A great loss

On the day Malaysia celebrated its 49th year of liberation, a very dear prominent figure in the community attained his own liberation.

I remember when i was younger, i would always run to his room after my sunday classes at Brickfields MahaVihara, pay my respects and just sit there, listening to him or just hanging around with my family. He would never shoo us pesky loud kids away, instead he'd always give us a smile and ask how's our classes and so on.

When the doctor told him that he had cancer, he laughed and said it is not a problem to him, it is only a problem when our mind allows it to be one. Even until his last days, although he was in pain, the strong he supported in presence every charitable event he could.

:Edited:
In the 90's, Chief was in Sydney to perform his heart bypass procedure. On the eve of the operation, a female hospital staff came to him with a bible, telling him it's time to take the holy communion as the operation was a major one. Chief, who was in his hospital uniform, obliged. The lady read a passage from the bible and prayed for him. Chief ended it with Amen.
Days later, a group of Malaysian students who studied at the New South Wales University heard of Chief's operation and went to visit him at the hospital. They paid him respect the Buddhist way by kneeling down, clasping the palm. Chief was still in his hospital patient's uniform. The lady who performed him the communion was watching, and was confused with what she saw. After realising that she had performed the communion on the Chief Monk of Malaysia and Singapore, she went to Chief to apologise.
Chief asked her: "Why do you want to apologise? You have done a good service, good intention, I really appreciate the prayer that you have done for me."
Quoting the experience, Chief said that is the attitude of Buddhism

Today is the day of his funeral.
May Chief Reverend be well and happy wherever He is.
Sadhu.

You can read it all from BuddhistChannel
Also from Jeff Ooi and Oon Yeoh.
You can also read about his life story from here.