Ceremony held to celebrate decades of education, community and disaster relief work nationwide and overseas
KUALA LUMPUR: Hundreds of volunteers and dignitaries, including Berjaya Corporation Bhd founder and advisor Tan Sri Vincent Tan, gathered yesterday as the Tzu Chi Foundation marked 60 years of transforming lives through compassion, education and disaster relief.
From reaching stateless children to rushing aid to flood-hit communities, the foundation’s work has touched thousands – and yesterday’s Year-End Blessing ceremony was a vivid remembrance of decades of selfless service.
Tan, who has supported Tzu Chi’s charitable initiatives since 2017, participated in the ceremony which showcased the foundation’s humanitarian, educational and community programmes across Malaysia and abroad.
The event also featured accomplished biologist and award-winning volunteer Chee Hui Yee who shared a deeply personal account of how faith-based education and community service reshaped her family and parenting journey over the past two decades.
Chee, who described herself as a former “tiger mother” – strict, demanding and focused on academic success – joined the Parent-Child Bonding Class (PCBC) in 2006 after hearing that Buddhist teachings could transform family relationships.
The programme introduced her to Tzu Chi founder Master Cheng Yen’s philosophy of kindness, positivity and leading by example, prompting her to rethink her approach to parenting.
“The classes helped me realise the emotional impact my harsh approach could have had on my children,” Chee said.
“I began involving my daughters in community and humanitarian activities under Tzu Chi, making volunteering a family practice that nurtures confidence, empathy and social responsibility. As Asian parents, we tend to scold more than we praise, but through community service, my children experienced encouragement and appreciation from others.”
Over the years, the family has taken part in local and international humanitarian missions, including disaster relief following Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, the 2015 Nepal earthquake, floods in France and refugee assistance in Syria.
Chee also conducted Jing Si Aphorisms sessions in schools, promoting gentle moral education and emotional healing for children affected by disasters.
“You don’t need to tell children what to do – you show them through your actions,” she said, adding that her children gradually came to see service as a way of life.
Her eldest daughter, who grew up attending PCBC activities, became a Tzu Chi commissioner in 2025.
The foundation will continue its 60th anniversary celebrations on May 10 at the National Hockey Stadium, Bukit Jalil, combining Buddha Day, Mother’s Day and Tzu Chi Day, while remaining committed to serving communities and inspiring families to volunteer, with an expected 10,000 participants.
Beyond personal stories, Tzu Chi representatives highlighted the foundation’s extensive humanitarian impact in Malaysia.
In 2025 alone, volunteers recorded over 66,000 service instances, providing long-term assistance to more than 2,400 families nationwide.
During the major Sarawak floods earlier this year, Tzu Chi volunteers assisted over 17,000 residents.
With limited manpower in East Malaysia, 172 volunteers from Klang Valley travelled at their own expense to Miri and Bintulu, visiting more than 4,600 households and distributing cash aid to over 2,800 families.
The foundation also responded swiftly following the gas explosion in Putra Heights, Subang Jaya which injured 145 people and displaced numerous families.
Within three weeks, emergency financial assistance reached 248 households, while volunteers conducted home visits providing emotional support regardless of religion or ethnicity.
Tzu Chi’s Assistive Device Centre, launched in 2024 has loaned over 2,300 medical devices, including wheelchairs and hospital beds free of charge, benefiting an average of 166 families each month.
Other initiatives include supporting the underprivileged, refugee and stateless children through subsidies and tuition programmes.
