Community spirit in Bentong
About one hour away from our capital city which is Kuala Lumpur, we have our beautiful Kechara Forest Retreat which is located in the town of Bentong, Pahang. You can read more about how we found our land here.
Bentong is a small town and it has a very nice waterfall which is a tourist attraction. I visit this waterfall from time to time to do my prayers and meditations there, and to bring groups of students there to relax and enjoy the place. The drive down to the waterfall which is called Jalan Chamang is quite scenic with big, wonderful trees. Many people run up and down this road, and also bike down this road. And coincidentally, Kechara Forest Retreat happens to be located along Jalan Chamang!
To celebrate Malaysia Day which was on September 16, 2015 the Bentong City Council wanted to organise a gotong royong event to clean up and beautify Jalan Chamang. I am told gotong royong refers to an activity organised by the neighbourhood and residents to do something beneficial for the local community, and to foster community spirit.
A group photo of all the participants together with Yang DiPertua Mohammad Shahid bin Ismail (centre, in grey). Click to enlarge the image in a new window
This is definitely something that Kechara is in support of because as part of our work to create conscious communities, of course it means to be conscious of our environment and to add value to whatever environment and community we find ourselves in. So Kechara was invited to organise the event in collaboration with the council which was very, very nice. I am so happy we were able to be a part of this because definitely Kechara is a part of the Bentong community and we wish to give something back. I have been in Malaysia for over 20 years and Malaysia and her people have been very kind to me, so I have much to be grateful for.
The event today was officiated by the President of Majlis Perbandaran Bentong (Bentong City Council), Yang Dipertua (YDP) Mohammad Shahid bin Ismail who I am told was very enthusiastic and supportive of this event, and took a very hands-on approach in organising it. Thank you so much YDP for taking time out of your busy schedule to spearhead and grace this event.
From Kechara, Pastor Henry Ooi and Nicholas Yu were our liaisons with the Bentong City Council to help organise this. The event received the cooperation of various government and private organisations, for example Alam Flora, Jawatankuasa Perwakilan Penduduk (JPP – Residents’ Representative Committee), Jawatankuasa Kampung- Kampung Baru (JKKB – Committee of New Villages), Jabatan Hutan (Forestry Department), Solid Waste Corp Malaysia and Komuniti Combi Felda Lurah Bilut.
Wonderful Kecharians helping to clean Jalan Chamang on Malaysia Day
Malaysians from all walks of life came to participate in this gotong royong initiative which would not have been possible without the kindness of these volunteers who participated in this community effort to improve our beautiful Bentong. 67 Kecharian volunteers joined 100 volunteers from these various departments. Together with machinery and lorries, everyone worked together and cleaned up the whole Jalan Chamang in three short hours!
Kechara Forest Retreat was chosen as the gathering point for this gotong royong initiative because it is exactly at the mid-point of Jalan Chamang, equidistant from the waterfall and also from the town centre. So the day before the event, our Kechara Forest Retreat team supervised three flagpoles erected at the front of our land, to raise our Malaysia flag, Pahang state flag and also our Kechara flag. Then they supervised the set up of the event location which was held behind our Gyenze chapel.
The entrance of Kechara Forest Retreat with our Pahang state flag (left), Malaysian flag (centre) and Kechara flag (right). As we are equidistant from the Chamang Waterfall and Bentong town, KFR was chosen as the gathering place for this gotong royong initiative
On the morning of Malaysia Day, at 7:30am, all of the volunteers gathered at the front of Kechara Forest Retreat. A group photo was taken and YDP gave an opening speech welcoming everyone’s participation in the event. He mentioned that as the Chamang Waterfall is a tourist attraction point, it is a good idea to clean up the road leading to it which is Jalan Chamang. YDP also said that it is important for the Forestry Department to plant nice, big trees at the places where we are clearing the rubbish to discourage littering in the future. YDP then thanked the various departments for giving their support whenever the City Council needs help, and thanked Kechara for our support of this event.
After that, everyone divided into their respective groups to focus on specific stretches of Jalan Chamang, before gathering back at Kechara Forest Retreat for lunch. Below are the details of what was organised for this gotong royong event, along with the names of the people and companies who sponsored them. I wish to thank everyone for making this event such a success, and especially to thank YDP Mohammad Shahid bin Ismail for his leadership, initiatives and works to improve Bentong. The Majlis Perbandaran Bentong, or Bentong City Council, has been supportive of our presence here in the community and I am so happy we were able to do something to give back to Bentong as we always have and always will do. I thank all of them very much.
Wherever we go and whomever we meet, we should endeavour to leave the people and places in a better state than when we first met them. And if we cannot hurt them, then at least do no harm to them. So I am very proud of my Kecharians who were involved in this event and I hope we will do much more of this in the future.
Tsem Rinpoche
GOTONG ROYONG HARI MALAYSIA (Malaysia Day Gotong Royong)
1) Volunteers
- Public: 100 people
- Kechara: 67 people
2) Tools required for the cleaning
- Face mask: 200 pcs
- Wheelbarrow: 10 units
- Shovel: 20 units
- Garbage bags (35″x40″): 20 packets (10 pcs/pkt)
- Gloves: 190 pairs
- Rake: 20 units
* sponsored by KLH and contractor
3) Canopy set up
- Three canopies
- Chairs: 150 units
- Squares tables: six units (food)
- Round table: one unit (VIP)
- Stage
- Sound system
* sponsored by contractor Nam Fong Quarry
4) Food delivery
- Breakfast (nasi lemak) at 7:30am
- Lunch (mee goreng) at 12pm
* sponsored by Tawakal Restaurant
5) Machinery
- Alam Flora: one backhoe; two lorries
- Majlis Perbandaran Bentong: one backhoe; two lorries
- Kechara: two backhoes; four lorries (the backhoe driver and lorry drivers volunteered for this event)
Some of the equipment sponsored for this gotong royong initiative
Yang DiPertua Mohammad Shahid bin Ismail makes his opening speech
Some of the food sponsored by Tawakal Restaurant for the volunteers who came from all departments of Kechara, as well as the public and different government departments
Head of the Kechara Forest Retreat team Pastor Henry Ooi with the President of Majlis Perbandaran Bentong (Bentong City Council) Yang DiPertua (YDP) Mohammad Shahid bin Ismail. Thank you YDP for organising and officiating this event
Kechara Forest Retreat team with Yang DiPertua Mohammad Shahid bin Ismail. From left to right, Phng Li Kheng, Pastor Chia Song Peng, Pastor Henry Ooi, Nicholas Yu, Pamela Yap, Julia Tan and Khoo Hou Haw
Volunteers being briefed by Nicholas
Although it was very early in the morning, everyone was all-smiles and eager to get started
Distributing the supplies before setting off for their various routes to clean Jalan Chamang. Face masks and gloves were worn for protection
Distributing gloves to protect hands
Jeffrey Khor who is a very dedicated volunteer for the Puja House
Our Kecharians raring and ready to go!
Cute! Young and old, everyone was keen to lend a helping hand...no matter how small their hands!
Alam Flora and Majlis Perbandaran Bentong provided one backhoe each, and Kechara provided another two
Backhoes setting off to clear larger clumps of rubbish that volunteers would not be able to tackle by hand. The lorries were there to collect the rubbish to be transported away
Our President of Kechara House Datuk May Phng was there and hands-on
The lorries would come by and pick up bags of rubbish and debris cleared by the volunteers
Can you recognise her? Host of The Paranormal Zone Ms Phng Li Kim (left, with glasses) with her face mask on. Li Kim is more used to trekking through jungles looking for the supernatural!
KB Thapa who is one of my personal attendants and someone I have come to love very much. Although he was awake the whole night, he came to volunteer in this event and show his support
Ms Karen Chong and Ms Carmen Koo of Tsem Ladrang's gift team. These two wonderful ladies are a real treasure, and always helpful and smiling. It is a pleasure to work with these two responsible women always. I thank them very much for getting involved with this gotong royong event.
Ms Chin San (white) and Ms Jace Chong (red) of Kechara inMotion digging through the undergrowth and doing a very thorough job
Motorists driving along Jalan Chamang this morning would have seen groups of volunteers wearing our wonderful Kechara shirt clearing up with the local community
Teams of Kecharians on both sides of the road, giving back to our Bentong community who have been supportive of our presence here in town. I was very happy to see this
One the backhoes makes its way in the direction of the Chamang Waterfall to aid in clean-up efforts
Young Adults of Kechara (or YAK) clearing up and sorting glass for recycling
Volunteers cleared rubbish wherever they found it, and loaded it into black rubbish bags ready for the lorries to pick up
Members of the public and various government departments, and also Kechara volunteers broke up into teams and covered different stretches of Jalan Chamang to make sure it was cleared
Kechara volunteers working hand-in-hand with local Bentong residents to beautify our Jalan Chamang
Pastor Chia showing off his find
The backhoes tackled larger areas of rubbish which could not be cleared by hand
Rakes and spades were used to clear the street
The majority of the work was done by hand as volunteers walked up and down the length of Jalan Chamang to remove all the rubbish
Did Pat Ng of Kechara Saraswati Arts find something interesting???
The young volunteers having some fun with the wheelbarrow
It was hard work and quite hot but everyone was very happy to help. We love being a part of Bentong and want to give back to the community
For more interesting information:
- The Kechara Soup Kitchen category on my blog
- ‘Beat the Haze’ with Kechara!
- 3,000kg of rice for Bentong & YB Dato’ Sri Dr Liow Tiong Lai
- Donating Dog Food to Various Animal NGOs
- Rinpoche saving doggy at 3am on the highway
- Driving in West Hollywood today
- Rinpoche buying lottery?
- Kindness and coffee for a fundraiser (posted by admin)
- Rinpoche’s Giving – A roof for those without a shelter
- Would you have noticed them in 3 seconds?
- What Tsem Rinpoche did in L.A…
- What did Tsem Rinpoche do in New York City’s cold winter night?
- Yayasan Kechara Indonesia (YKI)
- See what Kechara is doing in Shanghai!
- Why Malaysia?
- Auspicious Mongolian Omen
- The Gyenze Chapel – Increasing Form of Dorje Shugden
Please support us so that we can continue to bring you more Dharma:
If you are in the United States, please note that your offerings and contributions are tax deductible. ~ the tsemrinpoche.com blog team
Great job to the organiser. It is a meaningful event and I am glad that I participated in this Gotong Royong to help clean up Jalan Chamang. It is a great way to contribute to the community and clean up the environment nearby Kechara Forest Retreat. I just hope people will care for the cleanliness and not throw rubbish everywhere. We are living in a civilize country where we have proper place to manage the rubbish.
Community work is very important to everyone and gives us an opportunity to give back to our society. we must always support of many more different community work its a great spirit, I was personally was involved resent cleaning program and it just feels great to do.. Thank you Rinpoche for opportunity
It is wonderful to see so many people who are willing to get up early on a public holiday to do something that does not benefit them but to benefit the public.
It is sad to see that many people, be it locals or tourists to a particular place tend to treat it like a rubbish dump and dumping their rubbish wherever they please.
The rubbish lying by the roadside is not a welcome sight and it is good to see the local municipal council along with the public and volunteers from Kechara all working together to clean up Jalan Chamang.
This will give a good and positive image to all who will use this stretch of road as neat and tidy.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing!
Being at this event was very special for me. I have never experienced such a large event of this kind, and i sure am glad i did.
Its always good to do something to your community. It doesn’t even have the be the community which you live in. I don’t live in Bentong, yet i still cleaned up the roads and helped out. Its not for personal gain. In a way it may be because you feel good about yourself after you’ve done the job, but its about helping other and the environment around you.
Everywhere we go we must do something for our surroundings, whether it be to clean the roads, or to help someone cross the road. It doesn’t matter. We must be aware that we can help, and help. That is how we become good people.
Cleaning up and picking up trash in front of KFR may not have been so fun (it actually was 🙂 ) but its not about whether you like it, its about whats best for the people around you. Its never nice to have dirty streets, and if nobody else is going to do anything about it, we might as well have. And thats what we did that day. I hope that this event inspired many in the community of Bentong to do more events like this for the sake of the beautiful environment of that lovely town.
I remember that day as good fun while doing something good. I was happy to be a help to the people and the community spirit in cleaning up. I was also happy to have collected many pieces of rubbish and my brother and I were the only people that could climb down the side of road to get bags of rubbish down there. It felt good to get dirty while making something cleaner.
I felt especially good when we got a huge paradise for bottles, we found at least 50 bottles there. Must be a hangout. But I felt useful for the right reasons. To help the people of Bentong and KFR with their connection to Bentong.
I didn’t do it because it was exercise of because I had to. I did it because I also wanted to understand how some road cleaners feel across the world. This is just my thought, but I have heard it is the worst job to have, and I wanted to get a taste. Then I felt thankful to everything in my life and I also appreciated how many people out there do such dirty jobs to do somethings that most people don’t notice. Those are just my thoughts. I hope they make sense :p.
Gotong-royong to do spring cleaning and others activities bring back so much memory when we were in school or staying in kampong (village). This is Malaysian way of getting community works done by working together – with some people bring in tools, some bring in kuih-muih and drinks, some bring in human power and etc.
We all love and appreciate clean and beautiful environment, and beautiful environment can only be gained and maintained by having all of us contributing into it…
This is truly a meaningful way to celebrate Malaysia Day. Thanks for all parties involved in organising this go tong-royong and all the beautiful photos. 🙂
Gotong Royong is a custom of Malaysia, Truly Asia that most of our kids have become a stranger to. I was so glad that Kechara Forest Retreat reignited this spirit of community in Bentong. Giving back to the community that we have come to belong to is important to establish harmony and sense of belonging.
It was so nice to see everyone get together to make a spot in Malaysia clean and beautiful on Malaysia Day.
Not only did we clean up, we also planted trees to replace the illegal rubbish sites that unofficially became dumping ground.
May Malaysia develop greater consciousness about the environment and may Kechara always find ways to compliment the community spirit here.
It was a wonderful way to spend Malaysia Day, contributing our energy and time to clean up a place we call home. When we have love in our heart for our country, no racket will change that.
Thank you Kechara Forest Retreat for this opportunity to do my small part.
With folded palms,humbly,
Stella
What a meaningful way to spend Malaysia Day by fostering community spirit and harmony through a good old fashion gotong royong. Back when I was younger, there were many of these community based initiatives to clean up our schools and village/residential areas. The spirit of togetherness and neighbourliness are something I miss since I moved to the city.
Good to see this happening in KFR, Bentong especially on Malaysia Day, celebrating what being Malaysian is really about.
Thank you for this post and lovely photos, Rinpoche!
In Belgium we are missing something. I see you there (i do not talk about the nuns or lama’s or monks), work together, organise things together. it is amazing. Here i did my vows but i’m not often because of THAT situation in the temple. Here they come and go and nobody cares one for another. They may come in my house, but they never do. If i write the temple there is no answer. … keep it the way you do!
Since school days we have gotong royong in school and our neighbourhood. This is a good way clean up our environment, and to bond our relationship among people from all walks of life, regardless of their races, religions and cultural background. That’s the Malaysian way to foster community spirit 🙂