Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium

Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium is a crematorium and columbarium complex located at Mandai Road in Mandai, Singapore. The complex is operated by the Government of Singapore under the National Environment Agency.^[1] It is one of three government crematoria in Singapore, the other two being the Choa Chu Kang Columbarium and Yishun Columbarium.

Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium
General information
Type	Crematorium, columbarium complex
Location	Mandai, Singapore 300 Mandai Road, Singapore 779393
Coordinates	1°24′50″N 103°48′35″E
Completed	1982; 42 years ago (1982)
Owner	National Environment Agency

Mandai Crematorium and Columbarium is located not far from Yishun New Town.

This complex is one of the final resting places for many Singaporeans because of the new technology and limited spaces to host cemeteries for the dead.^[2]

History

With Mount Vernon Crematorium, the only government crematorium reaching its maximum capacity in the late 1970s, a need for a second crematorium arose. The Government chose a plot of land at Mandai to build Singapore's second crematorium. Completed in 1982, it consists of 4 big cremators and 4 small cremators, and 1200 niches. Shortly after its opening, it was designated to cremate exhumed remains from closed down cemeteries in Singapore.

In 2000, the government decided that all cremation services would be consolidated at Mandai. So, a new extension was built just south of the original complex. Completed in mid 2004, this complex comprises four service halls, four viewing halls, 12 cremators and one waiting hall, replacing the Mount Vernon Crematorium, which closed down on the same day the new complex opened. The columbarium was also expanded to include remains displaced from the closure of Mount Vernon Crematorium as well.

To meet the growing demand of the island's population, the Government decided to expand the crematorium further. Slated to be completed in 3Q 2019, it will have six service halls, six viewing halls, three waiting halls and 18 cremators.^[3]

Notable burials

Death Year	Name	Notes
1982	Wong Ming Yang	The first wife of 3rd Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong
1996	Lim Chin Siong	Left-wing politician and trade union leader
1997	Lee Chin Koon	Father of 1st Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew
2002	Ong Teng Cheong	5th President of Singapore
2005	Wee Kim Wee	4th President of Singapore
2006	Lim Kim San	Former Minister of Finance, Minister of Communications, Minister of Education, Minister of National Development & Minister for Sustainability and the Environment
2010	Goh Keng Swee	2nd Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore
	Kwa Geok Choo	The wife of 1st Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew
2012	Toh Chin Chye	1st Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore
2015	Lee Kuan Yew	1st Prime Minister of Singapore [4]
2016	S. R. Nathan	6th President of Singapore[5]
2018	Koh Sok Hiong	The wife of 4th President of Singapore Wee Kim Wee[6]
2019	Aloysius Pang	Singaporean artiste who died during reservist training in New Zealand[7]
	Bai Yan	Veteran Singaporean artiste [8]
2024	Lee Wei Ling	Singaporean neurologist, only daughter of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew[9]

Gallery

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See also

Other non-government crematoria and columbarium in Singapore include:

• Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery
• Kranji State Cemetery – traditional burial options for notable persons in Singapore
• Kwong Wai Siew Peck San Theng – Chinese clan-based non-government columbarium

References

1. "Government-Managed Columbaria". National Environment Agency. Archived from the original on 2015-03-30. Retrieved 2015-03-25.
2. "Burial, Cremation & Ash Storage". National Environment Agency. Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-03-25.
3. "Mandai Crematorium to expand to meet demand". The Straits Times. March 23, 2015. Archived from the original on September 21, 2018. Retrieved September 21, 2018.
4. Chua, Mui Hoong (2015-03-29). "Mr Lee Kuan Yew's funeral: From public mourning to private family farewell at Mandai". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Archived from the original on 2023-08-07. Retrieved 2023-08-07. Mr Lee Kuan Yew's family said farewell to him on Sunday, March 29, evening, in an emotional ceremony at Mandai Crematorium.
5. Chew, Hui Min; Ng, Charmaine; Choo, Felicia; Cheong, Danson (2016-08-26). "A nation bids farewell to S R Nathan who gave his 'best years and more' to Singapore". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Archived from the original on 2023-08-07. Retrieved 2023-08-07. After the service, Mr Nathan made his final journey to Mandai Crematorium for the private cremation service.
6. "Mrs Wee Kim Wee's way to love was through her cooking, family and friends say in eulogies". TODAY. Retrieved 2024-05-19. Mrs Wee, whose birth name is Koh Sok Hiong, met the late Dr Wee in 1936 before marrying him the same year. Dr Wee served as president of Singapore from 1985 to 1993. He died in 2005. On Wednesday morning, more than 150 family members and friends, as well as 24 Girl Guides and five Scouts, showed up at Mrs Wee's wake at 25 Siglap Plain to pay their last respects. Her favourite song, Indonesian folk classic "Bengawan Solo", was played as the hearse carrying her body left the family's Siglap home around 9:20am and made its way to Mandai Crematorium.
7. Tan, Tam Mei; Zhuo, Tee (2019-01-27). "Family, friends bid farewell as Aloysius Pang accorded military funeral". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 2024-05-19.
8. Lee, Jan (2019-08-23). "God-daughters Zeng Huifen, Ye Sumei among those who say final goodbye to veteran actor Bai Yan". The Straits Times. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 2024-05-19. Bai's family members bowed as mourners made their last rounds around his casket at Singapore Casket in a farewell ceremony, before the funeral procession left for Mandai Crematorium at 11am.
9. "Lee Hsien Yang's sons lead final send-off for Lee Wei Ling". AsiaOne. 2024-10-13. Retrieved 2024-10-13. It was raining when the cortege left the Singapore Casket in Lavender Street at about 1.50pm and headed towards Mandai crematorium, Shin Min Daily News reported.