1982 - 1989
Growing Movements
1982 - 1985
SGM’s membership grew, especially the ranks of its youth in the 1970s and 1980s. What also grew was the awareness of members to contribute to the peace and harmony of society. SGM began organising national- and state-level culture events, with youth taking the lead. The most notable of these events were the First and Second Nationwide Culture Festivals held in August 1982 and April 1985 in Kuala Lumpur.
1982 - 1985
1984
The desire to form a stronger, consolidated national organisation also grew during this period, and with the cooperation of the state-based organisation, the SGM national organisation was officially established on June 15, 1984. The late Mr Koe Teng Hong was appointed the first general director.
1988
1988
1988 was a historic year for SGM. In this year, the national headquarters, the SGM Culture Centre, was completed in January 1988. Several weeks later, SGI President Daisaku Ikeda made his maiden visit to Malaysia at the invitation of the Malaysian government.
During his visit, President Ikeda met with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and then University of Malaya vice-chancellor the late Royal Professor Ungku Aziz. On February 7, he visited the SGM Culture Centre for the first time.
1989
1989
In August 1989, a 4,400-strong SGM contingent performed human graphics and human formations at the opening ceremony of the 15th Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) at Stadium Merdeka. The vibrant, youthful performance captured the attention and praise of Malaysians and foreign guests. This was SGM’s first internationally-watched performance.
