03/05/2025

SATURDAY | MAY 3, 2025

COMMUNITY 7

Preparations for colourful Wesak floats procession

o Lighting ceremony to be held tonight to usher in annual Buddhist festival

Ű BY SIVAA TANGAI RAJU newsdesk@thesundaily.com

Students given career options on digital exploration platform Shanti (left) and Creador founder and CEO Brahmal Vasudevan at the launch of Schola.

KLANG: A recent feat to create the ‘Biggest Floor Mural Made of Sporting Goods’ at SMK Bukit Tinggi here has found a place in the Malaysia Book of Records. The 40ft by 40ft mural, jointly built by staff and students of the school, was constructed entirely of sporting equipment such as balls, cones and racquets. It was undertaken in conjunction with GreenBay CES’s 10th anniversary celebration last Saturday. The event was held to emphasise a message of community and empowerment, as the items used to create the mural were later donated to ten schools. The schools were selected based on input from local education authorities and identified as needing greater support in non-academic resources. The sporting goods were donated to five primary and five secondary schools across the Klang district, MALACCA: The Melaka Buddhist Youth Society (MBYS) is geared up to participate in the Wesak Float Official Lighting Ceremony tonight, in conjunction with the forthcoming Wesak Day celebrations this month. The event will be held at Dhammacakka Buddha Vihara temple in Bukit Rambai from 7pm to 9pm. MBYS adviser Chan Weng Keng told theSun that MBYS will also be involved in the Wesak procession and organise a float workshop for the Buddhist Society school as this year marks the tenth-year grand Wesak celebration. “Wesak Day was announced as a public holiday in 1962,” he explained. “Since then, we have celebrated it in a very grand way every ten years. We were supposed to have it in 2022, but unfortunately it was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “In honour of this milestone, MBYS is proud to take part in the Wesak procession in Malacca (on May 11) and host a float workshop for the Buddhist Society in accordance with our longstanding practices,” he said. He also expressed his gratitude to sponsors who kept MBYS moving forward with its intention of having a meaningful celebration. “We would like to thank our adviser Datuk Lim Ban Hong for donating RM8,000 for the event, Dhammacakka Buddhist Vihara for sponsoring the venue, Cheng Hoon Teng Temple for food sponsorship and Bina Kimpal Engineering Sdn. Bhd for financing the float’s rack. “Not only that, MBYS sincerely honours and respects all devotees who came forward to contribute with monetary sponsorship,” he said.

KUALA LUMPUR: With SPM results just released, most students have to make career choices. To help them along, Schola, Malaysia’s first free digital exploration platform, was launched recently at The Grounds in MAHSA Avenue. Along with the launch, a career discovery festival, “Kepoh Kerja Dengan Schola”, was held with booths manned by over 50 professionals and activities designed to help students discover their career paths. The career festival was held in response to a recent trend which revealed that eight out of ten Malaysian secondary school students lacked essential knowledge about their chosen careers, and seven out of ten did not actively research career options. Shockingly, six out of ten based their career choices on short term factors. “Students are being asked want they want to be when they grow up. Hence our goal is to shift the focus by ensuring career exposure starts much earlier,” said Maha Subramaniam, vice-president of Creador Foundation and head of Schola.

To assist students in making informed decisions, Schola developed 150 job guides to expose students to real-life career insights, through a simple and fun career personality quiz. Snce its introduction in August last year, Schola has reached 190,000 users across all states and generated 4.7 million organic social media views, supported by 2,300 teachers nationwide. At the launch, Shanti Kandiah, protector of Creador Foundation, said: “By encouraging students to consider their future fields of study and careers earlier, we aim to help them visualise the larger possibilities that lie ahead. “Schola is committed to instilling this long-term perspective in young people, offering support through any obstacles they may face,” she said. To discover more, Schola invites students, teachers and parents to explore schola.org.my. For potential collaborations, including NGOs, industry partners and school systems, email schola@creador foundation.com

Youths preparing a float that will be part of the grand procession on May 11.

learn about kindness, discipline and living a life guided by good morals. “Obviously, tradition can play a vital role in shaping the character and values of our youth. “The ceremony is not only to convey Buddha’s teachings but also to create a space for families to earn harmony,” she said. Similarly, Tan Ee Wern, 29, said that she will attend the Wesak Float Official Lighting Ceremony with her parents and fiance to offer gratitude and seek blessings in return. “We are attending the ceremonyas a family to gain blessings and prosperity in life. It’s going to be a pure cultural and spiritual experience. “I truly appreciate the efforts of the organisers and volunteers for keeping this meaningful tradition alive,” she said.

Keng noted that the Wesak Float Official Lighting Ceremony tonight is anticipated to draw 150 to 200 devotees, and refreshments will be provided for those who attend. Local Buddhist devotees are eagerly awaiting the event, with many appreciating it for incorporating cultural and traditional elements besides the religious values. Charlene Tan, 35, said that attending the ceremony is a blessing as the traditional chants and peaceful atmosphere radiate the deep values of Buddhism, including compassion, respect and mindfulness. “I’m really excited to participate with my children in the event as it serves as a powerful way to transmit cultural values to the younger generation and provide an inspiring environment for children to

Record-setting ‘floor mural’ created in donation initiative for schools

responsibility can go hand in hand.” The Malaysia Book of Records plaque was presented during the ceremony, followed by the symbolic handover of sporting goods to the selected schools. As the mural was deconstructed, each item was packed and redistributed, ensuring that what was once a symbol of achievement would become a valuable resource for young learners. Other schools receiving the sporting goods were SK Taman Klang Jaya, SK Batu Unjur, SK Bukit Tinggi, SMK Rantau Panjang, SMK Tengku Ampuan Jemaah, SMK Batu Unjur and SMK Raja Mahadi. “As we celebrate 10 years of growth, we wanted to do something historic and meaningful,” said Chong Lin Kong, director of GreenBay KL. “This mural represents what we’ve always believed in – real success lies in building people and giving back to the communities that grow with us.“

Participants pose with the giant mural while displaying the plaque from the Malaysia Book of Records.

Tinggi. “It was more than a celebration. It brought students, educators and industry leaders together in a meaningful way, and showed how creativity and corporate social

style games and a long service award ceremony honouring dedicated staff from GreenBay CES and VSAT. “We are honoured to have hosted this inspiring event,“ said Norlia Zolkiaply, principal of SMK Bukit

including SK Jalan Kebun, SK Telok Panglima Garang, and SMK Bukit Tinggi. SMK Bukit Tinggi welcomed over 200 participants for the event, which included family activities, telematch