Press Release on Selangor Wesak Celebration

Press Release by Mr. Loka Ng Sai Kai, Chairman of Selangor Buddhist Development Committee and Working Committee Chairman for the Majlis Sambutan Hari Wesak 2011 Peringkat Negeri Selangor in conjunction with the Majlis Sambutan Hari Wesak 2011 Peringkat Negeri Selangor organized by the Selangor State Government with the support of Buddhist organizations in Selangor.

Dated : 5th June 2011                   Time : 8:30pm

a. Buddhist community began to request for Wesak to be declared as a public holiday since 1926 when the then abbot of Mahindarama Buddhist Temple, Ven. K. Gunaratana make the proposal to the then colonial government.

b. During the Japanese occupation, a Japanese official in Dec 1944 urged the Penang Buddhist community to make representation to the Japanese government to declare Wesak in the coming year as a public holiday.

c. After World War II, the British government said it will only consider declaring Wesak as a public holiday if both the Mahayana and Theravada traditions can agree on a same date to celebrate Wesak day. A meeting on 1st March 1949 at Penang Buddhist Association agrees to celebrate Wesak Day on the full moon of May.

d. On 12th April 1949, the colonial government declares Wesak Day which falls on 12th May 1949 as a public holiday in Penang, Melaka, Kedah and Perak. Government servants who are Buddhists in Selangor, Kelantan, Perlis, Terengganu and Negeri Sembilan were given a holiday on Wesak Day.

e. After many years of efforts by Buddhist and political leaders, the Federation of Malaya government finally declares on 3rd Jan 1962 that the government had adopted the day of Wesak as a public holiday for the whole federation beginning from 1962.

f. The ability to make Wesak as a public holiday was a memorable event and great achievement in the annals of Buddhism in this country. It has united the Buddhist community to work for a common interest in seeking the government’s recognition of the community stature as the second largest religious group in the country.

g. For many years after 1962, the Buddhist community noticed that while the Prime Minister will regularly issue public congratulatory messages in-conjunction with important celebration of major religions in Malaysia, the Prime Minister’s message for Wesak Day was always conspicuously missing. It was only in 1999 after years of representation by the Buddhist community leaders that the then Prime Minister began issuing congratulatory message for Wesak Day.

h. In the 1990s, the government began organizing official state or national events for major religions in this country. But official state or national events to celebrate Wesak Day was never organized by neither any state nor federal governments.

i. Requests have been conveyed to the federal government to organized official state events for the day of Wesak but it just fell on deaf ears.

j. Looking into the past efforts of our Buddhist predecessors, the Buddhist community just wanted to be given the necessary respect and recognition as the religion with the second largest following in this country. Based on the year 2000 population census, the Buddhist population comprised 20.2% of the citizens in this country.

k. Tonight on the 5th of June 2011, the Selangor State Government had taken the lead by organizing the first ever Selangor State Level Wesak Celebration in-conjunction with this year’s Wesak Day. Never in the history of the nation have any state or even the federal government had ever organized an official state event for the day of Wesak.

l. We would like to congratulate and thank the Selangor State Government for this noble effort and undertakings. More than 45 major Buddhist organizations in Selangor had come forward to join hands to support the State Wesak Celebration.

m. Buddhist performing groups like Messengers of Dharma, i-gemz, One Voice One Melody, Persatuan Penganut Agama Buddha Bodhi KL, Pei Jie & Fo Guang San, and Mahindarama Sunday Pali School from Penang and came forward to perform in this event. Professional dance groups Dua Space Dance Theatre and The Temple of Fine Arts are also involved in the performance.

n. While Selangor had taken the lead, we hoped other state governments and the Federal Government will take cognizance and organize a state event for Wesak in the near future.

Historic Wesak Celebration in Selangor

History was created on Sunday 5th June when more than 1,200 people gathered at the Auditorium Dewan Jubli Perak, Bangunan Sultan Abdul Aziz, Shah Alam to attend the first ever Selangor State Level Wesak Celebration.

The historic moment began when the mostly Buddhists audience rise to sing the Song of the Triple Gem. It signify a breakthru for the state and the nation as the Wesak event was the first time any state or federal government had ever organized and hosted an official Wesak celebration in conjunction with Wesak Day since independence.

When the Menteri Besar (Chief Minister) Tan Sri Dato' Seri Abdul Khalid bin Ibrahim, who is a Muslim arrived to launch the event together with his wife,  he was given a rousing welcome by the audience. Accompanying him was Selangor State Assembly Speaker Dato' Teng Chang Khim, Exco member Ean Yong Hian Wah and  organizing chairman Loka Ng Sai Kai, who is also the Buddhist representative to the Selangor State non-Muslims Committee.

Others who were present during that memorable night includes senior monks from all Buddhist traditions namely Venerable Jue Cheng of Fo Guang San Malaysia, Ven. Datuk Dhammaratana Maha Thera of Buddhist Maha Vihara and Ven. Yango Rinpoche of Vajrayana Buddhist Council Malaysia, leaders from more than 45 Buddhist organization based in Selangor and president of the Malaysia Consultative Council for Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism Rev Dr. Phillips Thomas. A group of international students from nearby universities also attended the celebration.

The crowd roared with claps of approval when organizing chairman Loka Ng Sai Kai  congratulated the Selangor State Government for listening to the voices of the Buddhist community by organizing an official state celebration in honour of Wesak Day. He also urged other state governments to follow the Selangor footstep in organizing official Wesak celebration in their respective states.

Tan Sri Abdul Khalid bin Ibrahim in his speech praises the Buddhist community for their contribution through welfare, social and educational programs carried out by various Buddhist groups in the state. Khalid also shared his concern on the need of more land to build Buddhist temples to cater to the increasing number of Buddhist devotees especially in urban areas. He also proposed from next year onwards the Wesak floats procession organized by Buddhist groups in Petaling Jaya and Seri Kembangan which attracts thousands of local and foreign visitors will be inserted in the annual calendar of Tourism Selangor.

The celebration was injected with performances by some of the popular Buddhist performing groups in the country which includes Messengers of Dharma, i.gemz, Bodhi Group, One Voice One Melody and Mahindarama Sunday Pali School. Dances were presented by the internationally acclaimed Dua Space and the Temple of Fine Arts. The Fo Guang San 24 Seasons Drum Troupe also gave a splendid performance.

At the end of the celebration, Khalid and all the religious leaders joined the performers on stage to sing the Happy Wesak song. The event on Sunday night will be etched in the memory of not only the audiences present that night but also the Buddhist community as the breakthru event in the annals Buddhism in Malaysia. - Loka SK Ng

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