GEORGE TOWN – The predawn blaze at the 130-year-old Kek Lok Si Temple is not as bad as it looks, as it only affected one of the common areas, said Air Itam assemblyman Joseph Ng Soon Siang.
“It was a small fire at the common area and not inside the prayer hall where the statues are placed. Incidentally, the staff were doing touch-ups on the statues and had to move the oil lamps.
“They moved the lamps to the common area and it is assumed that strong winds blew the oil lamps from the table to the ground which resulted in a fire.
“The fire that happened in the 50sq ft (4.65sq m) hall area burnt down the table, a few books and other smaller items,” he said.
During his visit to the site with Teh Lai Heng, political secretary to the state chief minister, they found that the area was already being cleared and all cleaning works should be completed today.
The temple’s chief monk was the first to discover the fire.
Ng said it will not affect temple operations and the preparations for Chinese New Year – which include the lighting of thousands of lanterns, LEDs and neon lights as part of the celebrations.
The temple, an important pilgrimage centre for Buddhists, is not yet open to the public due to Covid-19 restrictions. Only small ceremonies are allowed during this time.
Every year, thousands flock to Kek Lok Si Temple to visit the striking seven-storey Pagoda of Rama VI (Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas) with 10,000 alabaster and bronze Buddha statues and the 36.57m-tall bronze statue of the Goddess of Mercy erected in 2002.
It is also one of the largest Buddhist temples in the country. – The Vibes, October 12, 2021
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