A NEW Buddhist temple and learning centre costing some RM16mil is coming up in Bandar Sri Sendayan near Seremban, Negri Sembilan.
The Fo Guang Shan Cultural and Educational Centre on 0.75ha will, among others, house a main hall, dining area, meditation hall, preschool, classrooms, youth activity centre and an auditorium that will be able to accommodate 200 people.
The construction cost will be borne by philanthropist Datuk Seri Lee Tian Hock who is Matrix Concepts Holdings Bhd founder and group executive deputy chairman.
“Bandar Sri Sendayan had all places of worship, making it a truly Malaysian township,” Lee said in his speech at the groundbreaking and blessing ceremony attended by some 700 people.
Matrix Concepts is the developer of Bandar Sri Sendayan township.
Apart from a mosque, there is already a Hindu temple besides plans to build a gurdwara (Sikh temple) and a church in the pipeline.
Also present were Negri Sembilan industrialisation and non-Muslim affairs committee chairman Teo Kok Seong and Fo Guang Shan head monk Master Hsin Bao.
“These ceremonies were originally set for last November but had to be deferred as the Fo Guang Shan Association had many other programmes,” said Lee.
Master Xin Bao, a Buddhist priest from Taiwan, was invited to preside over the ceremony.
Teo, in his speech, said that although the land conversion for places of worship was time consuming, “we are glad that it has finally been completed.”
“The state government had also helped facilitate this and the creation of a non-Islamic Affairs portfolio is a further testament to this,” he said.
Teo also announced a RM20,000 allocation from the Negri Sembilan government for the project.
