Chief monk resigns

The BMSM elected a new team to lead the society for the next two years. Chee Peck Kiat was elected president replacing Ang Choo Hong who calls it a day. The lineup includes vice presidents Patrick Phoon, Chua Chong Kee, Soon Koi Voon and the only female Loh Pai Ling. Jeffrey Pang won the secretary general position uncontested while Ng Lai Peng elected the new treasurer, also unopposed.

Out-going president Ang Choo Hong





Other new office bearers are assistant secretary Kong Tin Lai, assistant treasurer Looi S.K and committee members Quah Chi Boon, Yong Kut Seng, Hemadasa, Pau Kiew Wu, Ng Hong Pau, Goh Seng Chai, Sarath Surendre, Wong Ong, Chang Lam Yen, Lim Chee Keong, Chan Tien Fu and Selina Lim.




In-coming president Chee Peck Kiat

The meeting dragged on for five hours due to some contentious issues spilled over from the previous annual general meeting. There was even a proposal for certain item in the minutes to be expunged! Wow, if in every meeting certain parts of the meeting are to be expunged when anyone do not agrees with it then in future historians will not have any reliable reference to refer to do their writing since everything has already been expunged!

The new secretary general Jeffery Pang already started his duty earlier

Sadly the annual meeting which is supposed to enable members to participate and provide inputs for the development of society was turn into a "battle ground" between certain individuals and groups. Claims and counter claims were hurled at each other on the protracted issue of unauthorised printing of receipts books with the name and logo of BMSM which was used to collect fund from the public.

Anymore nominations? Returning officer Jerry Khoo calls out.

One member who is also a president of another organisation even accused the BMSM president for implying that he is telling a lie! One member even "threatened" to return to his previous religion if the meeting do not proceed to his liking! Another accused the treasurer of not knowing how to do his job but surprisingly this same out-going treasurer was elected one of the vice presidents. BMSM really have colourful figures amongst its 10,000 plus members.

The meeting also took a dramatic twist when at the midst of the debate on the receipts issue which police reports has been made last year, the society religious advisor, Ven K Dhammaratana took the floor and claimed that he has been shamed and was "slapped" in the face in public. He duly took out a signed resignation letter and hand it over to the secretary general. The letter stated his "resignation" is with immediate effect. He then left the meeting hall in a huff, purportly for his lunch dana.

"I was shamed and "slapped" in public" - Dhammaratana

For lay persons who may not understand the Vinaya, it will be interesting to know whether this action of submitting "resignation" letters during the AGM is the best approach? In actual sense, he don't even have to do that since based on the society constitution all previous appointments would have automatically ceased to be valid with the dissolvement of the committee.

Many organisations issue new letter of appointments to their immediate past advisors in every new term of office. If one desires, one can politely declines the re-appointment, if there is any one forthcoming, when the newly elected committee decides on the new list of advisors. This is just like when devotees offers medicine dana to a monk, if the monk felt that he had enough or do not feel like having more, he puts his hand on top of the alms bowl to convey his intention. No questions asked. The monk did not need to be coaxed to take more. Well informed devotees will surely understands that gesture and will just move on to offer dana to the next monk. Period. - Loka