NIKKI YEO
BY
TAUFIQ ZALIZAN
Published January 17, 2024
SINGAPORE — A debate over space to be given to the deceased dominated a meeting on Tuesday night (Jan 16), as some residents concerned about the authorities' plans to build a new columbarium along Mandai Avenue met the
National Environment Agency (NEA) in a dialogue organised by Member of Parliament (MP)
Carrie Tan.
After a two-hour dialogue that was attended by about 100 people, the MP for Nee Soon Group Representation Constituency told TODAY she felt that the authorities should “relook the model” and rethink the approach to after-death facilities.
“A less centralised model for columbaria would be helpful so that there can be an accessible one in each area, making practical sense so that Singaporeans can pay their respects to deceased loved ones more conveniently,” she said.
“More importantly, we should strive towards a more accepting and pragmatic mindset among citizens, remove the stigma or ‘pantang’ (superstitious thinking) and see a columbarium as a practical facility that can be located conveniently, making it commonplace for every neighbourhood to have smaller such facilities.”
The idea of having multiple columbarium sites across different parts of Singapore, as opposed to developing another big one in an area where there are already existing columbaria, was among a few points raised by some participants during the dialogue, which over-ran by half an hour.
Other topics brought up during the closed-door session at Nee Soon Central Community Centre included how the 10-hectare site was picked and whether alternative sites were explored, as well as the potential traffic and environmental impacts, a few participants told TODAY after the session.
The dialogue was organised for residents of Springleaf and Springside located along Sembawang Road, after some of them wrote to Ms Tan and started a petition opposing the plans announced last month by NEA to build a
new funeral services and columbarium complex at the intersection of Mandai Avenue and Sembawang Road.
Urging the authorities to reconsider the decision and explore other sites, the petition listed three main points to support their stance:
- The “severe over-concentration” of columbaria in the area
- The worsening of traffic conditions
- Safety as well as concerns over a change in the landscape and “character” of the area
Similar concerns were brought up on Tuesday afternoon ahead of the dialogue when TODAY spoke to residents at the landed property enclave around Springside Drive — a two-minute drive from the proposed columbarium site.
Ms Tan said after the dialogue: “I’m glad that residents shared frankly, and that NEA personnel who were present also listened attentively and will bring up the residents’ views to discuss internally with the agencies they are working with.”
WHY ONLY MANDAI?
Participants described the discussions on Tuesday night as “robust” and “tense” at some points, but still cordial and civil overall.
One resident who has lived in the area for about 30 years and gave her name only as Ms Lim said: “People made known their frustration. They were angry but did not cross any line. There were no shouting matches or raising of voices.”
Lim Li Ting/TODAYResidents registering for a dialogue on Jan 16, 2024, regarding a proposed funeral and columbarium complex to be built in Mandai.
Most of the five participants who spoke to TODAY did so on condition that they did not want to be identified as giving information to the media from a closed-door dialogue.
However, they said that some questions were “not quite satisfactorily answered” by NEA.
For example, the questions on the potential size of the development and how the Mandai site was picked.
A resident who has been living along Sembawang Road for about five years said: “NEA said this was not a site that it chose but was given.”
Another resident had also asked if the idea of developing multiple, smaller sites elsewhere instead of building mega complexes in Mandai was ever proposed.
This resident said that a decentralised approach could have opened up more choices of alternative sites and it might be easier to find smaller pockets of land in other parts of the island.
Given the existing columbaria in the vicinity, participants had stressed during the dialogue that this was not a case of a “not in my backyard” mentality, where people are opposed to the location of something considered undesirable in one’s neighbourhood.
In 2015, residents around Fernvale Link in Sengkang started an online petition to
oppose the development of a commercial columbarium near their homes, with some even asking the Housing and Development Board (HDB) for a refund on their new flats.
Three years earlier in 2012, residents from Woodlands Street 83 petitioned against the setting up of an eldercare centre at the void deck of their housing block.
Mr Goh Boon Leng, a 68-year-old retiree who spoke to TODAY from his home on Springside Drive ahead of the dialogue on Tuesday, said: “We are not against it being in our neighbourhood per se, we are all used to columbaria and crematoriums here.
“But the question is equity. Why another one in my neighbourhood? And 10 hectares is very big.”
NEA said that at the dialogue, it spoke about the need for after-death facilities in Singapore with an ageing population, and how developments such as columbaria and funeral parlours are located at various spaces around the island.
In response to TODAY'S queries on Wednesday, it also said that although the proposed site is about 10ha and located more than 500m away from the nearest residential estate at Springside, it has assured residents that the actual land area to be used by the new complex would depend on findings from further assessments that are expected to be completed by 2025.
"NEA will continue to engage all stakeholders, including residents and nature groups, as the development process progresses," the agency added.
TRAFFIC WOES
Another point discussed during the dialogue was traffic congestion, especially during the
Qing Ming Festival when some of the Chinese visit the tombs and niches of their departed family members or relatives.
There are already traffic jams with two existing columbaria in the neighbourhood.
The first is the
Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium Complex, located at the other end of Mandai Avenue and about four minute’s drive from the proposed new columbarium site.
There is also another columbarium at Grace Presbytarian Church, located next to the Springside residences.
The occasional mobilisation exercises for military reservists compound the traffic problems, given that Nee Soon Camp is also located along the same road.
A 56-year-old resident working in the airline industry, who gave his name as just Frank, said: “There were instances where the roads were congested especially early in the morning and late evening.”
Ms Tan the MP said that residents mentioned during the dialogue that they have been "exercising tolerance" towards the traffic conditions all these years, especially during the Qing Ming Festival.
“I can understand they do not wish that there be more traffic,” she added.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
The loss of green space was another matter heard at the dialogue, though NEA had said that an environmental impact assessment would be done.
A 35-year-old civil servant who wanted to be known only as Mr Ang said ahead of the dialogue that there were already cases of “very aggressive” monkeys being spotted in the residential areas.
“If they keep cutting down the trees, the monkeys will have nowhere else to go (and create more
human-wildlife conflicts),” Mr Ang added.
Mr Goh the retiree from Springside Drive described the possible cutting down of 10ha of forest for the sake of the dead as a “travesty”.
Residents asked for more dialogue sessions to be held, with at least one to be held before Chinese New Year (which begins on Feb 10 this year), and to include other relevant authorities.
A young male resident, who attended Tuesday's session and has lived in the Nee Soon area for about five years, said: “Given that this was an inter-agency decision, solely having NEA in the dialogue is not adequate enough to answer (the residents') questions.”
Ms Tan told TODAY that she will be raising the residents’ concerns in Parliament.
“It is important that their voice is heard, and I will also be working closely with agencies to ensure the residents’ perspectives are (presented) in their review and planning going forward,” she said.
