SHAH ALAM, May 4 — Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari today wished the Buddhists in the country, especially those in Selangor, a Happy Wesak Day.
The Menteri Besar said the festival is a significant celebration for the Buddhists as it symbolises enlightenment and the passing of Gautama Buddha.
“Wesak or Vesak in Sinhala is derived from the Pali term ‘vesakha’ or the Sanskrit word ‘vaisakha’, which is used to refer to the months of April-May in India.
“The festival is also known as Buddha Jayanti and Buddha Purnima in other countries celebrating it, such as in India, Nepal, Mongolia and Tibet.
“In general, Buddhists in the state of Selangor would visit Buddhist temples in the morning to honour Gautama Buddha and recite Tisarana as a symbol of renewing their commitment to the teachings of Buddha.
“On behalf of the state government, I would like to wish Happy Wesak Day to all of the Buddhist community in Selangor and Malaysia,” he said in a post on Facebook.