Buddhist group to send oxygen aid to India

THE Malaysian chapter of Buddhist association Fo Guang Shan will be sending 200 oxygen concentrators to India to help Covid-19 patients, Sin Chew Daily reported.

India, which is the birthplace of Buddha, is currently experiencing a severe shortage of oxygen supply following a sharp rise in the number of patients, with over 300,000 infections daily.

The abbess for Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, Venerable Jue Cheng, organised a fundraiser on April 27 to buy the oxygen concentrators.

“Each machine costs between RM3,500 and RM5,000,” she said.

“As the supply is limited, we decided to book 100 units.”

However, the association managed to raise enough funds for 200 machines in just a few hours after the plea for donations went out.

The machines will be sent to New Delhi, Chennai and Gandhinagar, Gujarat, with the help of a

Malaysian businessman.

> Oriental Daily reported that veteran Hong Kong actor Bobby Au-yeung expressed regret for not having taken on the role of a villain during his television career.

The 60-year-old, who is currently playing the protagonist in the hit series Shadow of Justice, said he once requested to switch roles with his colleague Joe Ma Tak-chung who was acting as the antagonist in the same drama.

Au-yeung admitted that one of the directors he worked with was unwilling to cast him as a villain because he has a kind face.

“My ideal villain is not one who chops a person up without reason or someone who is disliked by the audience.

“Instead, the character should have a solid backstory which would make him unforgettable,” he said.

Au-yeung, whose career spanned nearly 40 years, is best known for his portrayal of Ben Yu in the 1991 legal drama