BAU: Filial piety must be practised through genuine care for parents and elders while they are still alive, said Batu Lintang assemblyman, See Chee How.
He said honouring ancestors should not be confined to memorial ceremonies but reflected through everyday words and actions.
“Filial piety is never a thing of the past. It is a crucial form of personal character building and moral education in society,” he said when officiating at the 24th Ullambana Blessing and Deliverance Dharma Assembly at Nirvana Memorial Park Kuching here today.
See said traditional memorial rites should not be dismissed as superstition as they preserve gratitude, affection and responsibility across generations.
He hoped younger people would understand that remembering their roots also teaches them to value those who remain by their side.
“Those who know how to be grateful to their parents and respect their elders will harbour love and responsibility in their hearts.
“When filial piety is passed down through generations, society will be enriched with human warmth, and neighbourhoods will live in harmony,” he said.
The Ullambana Festival is a Buddhist observance centred on filial devotion, with merits from offerings, chanting and good deeds dedicated to living parents, departed ancestors and other sentient beings.
Nirvana Memorial Park Kuching’s Executive Director, Siam Chow Jin, said the annual ceremony offered families an opportunity to remember their departed loved ones while cherishing those still with them.
During the ceremony, the memorial park donated RM5,000 to the Bau Fire and Rescue Station in appreciation of its personnel’s service to the community.
The contribution was received by the station’s deputy chief, Senior Fire Officer I Peter Jindiau.
Siam said firefighters had assisted the memorial park in handling several incidents, including a landscaping fire during this year’s Qing Ming Festival and the removal of snakes from its grounds.
“Behind every alarm and emergency call is a responsibility they carry and, very often, a risk they willingly take,” he said.
