Chew Sang Peng-Wake and Cremation

Life Goes On

I and my wife started for Nirvana Memorial Park Shah Alam to pay our last respects to our buddy friend, Chew Sang Peng who departed us so suddenly.

Born on 10 November 1946, he had a life on earth short of 68 years old.

But I believe he had one rich life that he had lived to the hilt in his own way!

He had more life in his years!

We (me and the wife) started off at 11.20 am and got there to Nirvana in record time.

Nobody was there at the crematorium and so we did our walk-about at the park looking at the columbriums and other facilities. Soon, a staff of Nirvana helped us get back to the crematorium by giving both of us a ride in his buggy car.

The hearse carrying the remains of Chew then arrived with gospel music being played from the hearse station wagon.

A bus carrying the New Life Restoration Church congregation soon arrived too and so did many of Chew's relatives.

Thankfully, Mrs Chew got Chew's sister and his daughter Sarah to fly back from Sydney.

Mrs Chew told us that she spoke quietly to Chew pleading him to just let go and he did just that at 8.08 pm yesterday night (17 March).

The body was then taken to the mortuary managed by Nirvana in Salak South before it was brought to Shah Alam today for the cremation.

After an eulogy from his childhood friend Mr Wong, we sang Amazing Grace and Because of You  in full gusto and in unison. The church pastor then delivered a short message of the afterlife and that  we must rejoice as Chew is in a better place.

We then filed one by one by his coffin, to take a last look at his  face ever so calm in sweet slumber.

Chew's sisters cried bitterly at his going.

As if on cue, we placed our white chrysanthemums offerings on the coffin.

Then the coffin rolled into the crematorium oven to be burned.

Apparently it will take only 40 minutes to burn.

Mrs Chew told us that she will collect the ashes tomorrow to be strewn into the South China Sea.

No ashes will be kept in an urn in memorial. That's the way Chew wanted it as his last wish.

Before we could leave, it rained dogs and cats.

To me, the heavy rain is a sign that God is with Chew and symbolises that a great child of God has just passed on into the heavenly realm.

Farewell my friend as you find your new place on the right hand side of God in the heavenly city of Zion.

Good-bye.