By K.C. VIJAYANSENIOR LAW CORRESPONDENT

HE HAD wanted to build a Buddhist temple not on-ly for worshippers, but also to promote the Shaolintemple legacy and martial arts culture that coulddraw tourists.

The chief priest of a Shaolin sect, Venerable Me-ow Di, had planned to put in a $3 million to $4 mil-lion bid for an HDB land parcel in Punggol for thispurpose. But the High Court civil suit that startedthree years ago alleging that he had pinched $1.4million from a casino investor intended for a thirdparty put off potential project sponsors.

“If this case hadn’t happened, the money wouldhave come,” he told The Straits Times.

Ven Meow Di, 45, was cleared by Justice TayYong Kwang two weeks ago as the evidence showedthat he did hand over the money to the third party,business consultant William Tan.

Ven Meow Di said his role was to travel to Cam-bodia to meet Mr Tan with the money in return fora donation to his temple.

But the court outcome came too late for a rally,and the tender deadline passed yesterday withouthis bid. He had thought the 2,000 sq m site atSumang Walk, facing the Punggol Reservoir, an ide-al spot for a $25 million one-stop Buddhist hub.

“Here, tourists can immerse themselves in theShaolin way of life through meditation, Buddhistculture, traditional Shaolin wellness therapies aswell as martial arts performances by the temple’sShaolin’s monks,” he said. The HDB yesterday re-ceived two tenders from the Kalyanamitta CentreSingapore and the Bliss & Wisdom Society Singa-pore for $3.9 million and $3.8 million respectively.

Ven Meow Di, who operated from the Mei FengFo Xin Buddhist Temple at Lorong 27 Geylang, isthe abbot to four Buddhist groups here. He is also achief instructor and adviser to several Shaolin mar-tial arts groups and lion and dragon dance groups.

“He has helped many teens like me stay offgangs through teaching martial arts to bring us to-gether,” said temple volunteer Eric Tan, 30.

“We try to give them a new good life and theright way,” said the sports-loving abbot.

He said he was a sickly child who was placed byhis grandmother under the tutelage of the legen-dary Abbot Hong Choon of the Kong Meng SanPhor Kark See temple. He went on to study in Tai-wan and China, acquiring knowledge in acupunc-ture and Shaolin martial arts.

After the court suit erupted, “ all the temple sup-porters ran away and they looked through me like aghost”, he said, with a trace of sadness.

He said the temple’s annual turnover of about $1million from devotees and supporters dried up.

“We had to borrow money and sell some of ourvehicles used for our martial arts groups to stayafloat,” he said, through an interpreter.

Ven Meow Di said he remained “stable” over thethree years because he had done nothing wrong.

But it has taken its toll. Even as he mulls over fu-ture plans for the temple, he said: “ I want to hide

myself from the martial arts world, I am tired andwant to live the life of a monk. I tried to teach goodto those who learn martial arts, but now I have nostrength to continue.”

vijayan@sph.com.sg

A PROGRAMME which helps diabetic kidney diseasesufferers deal with their condition has helped toalmost halve the rate of those developing a potentiallyfatal stage of the kidney disease, new figures show.

Nemo – short for Nephrology Evaluation, Manage-ment and Optimisation – was set up in 2010 to advisepatients at an early stage of diabetic kidney disease.

Coordinators remind patients when to increasemedicine dosage, when to return to hospital for acheck-up and what foods are safe to eat.

In 2009, results of a three-year study on NationalHealthcare Group Polyclinics (NHGP) patients showedthat 7.1 per cent of those with early diabetic kidney dis-ease went on to develop the deadlier advanced form.

However, new figures show that of 1,200 Nemopatients, just 3.7 per cent went on to the advancedstage, known as macroalbuminuria.

Nemo was developed by NHGP and National Uni-versity Hospital (NUH). They will evaluate it when itends next year, with a view to extending it.

Professor A. Vathsala, head and senior consultantat NUH’s nephrology division, said: “Getting the levelof protein in the urine to as little as possible is themost important, once (patients) have diabetic kidneydisease.”

Dr Lim Chee Kong, deputy director of clinical ser-vices at NHGP, said of Nemo: “At least there’s some-body looking out for you. If you’re in the general pool,you have to look out for yourself. You have to pay at-tention to your medicine and what dates you’re sup-posed to come back on.”RACHEL TAN

Venerable Meow Di had planned to bid for an HDB landparcel in Punggol to build a $25 million Buddhist hub. Butsince the court suit began three years ago, the temple’sannual turnover of about $1 million from devotees andsupporters has dried up. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM

He is cleared by court, butit is too late to get enoughfunds to bid for HDB plot

Abbot’s plan tobuild Shaolin hubsunk by civil suit

Deadly kidneydisease cases downwith new scheme

Find out in the new book When the Party Ends: China’s leaps and stumbles after the Beijing Olympicsby Peh Shing Huei

Get a copy now from leading bookstoresand www.stpressbooks.com.sg

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