KUALA LUMPUR: Instead of a tearful farewell, the funeral was laden with a variety of food to send off Elaine.

The obituary invited Elaine’s friends and relatives to bring along one type of food each for a potluck when paying their last respect to her.

Yi Yuan, a funeral home organizing Elaine’s funeral, took note of Elaine’s instruction and planned for a potluck for her friends and family.

Initially, Yi Yuan was worried since it was not a customary practice for people to bring food to attend a funeral or wake service.

Thus, Yi Yuan prepared some food in advance for the wake.

But friends and relatives turning up to pay their last respect to Elaine brought in food.

Elaine’s niece brought a bag of strawberries, a friend came with egg tarts, an old lady baked a cake, while other friends brought a huge chocolate cake, roast duck, durian, soft drinks, and the list goes on.

Friends remembered her as a warrior as she joined Bersih, Lynas and PACA to fight for a fair election.

She was delivering food to the underprivileged in high-risk areas during the Movement Control Order.

Friends’ recount of her stunned Elaine’s family as they did not know about her participation and contribution.

Friends came from far places to attend her wake, including those who changed their oversea travel plans to return home to pay their last respect to her.

“Food used to be the bridge for Elaine to connect with her family and friends,” said Tan Yung, funeral director of Yi Yuan, who planned her funeral after communicating with her family.

Elaine’s elder sister passed a pack of nasi lemak and iced coffee to Yi Yuan staff before leaving the hospital, like how she used to treat herself with a pack of nasi lemak after her check-up.

Elaine drew her last breath two days after being briefed of her funeral plan.

Her elder sister left her remark at the comments area at the wake: “You should be happy now. This is arranged by you for the event to be elegant, warm and full of love.”