That used to be the case, according to CPA vice-president Khaw Teik Ghim who dismissed the morbid notion that the organisation was solely about death.
He said such associations were set up in the olden days as a means for people to put some money away for a rainy day as insurance was either non-existent or very expensive then.
The accumulated funds would then be paid out for funeral expenses and benefits for dependants when a member died, he added.
He said members could also take out a loan against their savings, but a minimum amount of RM800 was required to be kept to maintain the account.
CPA now has 1,000 members, with the membership being limited to that number by the Registrar of Societies (ROS) in the 1960s, and they contribute RM5 a month.
He said that when a member dies, the association pays out between RM3,000 and RM5,000 to the next-of-kin.
On the relevance of the CPA now with the wide availability of endowment funds, insurance products and financial trusts, he said it served as an alternative means of savings.
He said being a member also meant that friends could keep in touch with each other as the annual dinner provided the opportunity for members to catch up.
The CPA also provided education grants to the children of members and all these activities served as a social outlet, he added.
For those who are interested in joining, Khaw said membership is limited as the list was already full but vacancies would be created when a member dies.
"Those who want to join have to be below 40 years old while those over 35 would have to undergo a medical check-up first," he said, adding that only current members can act as a proposer and seconder of a new member.
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