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Low-key funeral ceremony for Ma's father

The funeral ceremony for Ma Ho-ling (馬鶴凌), the father of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman and Taipei Mayor Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), will be held today. Despite being one of the country's most important political figures, Ma Ying-jeou followed the wishes expressed in his father's will and decided to hold an extremely low-key funeral limited to close family members only.

"Based on the principle of simplicity, the Ma family will not send out obituary notices or hold a public memorial ceremony and will decline any visits or gifts," KMT spokeswoman Cheng Li-wen (鄭麗文) reported from Ma's statement yesterday at the party's headquarters.

Ma's father died of a heart attack at the age of 86 on Tuesday. He expressed in his will that he would like to be cremated and his remains buried alongside those of his mother. However, due to the regulations of the Taipei City Government, which has banned internment, his ashes will instead be put in the city's Fu De Burial Park after being cremated this morning. Ma Ying-jeou will read an elegy during the memorial ceremony before the cremation takes place.

Meanwhile, struggling to find ways in which to express their condolences, a total of 26 Taipei city councilors from all parties visited Ma in his office yesterday afternoon at the city government.

Politely declining any visitors at home, Ma made the trip to his office to receive the representatives while taking four days of bereavement leave. Ma shook hands with each councilor and thanked them for their visit.

The meeting lasted only about 10 minutes. Ma then rushed to the No. 2 Funeral House to see his father for the last time before the funeral home workers prepared the body for today's ceremony. Ma later called on family friends and citizens not to attend the funeral today.

"My father wanted a simple funeral, and we [the family] do not want to bother anyone. There won't be any public ceremony tomorrow, so I'd appreciate it if people don't come to the funeral," he said yesterday in front of the funeral house.

"For all my father's supporters, supporting the KMT's reform will be the greatest tribute you can pay him," he said.

While declining any personal visits or gifts, Ma accepted condolences on his personal Web site at www.ma19.net. People can either send a message or simply click on a virtual flower icon to express their condolences. Thousands of visitors have visited the Web site since it began to accept condolence messages after the KMT announced the news of Ma Ho-ling's death yesterday, according to the Web site.

Ma's mourning leave will end on Monday and he will return to work on Tuesday.
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