Direction to Selangor Wesak Celebration

Direction to Auditorium Dewan Jubli Perak, Bangunan SSAAS, Shah Alam for the Selangor State Level Wesak Celebration on 5 June 2011

New Public Crematorium in Puchong

More than three years ago Buddhists residing around Subang Jaya, Puchong and Serdang submitted proposal to the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) Local Draft Plan to build a crematorium to cater to the needs of Buddhists and Hindus who opted for cremation after their death.

The attendees during the ceremony

This morning a ground breaking ceremony was held at the location where the crematorium will be built. The proposed crematorium is located  at Batu 14 Puchong within a tract of land which is between a Hindu and Chinese cemetery. Those who attended the ceremony include Selangor State Exco members Ronnie Liu Thian Khiew and Dr. Xavier Jayakumar, Puchong MP Gobind Singh, Subang Jaya assemblyman Hannah Yeoh, MPSJ acting president Abdullah Marjunid and councillors, representatives from Buddhist and Hindu organizations and other local community leaders.

The Buddhist representatives at the ground breaking ceremony

Representatives from the Buddhist community present were chairman of Selangor Buddhist Development Committee and MPSJ councillor Loka Ng Sai Kai; Putra Heights Buddhist Society president Chua Teck Seong; Fo Guang Malaysia advisor Seow Chye Hiap and representatives from Serdang Buddhist Association.

Selangor Exco Ronnie Liu performed the ground breaking at the site of  the crematorium

The public crematorium costing RM1.2 million with one incinerator will be built by MPSJ and expected to be ready end of the year. Ronnie Liu, the Selangor Exco responsible for local government in his speech pledged a grant of RM100,000 to enable MPSJ to fit the crematorium with two incinerators rather than one. Each incinerator costs about RM400,000 and MPSJ need to source the balance RM300,000 for the second incinerator.

Chua Teck Seong on behalf of the Buddhist community thank the state government for building the much needed crematorium facility.- Loka SK Ng

Selangor State Level Wesak Celebration

Today is the auspicious Wesak Day and Buddhists in the State of Selangor rejoice and welcome the announcement that the State Government will be organising the official State Level Wesak Celebration in conjunction with the Buddhist community in the state. Buddhists comprises the second largest religious group in the state after Islam.

The official event will be held on 5 June 2011 at the Jubli Perak Auditorium at the State Secretariat Office in Shah Alam. A main organising committee headed by the Selangor State Assembly Speaker Teng Chang Khim will organise the event with the support and cooperation of Buddhist groups in the state. - Loka SK Ng

PM skips Wesak do

Is there any coincidence that  Prime Minister Najib Razak will be travelling overseas during this year's Wesak celebration which falls on May 17?

In recent years, it has been customary for a Malaysian Prime Minister to join the Buddhist community to celebrate Wesak Day with high tea in one of the local Buddhist temples. This practice is similiar to the PM's visits to other places of worship during other major religious festivities celebrated in the country.

It was reported Monday in the national news agency Bernama that Prime Minister Najib will be attending an investment function in New York on May 17. This means he will not be in the country for the customary goodwill visit to a Buddhist temple to celebrate Wesak with the devotees. The Buddhist community in Malaysia is the second largest religious group after Muslims in a country which has various public holidays commemorating many religious and cultural festivals.

Reliable sources revealed that the Prime Minster initially plans to visit a major Buddhist centre in Petaling Jaya but changes his plan recently. In his absence, the Minister of KPI and Unity Koh Tsu Koon are expected to represent him to attend the Wesak function in Petaling Jaya.

While PM Najib will be skipping the Wesak do this year by flying out of the country during the most important day for Buddhists, the community will be as usual carry on with their routine of prayers, meditation and performing charitable deeds on the Holy Wesak Day.

The Buddhist community all this while has been self reliant in managing and maintaining their religious affairs with minimal support or interference from the government. With or without the PM presence on Wesak Day, would it make any difference now? - Loka SK Ng

Buddhagunupakan Award

The Standing Committee on Religion, Arts and Culture of the House of Representatives, Thailand recently presented 536 Buddhist individuals  and organizations with the Buddhagunupakan Award to recognize the awardees for their exemplary, dedicated and excellent contributions to Buddhism.



With the Buddhagunupakan Kancanakiartigun presented by the Thai Parliament.

The award presentation which was held on 23 April 2011 at Maha Chulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, Ayuthaya, Thailand was presided by His Most Venerable Somdejphramaharatchamangala of the Supreme Sangha Council of Thailand.

With Ven. Hsing Ting (centre) of Fo Guang San and Ven. Dhammakosajarn of Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University

This award has been presented for the last three years for Thai citizens but beginning this year Buddhists from 18 foreign countries were also picked to receive the awards. There are three categories in the award, namely Supreme, Highest and Outstanding Decoration of Excellence. There were 17 receipients for the Supreme category, 195 for Highest category and 324 for Outstanding category.

Among the notable foreign recipients for the Buddhagunupakan Supreme Decoration of Excellence were Most Venerable Thich Nhat Hanh from Plum Village, France and Most Venerable Hsing Yun of Fo Guang San, Taiwan.

Fellow awardees from Taiwan, Mongolia, Malaysia and Thailand

For the Buddhagunupakan Kancanakiartigun - Highest Decoration of Excellence, foreign awardees include the first President of the Republic of Kalmykia Kirsan Ilyumzhinov; Most Venerable Ching Yao of Taiwan; Most Venerable Gyana Ratna Bhikkhu of Bangladesh and Most Venerable Daranagama Kusaladhamma Nayaka Thero of The Buddhist TV Channel, Sri Lanka.

Malaysians who were conferred the Buddhagunupakan Kancanakiartigun award include Loka Ng Sai Kai, former deputy president and currently advisor of the World Fellowship of Buddhist Youth and Ong See Yew, the president of Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia.