When choosing to opt for a bereavement care provider for your funeral needs, it is important to note what services you’re engaging them for and what exactly you might be paying for. Funeral service providers often offer customisation service as well to reflect you or your family’s needs and wishes. Thus, it is important to select a service that adheres to a budget you can comfortably afford.
Nirvana Asia Group offers a comprehensive suite of bereavement care services to make sure your funeral needs are met seamlessly. If the topic of funeral arrangements is still relatively new to you, we’ve got you covered. Moreover, COVID-19 has changed the way we mourn in Malaysia. So in this article, we’ll talk about the different types of funeral services you can expect and the costs involved for funerals in Malaysia.
Types of Funeral Services
Funeral Service: A funeral service is the most common type of ceremony held in Malaysia where the religious and ceremonial rites are performed at a location of choice. Traditionally, the casket or urn is present and loved ones may choose to play songs or deliver a eulogy in memory of the deceased. The funeral gathering is then preceded by a burial or cremation, depending on the preference of the deceased or bereaving family.
Costs Involved: There are many variables in a funeral service ranging from services engaged, like embalming or encoffinment, to logistics involved including casket choices or even additional manpower required. Remember to clarify with your bereavement care provider to see which services they offer and how much each item would cost.
Memorial Ceremony: The main difference between a memorial and a funeral service is that the body is not present in the former. A memorial service does not necessarily need to be held before or after the body is cremated or buried, and has the flexibility of being held at the grieving family’s discretionary.
Costs Involved: Similar to a funeral service, the costs involved in a memorial ceremony is largely dependent on the services you’ve engaged. It is important to only select what you need to avoid paying large amounts of money.
Burial: In a multi-ethnic society like Malaysia, different funeral practices exist due to varying cultural or religious customs. One common option that many go for is burial. A burial service is a ceremony typically held after the main funeral service, where the coffin is lowered into the ground. Depending on religious beliefs, mourners are allowed to attend the burial where short prayers may be performed. Other times, people also opt for a direct burial without any other funeral service or formal ceremony involved.
Burials can be done in public cemeteries — that are normally owned and operated by local municipal or city councils — or memorial parks. Here at Nirvana, we operate privately-managed memorial parks that are designed with landscaped elements such as thematic gardens, water features and statues. The carefully planned grave plots and monuments were built with the aim to replace the atmosphere normally associated with cemeteries. With a memorial park, you can look forward to better planning from the management, amenities not found in cemeteries and most importantly, regular maintenance so as to assure a peaceful and exceptional final resting place for all.
Costs Involved: The rule of thumb to keep in mind is that location and cost is directly correlated for burial services. The more attractive the plot location, the more expensive it will be. Moreover, many cemeteries and memorial parks provide different options for burial plots such as single, double or family plots and this contributes to the cost as well. Finally, you’d want to consider the payment options as cemeteries and memorial parks may choose to charge a one-time maintenance fee or charge annual payments instead. This will help to gauge and plan out your finances.
Cremation: A cremation service will usually include embalming of the body, a funeral service and then followed by cremation. Upon cremation, the ashes or “cremains” are usually collected by the crematorium and returned to the family in an urn. Thereafter, families can choose between three common memorial options for cremation — to place the ashes in a columbarium, an urn garden or scatter them at sea.
Costs Involved: Undoubtedly, the cost will vary for each option. As columbariums are generally furnished with amenities, the cost will be at a higher price point. At Nirvana, we aim to redefine the experience of paying respect to our loved ones. By integrating elements such as air-conditioning, cafes, resting lounges, memorial parlours, activity centres and comfortable furnishings, Nirvana prioritises visitor comfort above anything else.
For those who prefer a more humble option, they can opt for an urn garden or the scattering of ashes at sea.
That’s our round up of the more common funeral service options in Malaysia. If you’re looking to plan for your funeral needs, do not hesitate to contact our service professionals to get you started.
