My father is a ex-monk from Tibet. My mother is Princess Dewa from Xinjiang who is a direct line from Genghis Khan.
I was born in Taiwan, grew up in the States and retuned to Gaden in India in 1987. Had the great honour to be ordained by HH Dalai Lama and to meet my root guru HH Kyabje Zong Rinpoche.
Now I reside in Malaysia as spiritual advisor to the Kechara organisation.
My blog has moved. Click here to visit my new blog at:
27 employees (pic below) from Philip Morris Malaysia taking part in today's Kechara Soup Kitchen's rounds. In total we have 58 volunteers.
More and more big corporations are interested in Kechara Soup Kitchen's cause - community action group that distributes food, basic medical aid and counselling to the homeless and urban poor of Kuala Lumpur. I am very glad that volunteers from various ethnic, religious, and cultural background come together and volunteer their free time during the weekends to provide food and warmth to the less fortunate.
It doesn't matter what background you are from as it is important to take tangible steps to relieve any type of sufferings from others. When we do nothing for others and only for ourselves, this is not a natural state of being. This is not the natural way that our minds functions to develop true happiness. It is a cliche, but the more we do for others,the more we do for ourselves.
Observe people who only think of themselves and their whole focus is themselves. Their energy is unpleasant, you don't feel comfortable around them. You do not enjoy long extended visits with them. You in fact think or suspect what they might want to use you for. When your around people who are giving, kind, caring and also do tangible things for others, we are automatically comfortable with them. We are inpsired by them and perhaps moved to tears. These people make us think and reflect deeper into our selfishness and laziness. If we do not like staying around self-absorbed people, and we feel unhappy with them, do you think they ultimately feel happy with themselves?
I received a multimedia message from Liaison Su Ming today:-
Dear Rinpoche, Martin took this homeless person who was discharged from the hospital yesterday for a meal now. Justin Cheah is arranging for this homeless to return to his hometown to be with his family.
Thank you. Su Ming cc Ruby, Justin Cheah
This is Kamalrul's first decent meal in a while. I'm glad Kechara Soup Kitchen and volunteers are helping many homeless people to get back on track or reunite them with their families. As Kechara Soup Kitchen grows bigger with more staff and volunteers, it will be able to do more to help these people.
Today, Kechara Soup Kitchen (KSK) is mentioned in The Star newspaper again for helping to reunite a woman with her sister-in-law who has been living on the streets for 3 years. I'm very happy to hear that another homeless is off the street through KSK.
KUALA LUMPUR: After three years of living on the streets, Jit Kaur had an emotional reunion with her sister-in-law, whom she had not seen in more than 25 years.
The 63-year-old former drug addict, who has been sleeping along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, was evidently surprised when she was approached by the “stranger” who offered to take her home.
When the relative, Anita Kaur, produced an old photograph of Jit with her soldier husband, an overwhelmed Jit was struck speechless.
Dietician Anita Kaur persuading her sister-in-law Jit Kaur to return home with her Wednesday after 25 years of being separated from the family. The women had an emotional reunion Wednesday after Jit, 63, was approached by Anita, who went in search of her after reading a story about her long-lost relative living on the streets of Kuala Lumpur. - AZHAR MAHFOF / The Star
Emotions aside, Jit was initially adamant to stick to her current way of life, but after much persuasion from her sister-in-law, she relented – she agreed to give Anita a chance by agreeing to spend the night with her at a hotel and take care of her affairs later.
Before the much-anticipated meeting, an excited Anita, who said Jit had been shunned by the family for years, said: “I wish that our encounter will be filled with forgiveness.”
“Although I am excited to meet her after 25 years, I hope time has healed our scars and we can look to building a happier future,” she added.
Jit was thankful for the reunion but admitted that it would be hard to adjust to a “normal lifestyle” after living on the streets for so long.
“Thanks to The Star and Kechara, I have met my family.
“But, it is hard for me to just leave,” she said adding that she had “some things to do” before following her sister-in-law.
Jit’s story, which was featured in The Star on Monday, caught the attention of Anita from Bukit Beruntung, who contacted the daily for help to locate her relative.
Arrangements were made and a team from The Star and Kechara Soup Kitchen took Anita to look for Jit.
Reunited: Jit with Anita (background) on her way to a happy reunion Wednesday.
It was fortunate that she had used her real name when interviewed by The Star early last month, as KSK coordinators Justin Cheah and Jace Chong knew her by another name, Habiba.
The team met with Anita, a dietician, at KL Sentral at 8pm and showed her a recent picture taken of Jit, and Anita immediately recognised her.
On the way to finding her long-lost relative, Anita admitted that relations between both their families became strained soon after Jit married Anita’s brother.
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Dear everyone, I am so proud of my KSK team to help the homeless in such a manner. Wonderful. This is what I want KECHARA TO DO FOR SOCIETY. I VERY MUCH WANT KECHARA TO SERVE SOCIETY AND DO MUCH MORE IN THE FUTURE. Warms my heart so much to see this. Beautiful story. I wish them luck from the bottom of my heart. Tsem Tulku
Last night July 18, 2010 was a night to remember as Kechara hosted a charity dinner and auction in aid of Kechara House and Kechara Soup Kitchen. Held at the Sunway Lagoon Hotel, the event featured a variety of performances throughout the evening, as well as the silent and open auctions to raise funds for our new gompa and the Kechara Soup Kitchen building.
It was a night of fun for everyone, thanks to all the members and friends who worked very hard to make the event a huge success. Many of my students have been working round the clock for days to prepare for last night, and I thank them for their hard work, effort and dedication.
Please see the photo-story below, giving you blow-by-blow account of the evening's events or watch the video of the spectacular night below!
click below to watch the video
The foyer area of the Sunway Hotel ballroom was set up in grand style, with large display panels promoting the theme of the evening, WORLD PEACE
Many guests arrived early to take in the various offerings from the many departments of Kechara, as well as to view the auction items which were on display
The auction items, beautifully displayed and presented
Representatives from Kechara Care were on-hand to tell the guests more about Kechara. Here's Ethan looking resplendent in an Indian outfit Ethan is such an intelligent and bright young man. It is a pleasure to have him with us.
James from Kechara Care speaks to Celebrity Liz from Astro's Jia Yu channel
The Kechara World Peace Centre scale model was extremely popular among the guests...
...who were keen to learn more about what would be available at KWPC!
The displays from Kechara's many departments stretched the length of the foyer
As the main beneficiary of the event, Kechara House's booth attracted a lot of attention with guests asking questions about pujas and kids education classes
Kechara Soup Kitchen was the other beneficiary and their booth educated the public about the plight of the homeless and underpriviledged in Kuala Lumpur
Kechara Discovery wow-ed the public with stunning pendants and jewellery
In fact, their booth was so popular that it stayed open throughout the duration of the dinner, with customers dropping by non-stop to view their latest collection of pendants
Kechara Paradise's booth was also extremely busy throughout the night
Kechara Media & Publications displayed a wide range their products including many books of Rinpoche's teachings...
... and their most recent book - the Tsongkhapa box set!
Close by was Kechara In Motion, with Ms Han manning the booth...Ms Han is tv show producer. She is such a nice grounded lady.
... while Chris from Kechara InMotion was filming the entire event!
Liz from Jia Yu channel was one of the many media representatives at the charity dinner auction, interviewing Julia Tan, the vice-president of Kechara Soup Kitchen...
... and Datuk May Phng, the President of Kechara House
Special kiosks displaying excerpts from my blog were set up along the entire hall way...E-division crew worked super hard on this kiosk and it's designs. Fantastic!!
...and these kiosks were extremely popular with the public!
Just before the dinner commenced, guests shout WORLD PEACE!
The celebrity hosts of the evening were Owen Yap and Hoong Jia Hui
Seated at the main table (from left to right):
Henry Ooi - Director of Kechara Paradise
Sharon Saw of Kechara Media & Publications
Ruby Khong - President of Kechara Soup Kitchen
Datuk Dr. Victor Wee - the Patron of Kechara Soup Kitchen
Datuk May Phng - President of Kechara House
Datin Ng - Executive Committee Member for Kechara World Peace Centre
Phng Li Kim - CEO of Kechara Media & Publications
Paul Yap - Head of Kechara Discovery and Kechara Saraswati Arts
President of Kechara House, our esteemed Datuk May Phng gives the opening speech. Datuk is an elegant, successful, and highly intelligent lady who is very passionate to help others. She has a heart of gold in all sense of the word!! Great Speech!! I am honoured to work with such a grand lady. My prayers for you, your husband Siang, family and all your loved ones always.
... which was followed by a moving video about Kechara
First up was a lucky draw for a 29in LCD television, with the winning ticket drawn by KMP CEO Phng Li Kim.
And the winner is....David Lai of KMP! Yes, David won the first lucky draw!!!
Dinner is served - vegetarian of course! Wow!!!! Kechara does everything with style, prestige and class. Fantastic!!!!!!
Part 1 of the open auction - a South Sea pearl necklace, sponsored by Julia Tan, vice-president of Kechara Soup Kitchen
... and a jade and diamond necklace, also sponsored by Julia
The next performance was by the Kechara Talents - first was the Wannabe Girls performing to the smash hit "Nobody" by the Korean group Wondergirls... all the people who did the show are Kechara House members and students. Amazing talents within Kechara House and its 13 Departments. So much talent within our organization..I am so proud of our people. I encourage everyone to show their talents. Modern day dharma doesn't have to be stuffy or boring. Have fun on the way to Enlightenment!!!
The Wannabe Girls!
Bryan of Kechara Care! Everyone thought it was Linda Evangelista walking on stage, but it was just our good ol' hardworking Bryan!! Bryan is young, talented and hardworking.
Chia of Kechara Paradise! Chia finally became who he wants to be...a SUPERSTAR!!! Chia is my long time student and has gone with me thru thick/thin. He is amazingly loyal and faithful. He is my student, friend, family and confidant for more than a decade now.. I love my wonderful Chia and wish him all happiness and spiritual attainments. You did a great show!
Joe Ang, regular Kechara volunteer! His wife was watching in the audience..hehe..I'm sure Joe will be doing more and more dharma work and dedicate the merits to his beloved wife and daughter.
Eric Choong, celebrity fashion designer! Yes, Eric is a well known designer with a wonderful book out. Eric does what he says and keeps his promises. Very entertaining person. I enjoy Eric so much.
Peter Hoh, regular e-Division volunteer!
Strike a pose! Yes, these are my dharma students...heeheh...I love them!!
Kecharian talent doesn't end there - next up were the Swank Legs..and they brought the house down. They were so funny and hysterical. It was really a wonderful show. You must watch the video.
From left to right: Allan Lee of KMP, Nicholas Yu of Kechara Care, Albert Ratchaga of Kechara Paradise and Thierry Janssens of Kechara Education
The black swans followed the white!
From left to right: Lim Tat Ming - KH administrator, Ngeow Voon Chin of Kechara Education, Wan Wai Meng of e-Division and Wong Kok Thai of Tsem Ladrang!
Allan Lee of KMP is super funny and super cute...hehehe
Albert Ratchaga of Kechara Paradise who is just a star salesperson in our outlets. He is caring, intelligent and very knowledgeable. He really takes the time to answer questions.
Thierry Janssens of Kechara Education who is such a hard worker and wonderful dharma student. I enjoy working with him.
The next auction was for an antique Green Tara thangka, which I kept for a long time
and a White Tara statue with Swarovski crystal offerings
Bidding was fast and furious for these two items - we had many spotters strategically stationed throught the entire ballroom. Our dinner was packed with so many special guests....
A magic show by Johnson Lau was well-received by the crowd - before the auctions resumed again
The 3ft Dzambala statue was extremely popular...
...as well as a Dzambala wealth vase beautifully done up in Kechara Saraswati Arts Dept.
Auctioneers Margaret Lee who choreoghraphed the show and Dino Goh did a fantastic job being the MC's...
...and the dinner guests were extremely forthcoming and generous
Salamiah Hassan entertained the guests with her rendition of Malay and English songs
The final lot of items for auction was a 4ft Long Life Tsongkhapa statue...
...and an exquisite gold-plated Medicine Buddha statue
Judges had to select the winners for the best-dressed guest according to the 1Malaysia theme
Stella Loh won the Best-Dress female award...
... and sweet Ethan Chu took the prize for Best-Dressed male!
The Wannabe Girls returned on stage for a final encore. Can you imagine, these 'girls' are all my students and they rehearsed alot for this show. Congratulations to them. They are beautiful in all the ways!!
and the swans came along for the show. They sure know how to have fun!
The grand finale and encore had the guests in stitches, laughing and dancing along
Everyone just loves the show put on by our people. Very talented and entertaining group we have in Kechara!!!
Let's dance! Henry Ooi and his son Edward
The white swan hardworking Nicholas Yu and his supportive wife, Josephine
It was a night to remember for everyone involved
Kechara House members come from all walks of life. My students and friends are very hardworking, dedicated and also spiritual. But being spiritual DOES NOT MEAN WE CANNOT HAVE FUN. Kechara Members or Kecharians are spiritual but they can still be who they are. In my centre I make sure we practice dharma, work hard and have a great time doing it all.
This wonderful dinner was planned months ahead. And all 13 depts were involved in the success of this dinner one way or another. The Departmental liaisons/staff/student/volunteers and friends made it into such a successful evening.
The shows put on by our people made people really laugh until their mascaras were smeared. Great!
I congratulate everyone in KECHARA who worked for months to make this happen. I did not attend on purpose, because I want to show Kecharians that they can do it on their own. And they did. I humbly fold my hands to everyone for making such wonderful event come true. I am so proud of everyone and we are getting great self training to make KWPC happen.
My love, prayers, gratitude and deep appreciation to all Kecharians and our special guests that made this dinner event so spectacular!!
Recognising KSK’s contributions to society, the Malaysian Timber Council (MTC) is raising funds to help Kechara Soup Kitchen accomplish its objectives and aspirations during a charity dinner to be held on July 15.
Themed “Timber Industry With A Heart”, the dinner also intends to raise funds for Childline Malaysia, a national public safety project that aims to protect and safeguard children’s interests.
Last night, I received mms updates from Liaison Sharon Saw during the dinner.
Dear Rinpoche,
I'm at the Malaysian Timber Council annual dinner which is contributing to KSK tonight.
This is the KSK stand at Mandarin Oriental. Justin, Khor and Joyce Leong are manning the stand.
Joyce has been volunteering for KSK since March. She is a new member of KH, she joined 2 weeks ago. She reads Rinpoche's blog everyday. She says it's fantastic!
Ruby has just received a cheque of RM75k from Malaysian Timber Council. The cheque was presented by The Deputy Minister of Plantation Industries and Commodities, YB Dato' Hamzah Zainudin, who is the guest of honour, and MTC CEO Mr Cheah Kam Huan.
There are 51 tables of timber industry and finance people here. Ruby is now giving a speech, explaining how KSK is inspired by Rinpoche.
BELOW IS FULL DRESS REHEARSAL OF THE DANCERS FOR KECHARA HOUSE & kECHARA SOUP KITCHEN'S CHARITY DINNER ON JULY 18, 2010-Sunday 5pm at Sunway Lagoon Hotel.
Kh is full of talented and very sporty people who'll dress this way, dance that way for the dharma!! Just think..it has been weeks of rehearsals for the show in one day's time. Don't miss the show. It is for a very good cause and get ready to laugh as you have never laughed before. Yes, these are my students and friends. They are unusual and will do anything to get you to participate in a good cause. See below for a preview of Tomorrow's stunning dinner show!!!
Check out videos and pictures below of the Swank Legs (White & Black swans) and Wanna-be Girls in their first ever full dress rehearsal, in preparation for the upcoming charity fundraising dinner and auction this Sunday - http://kechara.com/dinnerauction .
There are 3 groups of girls, 1. White swans (Swank legs) - performing Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake ballet 2. Black swans (Swank legs) - performing Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake balley with a twist 3. Wanna-be Girls - performing Wonder Girls' hit "Nobody"
Check out the "BEFORE" pictures.
4 white swans with a black swan
3 black swans
Hardworking white swan Thierry commenting on my blog
Thierry in his natural state
Allan looks like a ready to cook swan
The newly inducted swan Nic
Wanna-be Girls in training
Here is Chiarina, one of the Wanna-be Girls
Here is Jojo(Joe Ang) in her glorious moment
I'd like to share an sms I received from the choreographer, Margaret, who has been working hard to train the 'girls' up and sending me great pictures:
Dear Rinpoche, The 'agua' r getting themselves ready at Kechara Care lounge.They r enjoying a moment of their lives to be a real woman, a real queen. Look at all of them, they r so happy n teasing each other.KIM is here interviewing each performer n filming the making n dressing up process. Thank u. Margaret (the mamasan)
Here are the "AFTER" pictures.
The 3 black swans that scared everything else on the lake away!!!
NO, THIS IS NOT IRENE LIM!!!
Here is our dear Lam Rim Facilitator Chin chin n his disciple Meng Meng.
A flying kiss from Mr Lam Rim himself. He has fully let go.....n ready to fly to kechara heaven.
Ngeow the flying swan! Got one problem, he never took off.......
Wai Meng is begging for some meditation to help him find himself....
These guys are going to dance their way to kechara paradise.
The Wanna-be Girls are doing the photoshoot now. Eric Choong working it! Strike a pose girl!
Jojo is my new name says Joe Ang.
Erica , the real thing....formerly known as Eric Choong....
Chia strikes an elegant and matronly pose and told everyone that 'she' looks like Lin Dai in her heyday.
Chia is begging for it...
Chia is glamming up Kechara Care lounge tonight!
I can't believe how pretty these Wanna-be Girls are! Kechara is incredibly talented!
who's this swan? or is it a swan?
Monlam's dream. Monlam making a last ditch attempt to be selected to be one of the girls.
Wai Meng as you have never seen him. Too bad Monlam is not as GORGEOUS as Wai Meng. Wai Meng asked Beng Kooi if he can wear this to work in E-Division once a week.
Chia and Joe Ang...and Chia does not look like a middle aged aunty from Muar....
Tat Ming is coming to terms with not winning Ms Universe...Tat Ming is a good sport!! And Tat Ming is sure very happy here.
Allan screaming get me in costume!!!!
Albert FEELING EXTREMELY NATURAL.....Albert letting the other swans know, he is TOP SWAN!
Mr Ngeow BLOWING KISSES AT HIS LAM RIM CLASS PEOPLE....nice lips and shoes.
Is it Evangelista, Turlington, Cindy Crawford, Bai Ling, or Rupaul??? NO, it's Bryan Ho WHO HAS JUST TURNED SUPERMODEL.....just fresh off the Tokyo and Milan runway!! Kechara's newest supermodel!
Chia, Wan and Albert...dharma friends, co-workers, 'sisters', and spiritual family. Nice photo...
Allan waiting for his turn confidently knowing that his tsutu is the hottest...hehehe
Eric Choong is just too comfortable...AND HE DOES NOT LOOK LIKE A MADAME OF A HOUSE OF PLEASURES. heheeheh
Albert!!!!!
Tat Ming is auditioning for a horror movie...he didn't get the part..he scared the producer away...but he is loved in Kechara..heheheh
Thierry at his 'seductive' best??
Come up and see me sometime???
Lam Rim anyone??
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all? What? The mirror didn't answer and cracked????
Margaret (real woman) in the centre was the one who conceptualized, came up with dances and choreographed the whole show!! Yes and Margaret is a great painter also. Here is Margaret the Mamasan with her swans...heehehe..Margaret worked very hard for weeks with the 'gals'.
**********
We in Kechara really have a good time and at the same time we are very spiritual. Why not have fun on the spiritual path. Nothing wrong. I feel Dharma must suit current trends, current modes but keep the essence of dharma pure.
Thanks to all the dancers, margaret and everyone involved. It looks great and it is for a great cause!!
Kechara Soup Kitchen (KSK) is making waves upon waves by appearing in the newspapers/ magazines almost weekly this month. I am very proud of them because they work very hard to provide for and assist the homeless. Exposure like this will create awareness for more people to join in and help the needy.
PRESTIGE, JULY 2010
THE STAR, 14th JULY 2010
CLICK ON THE PAPER ABOVE, TO READ CAREFULLY REGARDING THE EXCITING AUCTION/DINNER.
and that's not all !!! Kechara Soup Kitchen (KSK) was also in the press last week:
MASJID JAMEK in Kuala Lumpur was bustling with activity on a late Saturday night with hordes of people queuing up along the sidewalk.
However, what appeared to be an abnormally long line for the bus actually led to a team of volunteers giving out free packs of food and drinks to a group of homeless people.
On a crusade to combat hunger for the homeless and unfortunate of Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya, Kechara Soup Kitchen (KSK) has been distributing free food in the dark alleys and dodgy corners of the cities for nearly four years.
KSK president Ruby Khong said they tried to fulfill the needs of a segment of city society without food and shelter.
A noble deed: Volunteers of Kechara Soup Kitchen busy giving out food to the homeless and poor in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.
"These homeless people continue to wander the streets of Kuala Lumpur in hunger and uncertainty of what tomorrow holds.
"Our long-term mission is to reduce the number of homeless living on the streets by providing a nurture centre for basic care, training and assistance to help the homeless seek employment and re-enter society."
Formed by volunteers of all faiths, cultures and backgrounds, Kechara Soup Kitchen's activities are rapidly outgrowing its current premises.
Thus there is an urgent need to establish a permanent Soup Kitchen building as an urban centre for the distribution of hot food and provision of basic medical treatment for the homeless, while continuing to deliver food to those who are unable to ome to the centre.
KSK is non-religious and does not discriminate in terms of race, gender or culture.
This is reflected in their motto, "Hunger Knows No Barriers", as well as the vegetarian and halal food that they serve.
Recognising KSK's contributions to society, the Malaysian Timber Council (MTC) is raising funds to help KSK accomplish its objectives and aspirations during a charity dinner to be held on July 15.
Themed "Timber Industry With A Heart", the dinner also intends to raise funds for Childline Malaysia, a national public safety project that aims to protect and safeguard children's interests.
Childline Malaysia, which will be officially launched in October, is a dedicated telephone line for children.
Spearheaded by a group of volunteers, Childline Malaysia is supported by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, Unicef, the police, Health Ministry and Child Helpline International.
Childline Malaysia chairman Sabri Rahman children were a vulnerable group for manipulation, psychological, sexual and emotional abuse, human trafficking as well as domestic violence.
Childline Malaysia aims to be the first point of contact for children, and caring adults everywhere, especially when they have no one else to talk to, or when the children's fragile trust has been betrayed by the adults closest to them."
With a mission "Enabling Children to be Heard" and through the establishment of a 24-hour toll-free telephone helpline, Childline Malaysia attempts to connect children in need with the support services like counselling, immediate rescue or intervention provided by government agencies, the emergency services and non-governmental organisations.
"The Malaysian Timber Council believes in the causes advocated by KSK and Childline Malaysia. We hope that the funds raised during our charity dinner will help to contribute towards the advancement of their causes, and ultimately enhance the well-being of the community as a whole," said MTC chief executive officer Cheah Kam Huan.
MTC's fundraising event aims to bring members of the Malaysian timber industry together to contribute to and celebrate the efforts by the Kechara Soup Kitchen (www.kechara.com/ksk) and Childline Malaysia (www.mctf.org.my/childline) to help the unfortunate members of our society heal and rebuild their lives.
Story and photo by OH ING YEEN ingyeen@thestar.com.my
THE need to change their lives was what prompted Bud and Yus (not their real names), who were homeless, to take up the job offer by Pan Pacific Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
"We were the first to take up the job offers," Bud, the more outspoken of the duo, said.
He added that some of the homeless were not interested in the job offers.
The 25-year-old Sarawakian had been on the streets for eight months after he was robbed upon arrival in KL.
"There are even degree-holders who came to KL looking for jobs. But these people were conned by agents or acquaintances — some from the same kampung — and some were robbed and lost all their money and belongings.
"I lost all my belongings, including my cellphone, hence I lost contact with my family," said Bud.
Both Bud and Yus got to know each other on the streets and became friends. The pair did not know anyone in KL.
Our contribution: Darus handing over the towels and sheets to Kechara Soup Kitchen vice-president Julia Tan.
Luckily, they came across the Kechara Soup Kitchen (KSK).
KSK is a registered NGO whose volunteers go out every weekend since 2006 to bring freshly cooked vegetarian food and dry food to over 800 men, women and children on the streets.
KSK vice-president Julia Tan said initially she was worried when the hotel proposed the idea of hiring the homeless.
"Some are illiterate," she said. "However, after we asked around, some said they have working experience."
KSK's objective is to help the homeless get off the streets by finding them shelter homes or jobs that will bring dignity back to their shattered lives.
"We want to get them off the streets and them back into mainstream society.
"Nobody chooses to sleep on the streets. Some were cheated, some ran away from home. A high percentage of the homeless are individuals between 60 and 70 years old," Tan said.
According to Pan Pacific KLIA sales (corporate & MICE) director Darus Ismail, this is the first time that the hotel is hiring the homeless.
"When they went to Sabah and Sarawak to recruit employees for the hotel, the response was not so good.
"Then someone told us that there are many Sabahans and Sarawakians in KL, why not recruit them there?
"We got in touch with Kechara Soup Kitchen and were surprised that many of the homeless had experience (in the hospitality industry). We spoke to Julia who then brought them for an interview," he said.
Yus, who hails from Johor, is one such example. He had previously worked in the hotel industry but quit to care for his sick mother.
"I only had two sets of clothes with me when I came to KL. I did not expect that it would be so difficult to get a job here. I ended up sleeping at Masjid India," the 32-year-old said.
Pan Pacific KLIA restaurants, bars, and events manager Aghelan Ganesan, better known as Allen, was equally impressed with some of those interviewed.
"One guy could speak Hakka, Cantonese, English and Bahasa.
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