New home for Buddhist group after 10-year wait

THE land was bought 10 years ago. The plan: erect a building to house the Singapore Buddhist Federation.

But it took almost a decade to be completed, and the federation’s eight-storey Geylang headquarters will finally have its official opening today.

With a site area roughly the size of eight badminton courts, the 6,800 sq ft building is fitted with offices, classrooms and conference halls to conduct its various religious classes. A smiling, 4m-high Buddha greets devotees at its entrance.

While the new building stands out among the row of shophouses along Lorong 24A as unmistakeably modern, the federation’s story dates back more than half a century.

When it was set up in 1949, the federation shared offices with the Singapore Buddhist Lodge in Kim Yam Road before moving into the Maha Bodhi School, which it took over in 1950.

Unlike the Lodge, a temple best-known for its free vegetarian meals and various welfare services, the federation was established to act as a governing body for Buddhist groups, ranging from Mahayana to Tibetan traditions, and schools and societies.

About 140 Buddhist groups, or two-thirds of those in Singapore, are registered with the federation, which also produces Buddhist educational material for members.

It operated from the Maha Bodhi School until deciding in 1996 to get its own premises.

Donations poured in and it was able to put down $6.6 million for its Geylang site.

But a series of events delayed the building plans. First came the financial crisis of 1997, which saw donations plummet even as the federation struggled to repay its bank loan for the land purchase.

‘We bought that lot at the height of the property boom,’ said the federation’s secretary-general, Venerable Kwang Phing, who joined the association in 1992. He did not elaborate on the amount owed.

The federation repaid its debt in 2002, but then came the Sars crisis a year later, bringing the economy to a grinding halt.

Once again, donations took a hit, and the federation raised only $140,000 in 2003, less than half of what it got the previous year.

‘We cut all our fund-raising events that year, except for Vesak Day,’ said Venerable Kwang Phing.

Three years later, the federation’s two affiliated schools – Maha Bodhi School and Manjusri Secondary School – were picked for renovation under an Education Ministry initiative.

The $48 million project required the federation to raise about $2 million itself. It proved a tough time for fund-raising, as charities were feeling the after-effects of the 2005 National Kidney Foundation scandal, which put off donors.

Mr Kua Soon Khe, the federation’s chief executive, said: ‘To be honest, we weren’t sure if we’d be able to raise the money for the schools, much less for this building. Our priority was the schools. The children come first.’

The federation continued at rented premises along Race Course Road.

In 2007, it resumed raising funds for its headquarters, and collected $4.5 million. It moved in last October, and the building will be officially opened today by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Devotees, who typically visit the federation for its religious classes, are pleased that the new building is up and running.

Madam Chen Qing Yan, 56, a federation employee of 17 years, said: ‘Now it feels like we have a home to call our own.’

Source: Straits Times, 20 Nov 2009