SETIA Alam Sambodhi Buddhist Association Selangor (SASBAS) is looking to raise RM1.2mil to complete its new Buddhist centre.
To support the project, the association will host the Sambodhi Building Fundraising Exhibition and Luncheon at the Top Glove Grand Ballroom, located in Setia Alam’s Top Glove Tower, on Oct 4.
Construction for the centre began in November 2024 after the Selangor government allocated land next to Western Park in Setia Alam to the association in December 2018.
Civil, mechanical and electrical works are 99% complete, with interior finishes, utility connections and preparations for the Certificate of Completion and Compliance (CCC) among the final steps.
SASBAS vice-president Wong Chee Kuan said the association was officially established in 2010 and moved into its current second-floor shoplot in 2012.
However, he said they had outgrown the rented premises above a coffee shop in Setia Alam.
Technical committee head Cheng Chong Hua said the existing space, measuring slightly more than 185.8sq m, limits concurrent activities.
In comparison, the new centre will span nearly 1,858sq m.
“At the new location, we will have a dedicated floor for meditation, leaving the shrine hall free for other events,” he said.
Cheng said the new building will allow dhamma talks, meditation sessions and Sunday school classes to take place simultaneously.
The association receives between 1,000 and 2,000 visitors during Wesak Day, while other events draw 100 to 500 people.
Sunday dhamma talks usually attract 20 to 50 attendees, while its Sunday school has over 70 students.
Association president Penny Loke Phaik Huah said space constraints at the existing premises meant rooms often had to serve more than one purpose.
“We had to use our kitchen as a Sunday school classroom.”
The new centre will feature at least six classrooms, a larger shrine hall, a youth library and a dedicated meditation floor.
An upper-floor multipurpose hall will also accommodate short overnight meditation retreats while other planned activities include tai chi, line dancing, calligraphy and cultural programmes.
The building will offer 34 parking bays alongside motorcycles spaces.
The association expects to move into the centre by December.
Artists to be featured in the fundraiser exhibition include contemporary realist artists Lim Ah Cheng and Lau Wai Leng, expressionist artist Soon Lai Wai, ink and wash artist Lim Kok Peng and calligraphy artist and teacher Chew Cheng Hwa.
The art exhibition will run from 9.30am to 3pm, while the luncheon will take place from 11am to 2pm.
Table sponsorships are priced at RM5,000 for the Gold category and RM2,000 for the Standard category, with proceeds from artwork sales and sponsorships going towards the new centre.
For details, contact Wong at 012-784 9101 or Loke at 012-280 0787.
