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The Star
19-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
RM1.2mil allocation for Buddhist, Taoist houses of worship
The Selangor state-level Wesak Day celebration at Maha Karuna Vihara in Shah Alam included multicultural dance performances. OVER 150 Buddhist and Taoist houses of worship will benefit from a RM1.2mil allocation under Selangor's Five Religions Financial Aid Scheme (Limas) for 2025. The allocation was presented during the state-level Wesak Day celebration at Maha Karuna Vihara in Elmina, Shah Alam. State executive councillor for investment, trade and mobility Ng Sze Han said the aid could be used for repairs, maintenance and upgrades of religious facilities. 'Through Limas, we have channelled systematic yearly allocations to temples, churches and viharas,' said Ng, who co-chairs the state's Special Committee on Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism. 'This year, RM1.2mil is being disbursed to Buddhist and Taoist houses of worship under phase one of Limas 2025.' Ng (second from right) presenting the RM1.2mil mock cheque to (from left) Sri Saranankara, Ming Ji and Chean Kiat during the state-level Wesak Day celebrations. — AZLINA ABDULLAH/The Star Ng said Selangor had provided such support since 2009, reflecting its long-term commitment to religious harmony, inclusion and cultural preservation. The celebration was jointly organised by Selangor government and Theravada Buddhist Council of Malaysia (TBCM), with support from Malaysian Buddhist Consultative Council and Maha Karuna Buddhist Society. TBCM president Tan Leng Huat said, 'Our national theme for Wesak this year is 'Empathy and Wisdom based on Harmony'. 'It means using empathy and wisdom as the stimulant for harmonious living.' Tan said the inclusion of multicultural dance performances, including a 'Tarian Muhibah' at the event represented major ethnic identities through a single choreographed piece. Buddhist temple chief high priest B. Sri Saranankara Nayaka Maha Thera said the presence of multiple Buddhist traditions and representatives from other faiths was a reflection of Malaysia's strength in diversity. Present were Selangor Economic Planning Unit (local authority section) deputy director Mohd Sha'walludin Aziz, Selangor State Assembly Speaker Lau Weng San, Bukit Lanjan assemblyman Pua Pei Ling and Kota Kemuning assemblyman S. Preakas. Venerable Jue Cheng, the Fo Guang Shan chief abbess for temples in Singapore, Malaysia, India and Thailand also attended, as did Federation of Taoist Associations Malaysia secretary-general Daozhang Lau Chean Kiat, Malaysian Buddhist Association Selangor and Kuala Lumpur branch chairman Venerable Ming Ji and Malaysian Buddhist Consultative Council president Lilian Tay.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Yahoo
Century Egg Porridge Showdown: Ming Ji Zhou Pin vs We Porridge
The last time I visited Yuhua Village Market & Food Centre was for my Hor Fun Showdown. This time, I returned for another – a Century Egg Porridge Showdown. Century egg and pork congee is an umami, comforting concoction that can warm a person to their bones despite its simple nature. The black preserved duck egg ingredient may seem sketchy to ang mohs but it isn't a strange concept for most Chinese Singaporeans. I love the dish, so I was surprised when it occurred to me that I hadn't had it for a long time. Upon realising that Yuhua Village Food Centre has two porridge stalls, I decided to feature them in this month's showdown to determine which one I'd go to the next time I visit the area. First up was Ming Ji Zhou Pin near the entrance of the hawker centre. It doesn't have any official operating hours, but I learned from an elderly couple frequenting the centre that it opens early in the morning and closes as soon as 1pm. While its usually closed on Thursdays, that's not fixed and depends on when the owner decides to take the day off. Its menu consists of just congee, including combinations like Seafood Century Egg (S$4). The next contender, We Porridge operates from 8am to 8pm, though it only opened at 8.45am on the day I made my visit. Three people run the stall, which serves meat porridge and gong bao claypot dishes like Stir Fry Frog Leg (S$9.50). There was also a long queue the last few times I visited in the afternoon, which I took as a sign of its popularity. The two bowls and their prices were drastically different! Ming Ji's Century Egg Porkwas the smaller one at S$3.50. It was a decently sized portion suitable for a simple 1 pax breakfast. We Porridge's Century Egg w Lean Meat Porridge offered a larger portion for S$4.50. In my opinion, it was great value for money but almost impossible for just one person to finish. You could even share it between two or three people to save your wallet! Noodle Showdown: Chun Fu Fishball Minced Meat Noodle Laksa vs Fa Ji Minced Meat Fishball Noodle I wasn't sure if I'd been living under a rock, but I had never seen congee topped with crunchy deep-fried bee hoon before this visit. The Ming Ji vendor scooped a generous spoonful of the crushed noodles, scallions and pepper into my dish, adding more greens when I asked. Meanwhile, toppings from We Porridge were self-serve, aside from the youtiao bits the staff snipped into my bowl. The fried dough was subtly crispy until it softened in the wetness of the century egg porridge; that was surprising given my past experiences with youtiao from stalls that don't specialise in fried snacks. I took the opportunity to load it with scallions and deep-fried shallots as well as a dash of pepper and soya sauce, making sure not to add too much sauce. Remind me never to judge a book by its cover, because Ming Ji's century egg porridge was the definition of unassuming. I had observed the vendor cooking the seemingly plain white porridge without the century egg, which he only added to the bowl before ladling the rice mixture over. This made me question the dish's flavour, so imagine my surprise when I took a wary sip and found it far from tasteless! Fragrant with ginger and sesame oil, it was light yet satisfying despite not being heavily seasoned. It was also slightly watery with indistinguishable rice grains, which had mushed into the liquid after being cooked for a long time. On the other hand, We Porridge's century egg congee was thicker and viscous. The rice grains were somewhat distinguishable, but perfectly cooked as each mouthful was soft and melted in my mouth. While I liked it, my companion disagreed as she didn't fancy its thickness, commenting that it was too heavy. Taste-wise, it was more umami and saltier than Ming Ji's even without the soya sauce. As I expected, including the century egg during the cooking process had provided a savoury flavour, but it was likely also from seasoning like stock and salt. The preserved duck egg in both bowls tasted similar – umami, with creamy and savoury yellow-grey yolks. With that being said, We Porridge did include more of it, while Ming Ji didn't have so much but gave more yolk. The jelly-like century egg whites were also softer in We Porridge's dish since they had been boiled with the porridge. Chunks of crumbly minced meat in irregular sizes had been scattered into Ming Ji's congee, providing a meaty and fatty taste to the rice. We Porridge used lean pork slices, which tasted less fatty and were chewier but not tough. Personal tastes are different and may change from time to time. I say this even about myself because my preferred bowl wasn't the one I initially expected! After much deliberation, I've decided on Ming Ji Zhou Pin as the winner of this Century Egg Porridge Showdown! This decision comes mostly from factoring in details that would make the dish suitable for an individual meal, such as its portion, price and simple flavour. Does that make We Porridge a 'loser'? Of course not – it's simply not something I'd choose when eating alone. I love the rich flavours, variety of toppings and ingredient portions, but a bowl this large and heavily flavoured would be a tad too indulgent and more suited for sharing instead. Chinatown claypot rice showdown: Guan Heng Claypot Chicken Rice vs Lian He Ben Ji Claypot The post Century Egg Porridge Showdown: Ming Ji Zhou Pin vs We Porridge appeared first on
