RM2.3-mil funeral

RM2.3-mil funeral

Six siblings in China held a 5mil yuan (RM2.3mil) grand funeral for their mother.

They used nine Lincoln limosines as the funreal hearse and hired a 1,000-man band, and nine camera crews.

It is learnt the siblings, from Zhejiang, are millionaire entrepreneurs with businesses in property and hotel.

The event was held at a school field last Friday.

Thosewho attended the funeral received monetary "gifts" ranging from 200 yuan (RM92) to 1,700 yuan (RM784), and two packets of cigarettes. Thus, many strangers turned up to pay their last respects to the 82-year-old matriarch.

It was reported street traders were given 500 yuan (RM231) each so that they did not operate their businesses that day to ensure a smooth funeral parade.

The children - fivemen and a woman -were good to their mother because the widow had gone through tough timesbringing them up.

But the high-profile display offilial piety bythe siblings received criticism from the public and sparked outrage from netizens.

They said: "Funeral should not be so luxurious, the money should be donated to charity."

Some said using the school field for such event had sent a negative message to the students.

Following the outrage,the local government punished the assistant principle of the school who allowed the field to be used for the funeral.
Source: Agencies