KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia May 29 (NNN-Bernama) The Wesak Day celebration is a testimony to the country's status as a model of religious harmony and freedom and was evident with Buddhists throughout the country being able to peacefully visit temples in their respective areas, to celebrate Wesak Day today.

The fine weather in the morning allowed Buddhists to perform religious rituals and ceremonies in honour of the birth, enlightenment and passing of Siddhartha Gautama, also known as Buddha.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who is also Finance Minister, is scheduled to attend the Wesak Day celebration at the Maha Vihara Buddhist temple in Brickfields this afternoon.

In SELANGOR, over 10,000 Buddhists visited the Fo Guang Shan (FGS) Dong Zen Temple in Jenjarom, Banting in conjunction with the Wesak Day celebration since last Sunday until today.

The director of the temple, Man Hui, said among the unique events introduced at the temple was a singing contest titled 'The Sounds of the Human World' for adults and children to appreciate the teachings of Buddha.

'We also visited nine Chinese schools around Selangor in conjunction with Wesak Day, giving traditional Chinese cakes to students as well as sharing knowledge about the teachings of 'humanistic Buddhism' with them, he told Bernama.

The Dong Zen Temple which houses the largest Buddha statue in Selangor, is located in an area stretching10.5 hectares in Jenjarom. It is a new tourist attraction as well as an important cultural and educational centre.

In PENANG, about 2,000 Buddhists flooded the prayer hall at the Penang Buddhist Association at Jalan Anson here until late afternoon, with foreign tourists also making a beeline for the hall. Traffic around the area was heavy. --NNN-BERNAMA

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK