Dr Sim officiates worship ceremony for ‘Seng Gong’, ‘Seng Ma’ at Kuching temple

by · Borneo Post Online
(From nineth lefth) Dr Sim, Georgina, Hong Seng, Richard and KHA committee members in a photo call at the Hong Sang Si Temple in Wayang Street today

KUCHING (Nov 6): Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian officiated the grand worship ceremony at the Hong San Si Temple, here today, honouring the deities ‘Guangze Zunwang’ and ‘Miaoying Xianfei’, also known as ‘Seng Gong’ and ‘Seng Ma’.

The ceremony was attended by Unit for Other Religions (Unifor) director Georgina Apphia Ngau and her husband Peter Bryan Morrison, Kuching South Mayor Datuk Wee Hong Seng, and Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) commissioner Sih Hua Tong.

Guests were greeted by a lively lion dance performance upon arrival, setting a festive tone for the event, as devotees filled the temple to pray and seek blessings from the deities.

The deities’ statues began their ‘blessing tour’ in Kuala Lumpur, then Perak, Penang, followed by Kuching, with their final stop in Sabah.

(From left) Georgina, Hong Seng and Dr Sim, along with KHA committee members at the Hong San Si Temple today.

Kuching Hokkien Association chairman Datuk Richard Wee said that representatives from temples in China, Selangor, Penang, and Sabah were present to witness the ceremony, each bringing statues of their own, which were displayed at the temple.

“This is also to showcase the kind of harmonious society (Kuching is) and the religious acceptance,” he added.

Further celebrations will include another lion dance and an opera performance in the evening.

The temple will open at 6.30am on the third and fourth days for public worship, featuring additional local cultural performances along with more lion and dragon dance shows.

The ‘blessing tour’ at the Kuching stop will conclude on Nov 9 with the deities’ statues departing Kuching International Airport for their final stop in Sabah.