Story by Victor Seow
Pix by Law Suun Ting
THE Penang Buddhist Association (PBA), founded in 1925, celebrated its 90th anniversary on Oct 3 in an elaborate ceremony which saw the attendance of many prominent monks and also the who’s who within the Buddhist fraternity.
The history of PBA began in the 1920s when a small group of enthusiastic Buddhists gathered weekly at the Pitt Street Goddess of Mercy Temple to listen to Buddhist sermons.
From this gathering, a fraternity sprung up and it was this group of lay people who formed the Penang Buddhist Association to study Buddhism.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who was present at the event, paid tribute to the tireless efforts of the association in its humanitarian programmes to bring about positive changes in society.
“It is most worthy to note that the association has promoted education by providing the young within the inner city an affordable kindergarten and gives out annual educational grants for poor deserving students pursuing tertiary education. For the destitute and aged, it has set up a non-paying senior citizens’ home,” said Lim.
“For the sick and poor, I am pleased to note that the association continues to provide weekly free medical services in both Western and Chinese medicine, organised regular blood donations and regular distribution of daily necessities irrespective of race or religious affiliations,” he added.
Also present were Komtar assemblymember Teh Lai Heng, PBA president Datuk Seri Khoo Keat Siew, chairman of the organising committee for the anniversary celebrations Chan Seong Lok and the president of the Malaysian Buddhist Association Datuk Seri Seck Jit Heng.
Highlights of the event, themed “Promoting Religious Affinity Thru The Years (1925-2015)”, included drum performances by students from several Chinese primary schools, releasing of balloons to mark the occasion, chanting by Sangha members of the Mahayana and Theravada traditions and a vegetarian lunch for all invited guests and devotees.
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