Youth Day for who?

Today is the day to honour all youths in this country. It is the National Youth Day which is officially recognised by the government.

Although it is not a public holiday like Labour Day the grand celebration in Melaka today will be participated by thousands of youth from all over the country. I was previously involved in the month long celebrations, handling various events at the same time including the mammoth rally.

As per the Youth Act 2007, youths are defined as those between age 15-40 but no one will stops you from behaving or acting like one even if you have exceed that age.

Many people still claim they are still youth even when if there is only few strands of hair left on their head. Some even already in their grandfather age category but still holding positions in youth organisations.

Some will delay their anual general meeting to as long as possible to enable them to stay in office. if they calls the AGM now, they will be ineligible to stand for election due to the age limits governs by the Youth Act.

For some, positions in youth organisation are every important as it it the stepping stone towards higher political office while some must hold on to it because once they leave the youth organisations, they have no other place to go.

As for me, I retired from elected office in the Malaysian Youth Council few years ago when I am no more within the youth age bracket.

The latest I heard about the Malaysian Youth Council which current leadership includes the president and deputy president who are sitting lawmakers, two Umno MPs from Perak and Melaka respectively, their long overdue AGM has been postponed again to the end of the year. This is the umpteen times the AGM has been postponed since last year without any concrete reasons other than prolonging the office of those that already overage!

It is Youth Day today but does the real youth really celebrating their day? - Loka

Once in a Wesak

I used to be very occcupied with organising events in the month of May. The most important event of all was Wesak Day which usually falls on the first week of May. The other event falls on May 15 of each year which is the National Youth Day.

Wesak Day has been a busy day for me for many years since I graduated from university. The first few years was busy promoting and selling children story books based on the past life of the Buddha which is the Jataka Tales.

These books were produced by a group of Buddhist friends who graduated from UKM. I was handling the printing and marketing aspects while the others were involved in art work, story line and translation ( English to Chinese). We even recorded the stories on tape in a innovated "home" studio of an old friend.

Being in marketing, I know Wesak Day will be "The Day" to sell our books at the temples as that will be the day which attracts the most devotees to the temple. We know we have a good product but we need to have the right place, right timing and right crowd and all a troop of volunteer promoters to introduce and sell our books!

Using whatever contacts I have developed within the Buddhist community since my university days, stalls or counters selling our Jataka Tales books were set up in major Buddhist centres in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Penang. All the arrangement paid off as we managed to sell about 3,000 copies of the books within one day!

That was the good old days. Our sale counters are no more in existence at the temples during Wesak nowadays. The books are no more in print and the company publishing it already shut down. All of us had moved on with our own life. A dream to flood the market with the locally published Jataka Tales for the benefit of the local Buddhist children in mind remains buried in the heart. Maybe some day some one will seek this dream and realise it?

Whatever the end results of our past efforts, it is already in the past but one thing I am very sure. Those books that we published more than 15 years ago are still read by some Buddhist kids at the Sunday Dhamma schools or in the comfort of their homes. My kids read all those books and I am proud to tell them that their parents were part of the team that produced those books.

Some years later when I was leading the UKM Buddhist Alumni, I initiated the "mobile temple" concept where our group will pick a place or town which do not have a Buddhist temple and consecrate an "instant temple". While the intention was for our members and friends to celebrate the Triple Holy Day in communion and fellowship, the purpose was also to provide the opportunity for local residents to celebrate Wesak at our mobile temple.

The first place where a mobile temple was set up was at Frasers Hill which do not have a Buddhist temple or centre. We rented a colonial bungalow with a large hall and with the ingenuity of our members, we managed to transform the place into a temple overnite! The main altar was set up using customed-made tables which can be dismantled and transported even in a Kancil.

We raised and tied the Buddhist flags all around the "temple". Some of the local residents and tourists that managed to find our new temple was very happy indeed. The moment they steps into the shrine hall, they will find the Buddha welcoming them. Their happiness are reflected on their face when they kneel and bathe the Baby Buddha.

There were Wesak Dhamma talks by members of the Sangha, meditation in the cool atmosphere and the candle procession in the carpark. It was such a wonderful Wesak. At least tourists with Buddhist background will not miss their Wesak prayers. The idea was, if you do not go to the temple, the temple comes to you! - Loka

May 13 re-visited

A group of men in uniform were walking along the dusty road about 50 meters from my house, all of them with firearms which looks like M16 in their hands. I was curious with this sight as I never seen so many men in uniform all my life. The only guns I ever saw was those used by the hunters to shoot birds flying back to their nest in the evenings at the nearby forest.

The incident happens 40 years ago when I was just 4. It was a day after the May 13 Incident. When I drove past the same road in my hometown last month, I reflect upon on how naive I was then. Never cross my mind then that people had died days before and a number of racial riots occured in other parts of the country especially Kuala Lumpur which I have never set foot until years later.

I was told then that there were trouble in the country and we are not allowed to get out from our house. Emergency has been declared! Never understands what was the fuss all about, I still ventured out from the house and played hide and seek.

The actual story of the May 13 Incident or more popularly known as "513" by the Chinese community was very alien to me. I was only told the Malays and Chinese were fighting and killing each other. Never understands the social-economic and political factors which coloured the incident.

I was too young to understand anyway or to be more precised, I was too hungry to be bothered by all these grown-ups problem. My family was too poor to be bothered, what matters is whether we are going to have food on the table for our next meal.

Those who suffered during the tumultous period of our nation might wants to forget but the 513 never fades away as time passes by. We will be reminded again and again by some irresponsible politicians that 513 will happen again if we do not vote them or their party.

Going to school in my hometown never erases the incident from my mind as most of classmates are "familiar" with the story. Furthermore, my hometown always have the benefit of perspectives of different parties from the political divide serving us. We have the benefit of listening to stories from both side. Gerakan held the parliamentary seat while DAP and Umno had a seat each in the state seats. Race was never a issue. The local DAP assemblyman was a Malay and he speaks a smattering of Mandarin and local dialects.

University was the place that I gained more information on the 513 incident even though it may not be the full and precised story. I was studying history and political science which entails to me to read on various subjects related to history and politics in Malaysia. Most of the English books on Malaysian modern history were authored by western authors while those in Malay language was written by mostly nationalist Malays.

Reading these books, we need to be objective and not to be swayed by the personal emotions and value judgement of the writers. Furthermore, many of the documents on 513 were still official secrets and these writers may not have the privilege of seeing the documents themselves to provide a factual and unbiased statements.

After 40 years the ghost of May 13 still haunts those that live through it and a shadow over national unity. It is like a nail that is still imbedded in the heart of this country. It's time to have an operation and removed the nail from the heart once and for all.

It's time to tell the truth on what really happens on May 13 Incident and move on with our lifes especially those that were directly affected by the incident, once and for all. - Loka

Week of Wesak

Last one week was a religious week for me where I attended an international Buddhist conference, discussion with a string of Buddhist clerics and scholars, interviewed in a Buddhist satellite tv channel, participated in the Wesak Day celebration in my family regular temple and chaired the committee election of a Buddhist society I formed some years ago.

The United Nations Day of Vesak was held from 4 - 6 May 2009 at Maha Chulalongkorn Buddhist University in Ayuthaya, Buddhamonthon Temple and UN ESCAP office in Bangkok. This year's theme was "Buddhist Approach to Global Crisis". The sub-theme deliberated on pollitical, environmental and economic situation affecting the world today.

With the conclusion of the conference, a Bangkok Declaration was issued. It will be more productive if the organisers will follow through with the relevant international agencies to present the results of the conference for further actions.

While in Bangkok I was invited by the Dharmakaya Temple as a guest in their satellite TV station Dhamma Media Channel to share on my role in the World Fellowship of Buddhist Youth particularly as director of the organisation development unit. I was also asked to comment on the recent UN Day of Vesak Conference and it's probable impact to the community.

During Wesak Day my family and I were at a local temple situated near my house to pay respect to the Lord Buddha and participated in programs arranged by the temple. This is also the temple where my children attended their weekly Dhamma school. The temple was crowded with devotees coming in droves and Puja service was carried out in spread out sessions to enable all devotees to attend it inside the main shrine.

The UKM Buddhist Association had their annual general meeting one day after Wesak. I chaired the election session which elected a new team comprising many new faces lead by Leow Hoay Hoay. With so many fresh faces, hoped it will also develop fresh ideas to uplift the organisation. - Loka

Happy Wesak

Wishing all readers a Happy and Blessed Wesak 2009.

As we contemplates the Birth, Enlightenment and and Maha Parinibbana of the Lord Buddha, keep in mind the Teachings of the Lord Buddha that exhorts us to strive on diligently in our daily living.

We need to be engaged with the community and aware of the happenings around us.

Seek and help the needy,

Acknowledge those worthy of praise,

Support Dhamma propagation,

Be a constant missionary.

All things subject to change,

Be one ourselves,

Do our duty now,

As tomorrow may not come.

Buddha shown us the way,

Walk the path of purification.