First SGM National Chapter Leaders Training Course (Day One): Strengthening the Spirit of Refuting the Erroneous and Revealing the True

From 26 to 28 June 2026, SGM held the first National Chapter Leaders Training Course. A total of 160 chapter leaders from Sabah, Sarawak, Kedah, Penang, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Selangor and Kuala Lumpur gathered at several venues in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur to study Buddhist teachings, deepen their understanding of the Soka Spirit and the spirit of mentor and disciple, and renew their determination to protect the Soka Gakkai in accordance with the Buddha’s intent and decree while opening a new era of kosen-rufu.

The opening ceremony, held on 26 June at the SGM Selangor Culture Centre, centred on studying the Soka Spirit and Buddhist teachings. In his opening address, SGM vice-general director Chia Kok Peng said that future victory depends upon the determination and actions of chapter leaders. He encouraged participants to treasure this opportunity for study and self-improvement, and to bring what they had learnt back to their respective districts, becoming key driving forces for the advancement of kosen-rufu.

Participants were then divided into two groups to study the Soka Spirit in rotation. The first group was led by Selangor state women’s division leader Loh Shiaw Wah and Kuala Lumpur South state vice-leader Khoo Koon Hoe, who guided participants through the history of refuting the erroneous and revealing the true in Malaysia’s kosen-rufu movement, fostering the wisdom to distinguish between correct and erroneous teachings. This was followed by a question-and-answer session chaired by SGM Soka Spirit department leader Ng Teck Lih and SGM study department leader Chia Kok Peng, during which participants asked questions enthusiastically, demonstrating a strong seeking spirit.

Meanwhile, the second group gathered in the Justice Hall for a guided exhibition. SGM women’s division vice-leader Hong Ong Neo and Selangor state leader Chow Voon Chun spoke on the development of kosen-rufu in Malaysia and the background to the Selangor Incident. Mdm Hong encouraged participants to cultivate an unwavering mentor-disciple spirit, deepen their understanding of and put into practice President Ikeda’s guidance, and widely promote his ideals. Mr Chow urged everyone to resolve to become people who protect the organisation, rather than those who undermine it.

Another key component of the training was the study of Gosho “On the Buddha’s Prophecy.” The Chinese session was presented by SGM young men’s division vice-secretary Nelson Tan and young women’s division secretary Hon Pue Kuan, while the English session was conducted by young women’s division leader Koo Wei Qian and high school division vice-leader Daniel Tan. The study material emphasised that “we are the protagonists of the Buddha’s prophecy,” encouraging participants to take pride as disciples and create lives of victory through their own efforts.

Participants also visited the Ikeda Peace Park, one of SGM’s nine landmarks, where they experienced the organisation’s efforts to promote peace within the local community. The first day of the training course concluded in an atmosphere of strong seeking spirit, with participants further strengthening their resolve to protect the organisation and usher in a new era of kosen-rufu.

Reported by Goh Lim Erng, photographed by Jeffery Lum and Tan Yok Kwee