Options for Burials at Sea

Mr Seah Kian Peng asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources whether the Ministry is exploring options for burials by sea after death.

Mr Deputy Speaker, today, the deceased can either be cremated or buried on land. For those who are cremated, their next-of-kin can choose to place the remains in niches at columbaria, keep them at home or scatter them at sea.

Apart from the scattering of cremated remains at sea, the National Environmental Agency (NEA) is studying the feasibility of designating sites for the scattering of cremated remains on land. This will expand the available options for the placement of cremated remains. The NEA does not have plans to introduce burials at sea.

A clarification, Sir. I would like to know when would NEA be able to make a decision on options of scattering ashes on land and what are the possible options we are currently looking at.

There has been some public interest in ash scattering on land. Inland ash scattering is done in countries like Hong Kong, Taiwan, China and Korea. We are studying the inland ash scattering concept and we are planning to offer this option of inland ash scattering at designated Government after-death facilities. We are consulting stakeholders, religious leaders as well as funeral parlour directors and so on, before we make an announcement later this year.

Just to clarify, it is not inland ash scattering options but inland ash scattering as another option for the placement of cremated remains.

Mr Deputy Speaker, I seek one clarification from the Senior Minister of State. Could the Senior Minister of State provide us with any data about whether the burial by sea or scattering of ashes by sea, has it become more popular in the last three to five years? Could the Senior Minister of State update us on that?

I do not have the numbers but my understanding is that the numbers have been pretty constant. There is a designated site, about 1.5 nautical miles south of Pulau Semakau, provided by Maritime Port Authority of Singapore for scattering of ashes at sea. So, just to clarify, when we talk about sea burials, we are talking about lowering the whole body into the sea. It is scattering of ashes at sea, which is allowed, but not sea burials.