Ceremonial sending-off for the departed as ‘cruise ship’ burns
We are proud with the success of the send-off ceremony, which is one of its kind to be held in Miri. In fact, in the Chinese community, the send-off ceremony is a great way for the family and relatives to remember their deceased loved ones.
MIRI: The burning of a paper cruise ship bearing names of the deceased and paper money for the dead wrapped up the two-day mass prayer ceremony to send souls of the departed to heaven.
Organised by Fairy Park Group at Fairy Park (Miri) Bhd Memorial Park, the ceremony was attended by hundreds of family members and relatives of the deceased who were buried at the memorial park.
Prior to the final send- off ceremony, a Buddha versechanting was conducted by monks led by Master Wen Ling.
This was followed by a 20-minute fireworks specially prepared by the Group which symbolised that the ceremony was a celebration for the souls of the departed, much to the awe of the attendees.
Thereafter, Fairy Park Group chairman Koh Thian Seng along with Fairy Park ( Miri) Bhd directors Albert Chan and Kapitan Chai Kuen Ming poured the chanted water around the ‘cruise ship’.
“We are proud with the success of the send- off ceremony, which is one of its kind to be held in Miri. In fact, in the Chinese community, the send- off ceremony is a great way for the family and relatives to remember their deceased loved ones.
“There is a saying ‘respect your parents and family when they are
Koh Thian Seng, Fairy Park Group chairman
alive’.
“And when they departed, a proper send-off is a way of showing how they were missed and that sending them to heaven is the way their family shows love and respect for them,” Koh told reporters after the ceremony.
Before the ‘cruise ship’ sailed away in the fi re, a loud horn from the ‘ship’ was heard as a call for the spirits to board the ship and let ‘them’ know that it would sail to a better place.
Despite having to come up with nearly RM400,000 for the ceremony as all charges were waived, Koh said the group aimed to organise it again in two years’ time.
“The first ceremony here was meant to mark our first anniversary in Miri, and we hope all our clients have an unforgettable experience. Of course, they can enjoy a discount of 10 per cent at the next ceremony which is expected to happen again in two years.”
Koh also revealed that a year after the group took over the memorial park it had completed the fi rst phase of its RM50 million expansion project which involved the construction of luxury cemetery plots.
“The phase 2 will start soon, which involves the construction of burial plots that vary in prices,” he said.
He added that the Group will be focusing on their next target – to expand their market to Bintulu.
“It is not about the burial plots that we are selling (to new clients) but introducing them to a memorial park that is complete with lush grassland, serene ponds and beautiful view, that one can enjoy constantly.
“We want to build a positive image of a memorial park that everyone can visit,” he said.