ASHES OF THE TEMPLE: Yii hopes the restoration of Sheng Zhi Shen Temple of Guang Gong deity will take less than half a year.
SIBU: Worshippers were moved to tears to see their five sacred statues of Guang Gong deity left untouched in a fire at Sheng Zhi Shen Temple in Tunku Abdul Rahman Road on Monday noon.
Temple master Yii San Thai confirmed yesterday that the statues were the temple’s only belongings left now.
He said the five statues were sacred because a special prayer ceremony had been performed on them to signify the presence of the deity to help the needy.
“Despite the fire, the amazing fact of the untouched sacred statues has kept our spirit going.”
Yii said of the five statues, one measured six feet tall, another at four and a half feet, two at three feet and the last one at two and half feet.
“There were 40 other smaller statues measuring between six inches and two feet tall, placed just two feet away from the altar. They were kept in boxes; they were all burnt.”
He said these were statues which the special prayer ceremony had not been performed on them.
Yii said his temple was set up in a semi-detached house.
“The worshipping hall occupied the ground floor while my family stayed on the first floor. Everything on the ground floor turned to ashes, except for the sacred statues, which were only blackened by the smoke.”
Yii said the fire did not spread to the first floor of his family’s living quarters.
“Gone on the ground flood were also 45 lion dance head gears and three dragon dance gears.”
Before the fire, Guang Gong temple was one of the temples in Sarawak which held the record of having the most lion dance gears.
Yii estimated the temple’s loss in the fire at RM200,000.
“The lion and dragon dance gears alone cost RM100,000.”
He said after the news of the fire spread, he had been receiving calls from worshippers, friends and public members offering comfort.
“My lion and dragon dance students also called to express their heartache. They included former students now working outstation.”
Yii said they had all this while received great public support for their lion and dragon dance troupe.
“We might have to concentrate on the temple repair now, but we shall bring back the lion and dragon cultural dance performances soon.”
The temple master said they had built their troupe from scrap years back.
“We shall start off from ground zero again. We can do it.”
Yii’s family is now putting up with the family of a relative.
On the temple fire, the master said he would repair the burnt semi-detached house.
“This is where the seed of the temple was sown. I want to see it rise on the same spot again. Besides, the location is very convenient for the worshippers.”
Yii hoped the temple restoration would take less than half a year.
“I hope also the worshippers will bear with us. Help us in the rebuilding.”
Will Yii consider building a new temple and discard the burnt site?
“Not now,” he said, adding his temple committee did not have the fund for that yet.
Yii left the burnt site untouched now for the firemen to investigate the cause of the fire.
He ruled out foul play, saying the fire had sparked from the temple office behind their worship hall.
“The fire might have destroyed our temple, but, our spirit will see to a greater rebuilding effort. We shall stand tall again.”
He called for public support.