Bukit Brown Burial Receipt (Syonan Tokubetu Si)

The Syonan Tokubetu Si Cemetery Certification for Registration burial receipt caught my eye in a facebook group post recently.

 
It was a Certification for Registration receipt issue for payment for burial under the Syonan Tokubetsu Si (Municipal Administration for Singapore as it was known during Japanese Occupation). The receipt has the word Bukit Brown written on it and the other important thing was the date - 2nd December 1945. We know that the Japanese occupiers surrendered on 14 September 1945 and yet this receipt post-dates that significant date. Was there a mistake in the year ? Unlikely as 1945 is written twice in this receipt. It is more likely that post war, office supplies were still rare to come by, so the Municipal Administrators continued using the old receipts. But to be very certain, we looked at 2 things - the burial registrar of Bukit Brown and of another the actual tomb itself ! 

Burial receipt (photo courtesy of William Teo)

The Bukit Brown burial registrar confirms entry of the above record and the receipt number matches  -24590 for $15. Madam Sng Soon Neo, a Hokkien woman, passed away at the age of 47 on 1st December 1945. The plot number is Block 4 Section A, plot number, P 523. So the theory that shortages in official receipts led to reuse of the old receipts under Japanese Occupation even after Singapore was already liberated was likely true. 

Lim Peng Cheng whose signature appears on the receipt was the Superintendent in charge of Bukit Brown during that time.

Burial Registrar entry of Madam Sng Soon Neo

The final and most difficult step is confirming from the actual tomb which may be difficult to find. Fortunately William Teo confirm that he visits regularly his grandmother's tomb and with some luck and help from our local expert, we located it. Block 4 Section A, plot number, P 523. Block 4 Section is a big area and this P series number is on the left side (where Ong Soon Tee is).

Paying respects to Madam Sng Soon Neo

For those reading this and if you have any old burial receipts and old photos of Bukit Brown to share, drop me an email ! Thanks for sharing and once again this article was made possible thanks to William Teo contribution and sharing of this Certification of Registration receipt or burial receipt.  

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