Tongkat Ali of Life

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi became only the second Prime Minister to celebrate Wesak Day at the 113-year-old Buddhist Maha Vihara in Brickfields

Yesterday, Chief High Priest of Malaysia, the Most Venerable K. Sri Dhammaratana, called it a historic moment for the temple, as it had been a long time since the country’s first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman visited the temple in 1967.

Abdullah’s presence was confirmed only at the last minute as he had just finished a meeting with the MSC International Advisory Panel.

In his Wesak Day greeting to Malaysians, the Prime Minister hoped that the multiracial communities would continue to live in peace so the country could continue to prosper.

“No religions asks their followers to create trouble or problems for people of other faiths,” he said.

Present were Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan, Gerakan acting president Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon, Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Loon, Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar and Wangsa Maju MP Wee Choo Keong.