Furore over funeral parlour's final resting place

URA proposals to build a funeral parlour in Sin Ming have met with the objections of residents despite its assurances that the facilities will be quiet and discreet

An example of a purpose-built funeral parlour in Hong Kong Shatin Memorial Hall, New Territories. Often sited within mixed residential and industrial areas, they are what the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) here is looking to copy in the possible funeral parlour in Sin Ming. -- PHOTO: URA

FUNERAL parlours in Hong Kong and Japan look just like modern office buildings, complete with lift lobbies.

But inside, they are kitted out with dining areas and large halls for wakes.

Often sited within mixed residential and industrial areas, they are what the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) here is looking to copy in the possible funeral parlour in Sin Ming, slated for the empty plot next to the Bright Hill Temple.

On Friday, the URA released details for the parlour, assuring the residents of Sin Ming that it will be a quiet, discreet and dignified place that will not advertise the business of death so near to their homes.

The URA stressed that no decision had been made on where the parlour will be as a study is still ongoing. It said it wanted residents' feedback.

Asked about alternative sites for the parlour - such as Mandai, already home to a crematorium and columbarium - the URA returned to its point that site details had not been finalised.

Its spokesman said: 'We are looking at details on the siting of such parlours, the timing for implementation, the mitigating measures that would be needed in place to minimise disturbance to the surroundings.'

When The Straits Times asked via e-mail why Sin Ming was being considered despite the area's lack of an MRT station, the URA replied that it was accessible by public and private transport.

It also said a future industrial development would shield the parlour from nearby homes and access to it would route traffic away from residential areas. Rules would be set up on the design and operation of the parlour.

The URA spokesman said that Yishun, another proposed site, had been tendered out, but there were no takers. The feedback it received suggested that it was not centrally located.

The proposed Sin Ming site is near a school, HDB blocks, private condominiums and terrace houses.

Residents told Transport Minister Raymond Lim last Sunday that they did not like the parlour being near their homes because of the taboos surrounding death.

Other residents The Straits Times interviewed on Wednesday expressed concern about the noise from funeral processions, the chanting, incense fumes and traffic jams. These things would depress their property value, others said.-By Alina Ashad

Pumpkin weighs 1,524 pounds

Workers move a pumpkin grown by Thad Starr (not pictured) onto the scale at the World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, California Oct. 8, 2007. Starr’s pumpkin took first place, weighing a record 1,524 pounds.

Virtual colonoscopy as effective as traditional one: study

WASHINGTON : Virtual colonoscopies, done with scanners that create a three-dimensional image of the intestinal wall, are just as effective in detecting advanced polyps as the more invasive traditional colonoscopy, a study released on Thursday found.

The University of Wisconsin Medical School study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, compared virtual colonoscopies of 3,120 adults with an average age of 57, and the traditional colonoscopies of 3,163 adults with an average age of 58.

The latter exam is routinely recommended in patients over 50 years of age to locate intestinal polyps and removing them, aiming to stop the spread of cancer as colon cancer is among the deadliest forms of the disease. In the United States alone it kills 55,000 people a year.

Traditional colonoscopies are normally performed under general anaesthetic, with a thin flexible tube called a colonoscope inserted through the anus to explore the intestines.

Biopsies and many abnormal growths can be taken out during the procedure which requires the patient to first drink four liters of liquid.

Virtual colonoscopy requires some injection of air. The removal of any polyps found requires a separate procedure.

The study found almost the same number of advanced neoplasms (over 6 mm): 123 with virtual colonoscopy and 121 with the traditional procedure. - AFP/de

Poor eyesight an indication of poor health

POOR eyesight could be linked to higher death rates, says a new study.
Reflecting a trend in Australia, Britain and the United States, a new study among Chinese in Singapore's Tanjong Pagar district has shown that those with poor vision are about three times more likely to die than those with good eyesight.

The study, conducted over a seven-year period, found that mortality rates were higher regardless of other underlying health conditions. It tracked Singaporeans aged 30 to 79 years from 1996.

Associate Director Wong Tien Yin of the Singapore Eye Research Institute, at the Singapore National Eye Centre, who spearheaded the the study, said the findings showed that poor eyesight was not to be taken in isolation.

'People tend to underestimate the impact of visual impairment, but this shows it's a marker for poorer overall health, and isn't just for ophthalmologists to be concerned about,' said Dr Wong.

Previous studies on visual acuity and its link to mortality have been carried out in the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom. Although the link was noted in all countries, the correlation was strongest in Singapore.

Fun Phrase !

You might like it. This is hilarious... ..even an Englishman could not construct sentences using numeric, which is exclusive only to Malaysians and Singaporeans.

Ah Lek was asked to make a sentence using 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Not only did he do it 1 to 10, he did it again from 10 back to 1. This is what he came up with.....

1 day I go 2 climb a 3 outside a house to peep. But the couple saw me, so I panic and 4 down. The man rushed out and wanted to 5 with me.. I ran until I fell 6 and threw up. So I go into 7 -eleven and grabbed some 8 to throw at him. Then I took a 9 and try to stab at him. 10 God he run away.

10 I put the 9 back and pay for the 8 and left 7-eleven. Next day I called my boss and told him I was 6 . He said 5 , tomorrow also no need to come back 4 work. He also asked me to go climb a 3 and jump down. I don't understand. I am so nice 2 him but I don't know what he 1.

Go ahead for Singapore F1 street circuit

THE F1 Singapore Grand Prix street circuit has received in-principle approval from FIA, the world governing body for motorsports, Minister of State for Trade and Industry S Iswaran announced on Friday.

Expressing delight at the speedy go-ahead, the Minister said: 'This approval has come quite quickly, within just four months since we announced the hosting of the F1 race.'

But the race promoters, Singapore Grand Prix, are still awaiting confirmation on whether it can stage a night race, which will be held exactly one year from now on Sept 28, 2008.

Mr Iswaran said the race promoters, with the strong support of government agencies led by STB, have made good progress and are on track to presenting a very special race to the world next year.

He described the Singapore's street circuit in Marina Centre as a compelling win-win proposition for Formula One and Singapore.

'It will be an attractive and exciting Formula One race venue on many counts,' he said and went on to highlight the track circuit.

The Singapore Grand Prix is Asia's first street race and it will run counter-clockwise, making Singapore one of only three circuits in the world to do so, along with Istanbul in Turkey and Sao Paulo in Brazil.

Spanning 5.067km, with 14 left hand turns and 10 right hand turns, the Singapore street circuit will present several thrilling straights and tight turns for dramatic action that will not only test the capabilities of the F1 drivers but also satisfy even the most avid race enthusiasts.


From a Singaporean perspective, the circuit will showcase Singapore's skyline in the heart of the city and many historic buildings.

It will take the F1 drivers and half a billion television viewers past some of our iconic landmarks like the City Hall, the former Supreme Court, the Padang and The Esplanade. As you can well imagine, the scene outside The Esplanade will be quite different one year from today.

The in-principle go ahead for the circuit from FIA will pave the way for road works to commence.

The Land Transport Authority will manage modifications to some existing infrastructure such as road kerbs and traffic islands as well as the construction of a new 1.2 km road alongside the pit building that forms the start and finish straight.

The FIA will make several inspections on the progress in the coming months and issue the full circuit licence after the final inspection on the week of the race itself.

Mr Iswaran said Singapore is awaiting confirmation from the FIA on whether the Sept 28 Grand Prix will be the first night race in F1 history.

STB and other government agencies are working closely with the race promoter to ensure the lighting trials run smoothly, he said.

Meanwhile, Singapore GP will launch the sale of corporate hospitality packages in November and the season passes in December.

Night racing has become the latest fad in Formula One, even though an actual race has yet to be held under floodlit conditions.

Whilst it would certainly be a spectacle to have F1 cars screaming around the city circuit against the night sky, the economic dimension of having the race at a more convenient time for viewers in Europe is just as crucial.

Malaysia, Japan, China, and India have all been said to be looking at possible night races to cater to European audiences, who would have needed to wake up at 3 or 4am to catch the season opener in Melbourne this year.

Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has already impressed upon Australian race organisers that night racing is imperative, with global viewership of the Melbourne leg falling from 339 million in 1999 to 82 million.

However, drivers have also been divided over the issue of safety, with some concerned about the possibility of a mid-race blackout, and blinding glare coming off puddles in the event of rain.

The organisers of next year's race in Singapore have given the assurance that safety is of prime concern, and a night race will only happen if the motorsports' governing body, the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), gives the go-ahead.

Recent trials of night-time racing in France were successful, and two more trials - one in Singapore and one overseas - are expected soon.
- The Straits Times

Toilets