Mitigating high cost of dying: Chinese advised “to convert to Islam to save on funeral expenses!”

 

TRYING to stay alive is expensive but shuffling off one’s mortal coil can be just as costly. This was the blunt message put across by popular marketing influencer Low Sok Ying.

Highlighting the many funeral packages available to Chinese community, the founder of Digital Société, an influencer marketing agency operating in Malaysia and Singapore, shocked many that these services cost a pretty penny.

At the outset, these packages will literally take care of every concern, thus removing much of the burden off the deceased’s family.

Basic packages at a luxurious funeral parlour (which she researched on) include a three-day, two-night wake at the funeral parlour with prices starting from RM43,000 with an early bird discount reducing the price to RM35,000.

Though there may be discount for making a booking before a person has passed on, the beauty content creator points out that this is not encouraged from a feng shui (geomancy) perspective.

A typical package includes fetching the body from the morgue, a premise to hold the funeral service, religious chanting by relevant monks, hearse to send to cremation centre or burial plot and all the relevant documentation.

“Basically, this package will handle everything from A to Z,” explained the popular YouTuber. However, the cost can further balloon if the family of the deceased wishes to bury their dearly departed (instead of just cremation).

“They’ll have to buy a burial plot. Depending on the lavishness and the feng shui of the plot, the cost is between RM40,000 and RM80,000,” she revealed.

But this is not the be all, end all as the family can opt to give the deceased a fancy farewell. Options include ornamental urns to host the ashes costing between RM5,000 and RM15,000.

Floral and altar arrangements can cost anything between RM3,000 and RM8,000. Tents and seating will also add a further RM2,000 to RM5,000 to the bill. Add in a couple more thousand ringgit for the undertakers and the final tally could climb into six figures.

The message being imparted here is that even kicking the bucket is expensive. Low’s Facebook Reels post has generated 18.8K likes, 2.5K comments and 1.3K shares at the time of writing, reflecting it is a subject that is close to home for many (despite the taboo associated with death).

After all, there is no escaping death, is there?

This is when some Muslim chipped in with their two sen worth to mitigate the high Chinese funeral costs – convert to Islam!

Recounting how he had jokingly advised his Chinese friends to convert before passing on to save on funeral costs given “everything from A to Z is taken care for free”, the commenter related how one friend has heeded his suggestion seriously “to the extent that he eventually becomes more Muslims than the Malays”.

However, one pious observer opined that many convert to Islam not to save on funeral costs “but because of a genuine calling”.

One Muslim commenter was just astounded at the Chinese mindset for business that even a person’s passing becomes business opportunity.

Another reckoned that little wonder “many uncles and aunties are racing to convert to Islam”.

“Maybe it’s because they don’t want to make it difficult for their children besides the hidayah (guidance) that has arrived that makes them open to accepting Islam. Islam makes life easy, not difficult,” she surmised.

One netizen highlighted simplicity of the last rites by underlining the four obligations to be carried out when a Muslim passes away which are (i)bathing the body; (ii) shrouding the body; (iii) performing the funeral prayer; and finally (v) burial.

Another contended that while Muslim funerals “aren’t entirely FOC (free-of-charge), this cost can be as low as below RM3K”.

Compare and contrast with the many steps required at Chinese funerals. Each adding to the cost which in some cases necessitated instalment plans.

The high cost of such extravagant send-offs was confirmed by one commenter who claimed that her grandma’s final bash cost RM50,000, excluding the price of the “feng shui tomb”.

The cost-of-living crisis is biting hard with many citizens struggling to make ends meet. The more cynical and calculative non-Muslims might just give the above suggestion of converting some thought just to make shuffling off their mortal coils a wee bit more affordable. – Focus Malaysia