http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,198902,00.html?
SHOCK
OUTRAGE
PEACE
Family visits grandparents' grave for Qing Ming, only to find it covered in debris
Grave specially chosen by feng shui master but damaged by exhumation contractor
Contracter and family agree to resolve the accident
By Liew Hanqing
April 15, 2009
SHAMBLES: The Zhous' ancestral site was covered in debris when the family was there to clean the grave for Qing Ming. PICTURE: LIANHE WANBAO
FOR one family, this Qing Ming festival has been one of shock and outrage.
Reason: They found their ancestral grave covered with debris. They were about to carry out the annual ritual of cleaning their grandparents' grave last week when they found out.
For 40 years, the Zhous have made yearly visits to their grandparents' grave at the Kwong Hou Sua Teochew Cemetery in Mandai.
But around 10.30am on 9 Apr, Mr Zhou Shaofei, 62, found that the grave was 'nowhere in sight'.
The New Paper understands a contractor working nearby had inadvertently dumped debris on the area where the Zhous' ancestral grave is.
The contractor was working on part of the cemetery that is being cleared to make way for the proposed depot for Stage 2 of the Downtown Line. The rest of the cemetery will make way for the development of industrial buildings.
Mr Zhou said the family was concerned that his grandparents' remains would be damaged during the process. He made a police report immediately.
He told Lianhe Wanbao on the day of the incident: 'We want to know who destroyed the grave and the ancestral tablets. This incident has made us (descendants) very uneasy. When we were burning offerings for them, we told them we would find out what happened.'
However, a spokesman for the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) said the headstone and other parts of the tomb were intact.
Descendants of those buried in graves whose tombstones have been marked by SLA have to register to claim their ancestors' remains by 17 Apr. They can do so by fax, post or through the SLA website.
The Kwong Hou Sua Teochew Cemetery has been closed for burial since the early '70s.
Mr Zhou, a driver, told Lianhe Wanbao: 'We had already made arrangements with the authorities to have the remains of our ancestors exhumed on 22 Apr.
'We were then planning to have the remains transferred to a temple in Balestier. We never expected something like this to happen.'
Mr Zhou added that years ago, his grandfather had engaged a fengshui master to help pick out a good spot for his grave.
Good luck
The location of the grave, his grandfather had said, was supposed to benefit the dead in their next lives and bring good luck to their descendants.
He said his grandparents are buried there under an exquisite headstone adorned with carvings.
'The grave has been here for 42 years,' Mr Zhou said.
His brother, Mr Zhou Shao Kun, 54, said the family had hired a caretaker to tend the grave. The caretaker would regularly remove weeds from the area, clean the headstones and repaint them when they faded.
Said the younger Mr Zhou, who is self-employed: 'From what we know, the caretaker had been there just about a week before the incident, and it was still fine then.'
The SLA and the contractor responsible for the incident have apologised to the family.
Said the SLA spokesman: 'The contractor had given its assurance that remains are not affected, and that it has reinstated the site to its best possible condition.'
The spokesman said the contractor had also arranged for Taoist prayers, offerings and rites at the tomb yesterday, and that the family was present for the rites.
'The next-of-kin have chosen an auspicious date for the exhumation,' the spokesman said.
SHOCK
OUTRAGE
PEACE
Family visits grandparents' grave for Qing Ming, only to find it covered in debris
Grave specially chosen by feng shui master but damaged by exhumation contractor
Contracter and family agree to resolve the accident
By Liew Hanqing
April 15, 2009
SHAMBLES: The Zhous' ancestral site was covered in debris when the family was there to clean the grave for Qing Ming. PICTURE: LIANHE WANBAO
FOR one family, this Qing Ming festival has been one of shock and outrage.
Reason: They found their ancestral grave covered with debris. They were about to carry out the annual ritual of cleaning their grandparents' grave last week when they found out.
For 40 years, the Zhous have made yearly visits to their grandparents' grave at the Kwong Hou Sua Teochew Cemetery in Mandai.
But around 10.30am on 9 Apr, Mr Zhou Shaofei, 62, found that the grave was 'nowhere in sight'.
The New Paper understands a contractor working nearby had inadvertently dumped debris on the area where the Zhous' ancestral grave is.
The contractor was working on part of the cemetery that is being cleared to make way for the proposed depot for Stage 2 of the Downtown Line. The rest of the cemetery will make way for the development of industrial buildings.
Mr Zhou said the family was concerned that his grandparents' remains would be damaged during the process. He made a police report immediately.
He told Lianhe Wanbao on the day of the incident: 'We want to know who destroyed the grave and the ancestral tablets. This incident has made us (descendants) very uneasy. When we were burning offerings for them, we told them we would find out what happened.'
However, a spokesman for the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) said the headstone and other parts of the tomb were intact.
Descendants of those buried in graves whose tombstones have been marked by SLA have to register to claim their ancestors' remains by 17 Apr. They can do so by fax, post or through the SLA website.
The Kwong Hou Sua Teochew Cemetery has been closed for burial since the early '70s.
Mr Zhou, a driver, told Lianhe Wanbao: 'We had already made arrangements with the authorities to have the remains of our ancestors exhumed on 22 Apr.
'We were then planning to have the remains transferred to a temple in Balestier. We never expected something like this to happen.'
Mr Zhou added that years ago, his grandfather had engaged a fengshui master to help pick out a good spot for his grave.
Good luck
The location of the grave, his grandfather had said, was supposed to benefit the dead in their next lives and bring good luck to their descendants.
He said his grandparents are buried there under an exquisite headstone adorned with carvings.
'The grave has been here for 42 years,' Mr Zhou said.
His brother, Mr Zhou Shao Kun, 54, said the family had hired a caretaker to tend the grave. The caretaker would regularly remove weeds from the area, clean the headstones and repaint them when they faded.
Said the younger Mr Zhou, who is self-employed: 'From what we know, the caretaker had been there just about a week before the incident, and it was still fine then.'
The SLA and the contractor responsible for the incident have apologised to the family.
Said the SLA spokesman: 'The contractor had given its assurance that remains are not affected, and that it has reinstated the site to its best possible condition.'
The spokesman said the contractor had also arranged for Taoist prayers, offerings and rites at the tomb yesterday, and that the family was present for the rites.
'The next-of-kin have chosen an auspicious date for the exhumation,' the spokesman said.
