Milestone Buddhist Projects in Singapore
Facilitator
Teo Puay Kim graduated with an honours degree in Business Administration from NUS in 1998. His first job was with the Singapore Tourism Board where he worked for four years before taking the leap into entrepreneurship. Following participation in a string of businesses, Puay Kim returned to the tourism industry where, today, he works as a Tourism Consultant for foreign tourism authorities and has the good karma of being paid to visit exotic, far flung tourism spots.
Puay Kim started learning Buddhism seriously when he joined the NUS Buddhist Society in 1994. After practising the faith sporadically for almost 15 years, Puay Kim realises that the key to happiness in Buddhism is to give and to share. Today, Puay Kim is active in the Buddhist circle as the current head of the NUS Buddhist Society Alumni and a member of 3GEMS, a Buddhist tour guiding group. Puay Kim knows that Buddhism has a lot to offer to today's society and he actively searches for new ways to propagate the Dharma.
Panel Speakers
Yap Ching Wi is the Manager of the Youth Ministry in Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery for the past six years. She was trained in social work from the National University of Singapore and social policy from the London School of Economics. She is an active volunteer and has contributed in organisations such as AWARE, the Re-making Singapore Committee and the Singapore Association of Social Workers.
She encountered Buddhism formally eight years ago when she was searching for ways to be a wiser and more compassionate person. Inspired by the Bodhisattva path that an ordinary person like her can find peace, happiness and success, not just for herself but for others simultaneously, she is committed to this ideal as her highest life goal. May Amitabha Buddha guide all sentient beings towards peace, happiness and the ultimate Enlightenment. Amituofo.
Kerwin Kwek Zeming is currently an undergraduate student in the course of Bioengineering at National University of Singapore and the President for Singapore Buddhist Mission (SBM) - Youth. He volunteered his service to SBM at the age of 12 after participating in the first Camp Ehi-Passiko (1997) organised by SBM - Youth. Ever since its establishment in 1997, SBM - Youth has organised 15 camps and have 200 members. The success of SBM - Youth lies in the ability to organise camps to cater to the needs of youth. Some other activities of SBM - Youth includes organising annual Dharma Talks, volunteering and participating in Vesak @ Orchard, community service and weekly sharing sessions.
Cell Lim Siew Wee has been active on the performing arts scene since 1997, and headed the Cultural Activities and Social Service Club in Ngee Ann Polytechnic. He also spear headed the first senior citizens performing group with the Lions Befrienders.
Currently a youth worker with Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery, Cell focuses on developing Buddhist youth leaders. He is also actively involved in organising youth inter-faith activities bringing religious youth leaders together. As a participant in the National Youth Forum 2006, he embarked on a new programme to provide a platform (the first Singapore Inter-Faith Youth Forum 2007) for religious youth leaders to network, communicate, hold intellectual exchanges and work on common issues together. Cell was a project co-ordinator for the Singapore Buddhist Federation's Project Million Lotus 2006 and 2007, in celebration of inter-faith harmony. His other interests include movies, animal welfare, environmental protection and grassroots initiatives.
Overseas Initiatives By Singapore Buddhist Groups
Facilitator
Serena Sim is currently the Head of Department for Membership, Events and Communications for the Singapore-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce. Besides being a paramedic volunteer with the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and the Singapore Red Cross Society, she is also a member of the International Federation Red Cross (IFRC)'s Regional Disaster Response Team. She has gone for humanitarian aid missions to Indonesia, Sri Lanka and most recently, Myanmar.
Serena is a happy, active volunteer with the Kong Meng San Phor Kark See Monastery (KMSPKS) Youth Ministry. She is also a facilitator with KMSPKS's Y_Fellowship.
Panel Speakers
Victor Lim is currently the Head of Department for Fund Raising and Volunteer Development in Man Fut Tong Nursing Home. Prior to joining the Home in 2004, Victor was with Singapore Airlines for 15 years as a Cabin Crew.
Born into a Buddhist family, Victor was introduced to Buddhism at a very young age which greatly influenced his lifestyle and his outlook in life. Even with his hectic schedule during his stint with Singapore Airlines, Victor managed to devote time helping the less fortunate and serving the Buddhist community. Victor is a founding member and current President of Dana Citta Buddhist Society (DCBS). Established in June 2007, the main objective of DCBS is to provide a platform for well-wishers to make contributions to serve the Triple Gem and other fellow mankind, especially in developing countries where there is a genuine need. Prior to setting up DCBS, Victor set up Sutra Foundation in 2004 with the objective of printing sutras for temples and monasteries in less well-off countries, which do not have the financial means to do so. To date, Victor has spearheaded 13 sutra printing projects in various countries across Asia.
Arnold Lee graduated with an honours degree in Civil Engineering from NUS in 1990. His first job was with a Scandinavian design consultancy firm, Det Norske Veritas group, where he worked for more than five years. Subsequently, he did a post-graduate degree in Project Management, while working for a regional real estate developer. Today, he works as a Senior Manager for City Developments Limited, a leading global real estate developer firm, which he has joined since year 2001.
Arnold started learning Buddhism seriously during his 2nd year in NUS, when he was staying in a campus hostel where an Australian monk used to give regular Dharma talks. Through experiences from applying Buddhist Teachings in his daily life, he realises that the key to happiness is the practice of Generosity, besides the daily meditation routine. Today, Arnold is active in the Buddhist circle as the Vice President of the Firefly Mission and also a volunteer prison counsellor with SBF. He feels that like-minded Buddhists must come together to lead by example the living Dharma, manifest our Compassion into real actions, just as Lord Buddha has shown us the path to true happiness.
Eric Chen Yu Yang is currently an economics major who is going on to his honours year with the National University of Singapore. He was the co-leader of the Project New Dawn Laos team which went to Luang Prabang, Laos to aid the village of Muang Kham. The project was organized with the support of Singapore Buddhist Lodge. Eric believes and adheres to the key philosophy of Buddhism such as the law of karma and the need to always be mindful of one's actions.
Reaching out through Buddhist Music
Facilitator
Jalyn Han trained as an all-rounded performing artiste, drama facilitator, and choreographer with the SAF Music and Drama Company for nearly 20 years. She will be celebrating her 30th anniversary in the performing arts industry next year. With numerous practical stagecraft experiences, she had conceptualized, choreographed and directed numerous productions for ministries, schools and also corporate agencies
Taking up the multiple roles in performing arts arena such as: actress, director, scriptwriter, drama facilitator, artiste trainer, stage event producer, film and music album making has always served as a journey of practical learning for Jalyn. In addition to operating various stage productions, conducting customized performing arts programme to young adults, students including mild intellectual disabled and forming vibrant performing arts troupe for non-profit organizations, Jalyn is is also currently actively involved in facilitating seniors in theatre organizing.
Panel Speakers
Tan Huat Chye graduated from Universiti Putra Malaysia with an Education Degree and a Master Degree in Socio-Psychology from Universiti Malaya and is currently the Partner and Principal Consultant of THC Consulting Sdn Bhd. Prior to this, he worked as General Manager of Organisational Development for a large local conglomerate in Malaysia (The Sunway Group).
Huat Chye got in touch with Buddhism since his schooling days in Melaka. He founded the Malacca Catholic High School Buddhist Society in 1976 and the Pasir Panjang Teachers' Training College Buddhist Fellowship in 1980. He also served two terms as the Committee Members of Buddhist Missionary Society of Malaysia and the Founding President of Kinrara Metta Buddhist Society, Puchong. Currently, he is actively giving Dharma Talks and leadership training to various Buddhist societies of colleges & universities, temples and Buddhist centres. He is also actively involved in Buddhist Translation and the development of Buddhist Music in Malaysia. Huat Chye was also an original group member of the renowned English Buddhist Hymns Group, the "Wayfarers". Huat Chye personally produced three Chinese Buddhist Hymns albums in 1988 (Yi Can Deng), 1992 (Hui Deng) and 1994 (Deng). Huat Chye was appointed twice as the judge to the International Sounds of the Human World Buddhist Songs Competition organised by Fo Guang Shan. At present, Bro. Huat Chye is officially the Advisor for the following Buddhist Organisations: " Kinrara Metta Buddhist Society " Bodhi Buddhist Group " Buddhist Business Network (BBN)
Daniel Yeo graduated from the University of Salford (UK) with a degree in Electronics and Electrical Engineering in 2001. He currently works for Carl Zeiss as a Business Development Manager (in the Ophthalmology field) where he engages in organizing medical conferences, workshops, clinical and product training for Carl Zeiss wide range of medical equipment.
With little (or no) formal musical training, Daniel, inspired by Malaysian groups like "The Wayfarer" (Datuk Victor Wee) and Bro Tan Huat Chye, began writing Buddhist songs at a tender age of 17. Motivated by a strong urge to share the Dharma through songs with the younger generation, Daniel released a series of Chinese Buddhist CDs. Daniel advocates a "FUN, INTERACTIVE & SIMPLE" way of teaching Dharma to children. To date, Daniel has produced a total of three CDs, "Come and See", "D-Kidz Chant", "Come and See 2". Daniel had given some 50 presentations in Malaysia on how to use his series of "Come and See" CDs as teaching aids for children Dharma classes. Daniel was also invited to present at a training session at New South Wales Buddhist Council in Sydney in Mar 2008.
Ng Kang Kee grew up in a small town in the Perak State, Malaysia. He learned piano since young and started to compose his first Buddhist hymns when he was 15. Kang Kee graduated from the University of Oklahoma, U.S.A and is currently a R&D engineer with a multi-national company.
After graduation, Kang Kee spent time exploring music production and arrangement. His determination to apply his musical talents in Dharma propagation rooted from the years he joined the "缘之家" youth group in Teluk Intan, Malaysia. Many hymns that he composed during that time remained popular in the Buddhist communities today. In 2000, Kang Kee produced his first Buddhist hymns album - "The Melody of Truth and Beauty", and the album was very well accepted by the Buddhist communities. Since then, he continues to produce Buddhist hymns albums for teens and children. Among them are "缘起的屋檐下", "稚心", "感恩音乐专辑"," Come & See" series. Today, Kang Kee owns a home studio and continues to run projects that utilize his talent to promote moral values and the Buddha's Teachings.
Entrepreneurs & Buddhism
Facilitator
Jason Chiew is the Executive Editor of Vaidurya, a bi-monthly, bi-lingual Buddhist lifestyle magazine published by Golden Pagoda Buddhist Temple (GPBT). He started work with the magazine in 2002 to be part of the temple's effort to revamp their newsletter into a full-colour magazine. Despite being exposed to Buddhist Teachings since young, Jason considers himself a Buddhist only a few years prior to joining GPBT. Jason's media career began as a broadcast journalist with American cable business news network CNBC Asia, and subsequently with local private television production houses as a television scriptwriter and director. Prior to joining GPBT, he was an Executive Producer with DigitalOne TV, a Singapore-based satellite television station.
Panel Speakers
Alvin Goh Yew Lee is the Managing Director of Besta Digitech Pte Ltd, a renowned business enterprise that specialized in distributions of Computerized Dictionaries. Under his management, the company has attained the ISO 9001:2000 service standard in Year 2001 and also achieved the Singapore SME 500 company for three consecutive years for Yr 2006, 2007 & 2008. This year, Besta was also awarded the Singapore SME Growth Excellence for Top Internationalising SME.
Alvin started learning Buddhism since 1985. In order to have a more in-depth understanding of Buddhism, he took up Buddhist courses with the Mahaprajna Buddhist Society and eventually took his Three Refuges and Five Precepts under Venerable Shi Hou Zhong. He started practising the Buddha's Teachings of giving and sharing through volunteering himself as a Volunteer After Care Officer with SANA to provide after care services to drug addicts in the Drug Rehabilitation Centres. He is also an active grassroot leader in promoting social cohesion and harmony to the community. He joined Venerable Sik Kwang Sheng to India for a two weeks novice program last December.
Brandon Toh holds a Master degree in Business Administration from the University of South Australia and his specialised work area is in mergers and acquisitions. He has vast work experience ranging from operating a chain of lifestyle businesses from furniture and furnishing to fashion and apparels.
Brandon found that Buddhism is a Great Way to happiness and self enrichment. Buddhism is also a Life Journey Educational Program educating and guiding through one's life journey in both spiritual and physical well-being. It can also be classified as The ART OF LIVING in which to open up our wisdom and cultivation to purify our minds. Buddhism also teaches us to keep a humane and sincere heart i.e. if we want others to smile at us, we must first smile at others. It is theory of self reflection in our daily way of life. Last but not least, it starts from the basics of Taking Refuge in the Triple Jewels and ended with the mindfulness of Dedication of Merits.
Jayram Khialani is the CEO of Oral Kare - an innovative oral hygiene products company that aims at introducing its innovations to the masses. Prior to setting up Oral Kare, he was a business consultant imbuing Dharma practices into ISO9000 systems in the workplace for clients. This was done on a profit guaranteed basis, that is, if the systems did not generate more income for the business, he would return the payment for his services.
Jayram was formally introduced to Buddhism in 2000 when a friend approached him to join her team in bringing a workshop speaker from the Enlightened Business Institute, New York. The workshop speaker arrived in December 2001. Jay was sold on the workshop when the speaker's instructions, based on Buddhist Teachings, on how to stop people shouting at him actually worked. Jay has since been practicing many Dharma-based instructions expounded in Michael Roach's book The Diamond Cutter for his business clients to good effect.