Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - UPF-Malaysia suffered a bereavement on August 6 in losing a dedicated Council Member and active Ambassador for Peace in our community, Dr. John Gurusamy. He was an outstandingly kind and sincere person who supported UPF-Malaysia with great passion.
We will always remember his contribution towards various peace initiatives under the banner of Universal Peace Federation of Malaysia, such as the following:
- On June 30, 2010, Dr. Gurusamy served as the Master of Ceremonies for the Legacy of Peace ceremony organized by UPF-Malaysia at the Asoka Hall, Buddhist Maha Vihara. It was supported by the Prime Minister's Department, Buddhist Maha Vihara, Malaysia Hindu Sangam, Collegiate Association for the Research of Principles, and Women for Family Welfare Promotion to honor Ambassadors for Peace who had devoted their lives in service to peace.
- On February 19, 2011, in conjunction with the United Nations World Interfaith Religious Harmony Week, UPF-Malaysia held an Interfaith Open House with the support of the Ministry of Unity and National Integration, Interfaith Spiritual Fellowship, and the Malaysian Interfaith Network. Dr. Gurusamy served as the Master of Ceremonies and coordinated the signing of a resolution to kick off an International Interfaith Conference with the theme “The Significance of Interfaith for Peace and Development.”
- On May 15, 2011, UPF-Malaysia partnered with co-organizers Malaysian Interfaith Network and Women for Family Welfare Promotion to organize a UN Family Day at Bukit Jalil Recreational Park in conjunction with the United Nations International Day of Families with the theme of "Confronting Family Poverty and Social Exclusion.‟ In this day of social bonding, Dr. Gurusamy served as the co-Master of Ceremonies to lead 200 participants of various ages, ethnic groups, and religions in a treasure hunt, family games, and singing.
Ambassador for Peace Dr. John Gurusamy: we miss you dearly and will always remember your sincere contribution to UPF's peace initiatives in Malaysia.
An Anglican Christian, Dr. Gurusamy was coordinator of the Malaysian Interfaith Network and active in the Interfaith Spiritual Fellowship of the Pure Life Society since the 1980s. "From my school days, I have always been interested in religion as I had good Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh and Muslim friends and I have always felt that all of us had the same core values," he said in an interview with United Religions Initiative. "So, eventually, as opportunities presented themselves, I openly engaged in interfaith discussion and lectures."
Dr. Chung Sik Yong, Regional Chair of UPF-Asia, wrote in a note of condolence to his widow, Datuk Ramani Gurusamy, "Dr. John Gurusamy was an outstandingly kind and sincere person who supported the work of UPF-Malaysia with great passion. We have lost a loving brother, dedicated peacemaker, and an enthusiastic Ambassador for Peace in our community. We miss him dearly and will always remember his contribution for the various peace initiatives in Malaysia."
He will be fondly remembered by many as a man who devoted his time and effort to interreligious harmony, spiritual, and community work. His devotion to bringing God's love and peace to everyone, transcending race, religion, and creed is a good model for others to follow.