cover pdf - Sikh Naujawan Sabha Malaysia

pMjwbI BwSw 

mylw 2012 

fathers’ day 

Sabha 

Milestones 

1963 2012 

bhasha mela 

Mother’s day 

Vol 45 (No 3, July 2012) PP 16301/03/2012 

1963: 1st Sabha Camp, PD 

1967: Registered SNSM 

1976: Naujawan Satsangs 

1981: High Tea for PM 

1990: Bangsar HQ 

1999: Fauj at Kesgarh 

2000: Holla Mahalla 

2002: Acquired KKB Land 

2004: Global Sikhs 

2012: 1st Camp, KKB

Sabha Website: http://www.snsm.org.my/ 

Sabha Facebook: www.facebook.com/sikhnaujawansabhamalaysia

The Sikh, July 2012 

Maiden camp at KKB site 

The 25 participants of Sabha’s first 

camp at the Kuala Kubu Bharu 

(KKB) site for the International 

Sikh Centre made history. The 

participants of the Sikh Explorer 

Camp set foot at the campsite on 

June 23, 2012. A small step for the 

participants, but a huge step for the 

Sabha and the Sikh community of 

Malaysia. 

Back in 1963, something similar 

took place. Then, some senior 

Panthic sewadars had organised 

the first Gurmat camp for the Sikh 

youth. Almost the same number of 

participants took part in that camp 

held in Port Dickson. How we 

wish we had the list of the 

participants! 

This time around, we have 

captured the names. We know who 

are the young men and women 

who walked into the 16-acre site, 

which was acquired by the Sabha 

for RM1.7 million in 2002. 

The 10,000 sq feet 

hangar/marquee is equipped with 6 

cabins. Now, we can run regular 

Civil engineering student 

Premdeep Singh was among the 

first batch of participants to set 

foot at the KKB campsite. Behind 

him is Ishverjit Singh and Rajdeep 

Singh. 

camps, at our own site! This is a 

moment that most Sabha sewadars 

have been waiting for many, many 

years. It’s finally here. 

This camp was facilitated by the 

InSPiRE Team who brought in 

their two versatile trainers, 

Rajinder Singh and Perthpal 

Singh. They took the participants 

through various experiential 

learning activities that kept them 

enthralled throughout both days. 

The Sabha exco was represented 

by Jathedar Amarjit Singh, Meet 

Jathedar Jagdev Singh and exco 

members Habhajan Singh and 

Simret Singh. 

1

2 

Each 20x10 cabin can easily 

accommodate 12-16 

participants. They are 

equipped with individual 

lockers. And, yes, we have 

mirrors to tie the turban and 

put on the surki (make-up). 

RIGHT: Late evening view of the 

KKB site with the marquee 

lighted up for the first time. The 

electricity supply was connected 

a day before the camp began. 

Makan time. 

The Sikh, July 2012


WHITE 

WATER 

RAFTING 

A week before the 

first camp, Sureshdip 

Singh and friends 

went on a white 

water rafting 

adventure at Sungai 

Selangor, which runs 

just beside the camp 

site. This is one of 

the many exciting 

activities that you 

can do at the KKB 

camp. 

FIRST 

CAMPERS: 

PARTICIPANTS: 

Joginder Singh Dhillon 

Kiranjeet Kaur 

Parwin Kaur 

Gurpreet Singh 

Ajitpal Singh 

Palwinder Kaur 

Mandeep Singh 

Kiret Dev Singh 

Khusdave Singh Sandhu 

Dalip Singh 

Saheb Singh 

Ishverjit Singh 

Prethpal Singh 

Ajeetpal Singh 

Balween Kaur 

Premdeep Singh 

Trishel Kaur Sidhu 

Rajdeep Singh 

Simret Singh 

Imerpal Singh Grewal 

Beldesh Singh 

Prabhkirat Kaur 

Shaheena Kaur 

Vivek Singh Dhillion 

Rahulpreet Singh 

SEWADARS: 

Autar Singh 

Rajinder Kaur 

Wajinder Singh 

Balwant Singh 

Lakhbir Singh 

Jagdev Singh 

Sarjit Singh 

SABHA INTERBATIONAL 

SIKH CENTRE (ISC) TEAM 

Chairman: Jathedar Amarjit Singh 

Gian Singh 

Ir Baljit Singh 

Basant Singh (town planner) 

Satvinder Singh 

Lakhbir Singh 

Gurucharan Singh 

Autar Singh 

Mohon Singh 

Mohinder Singh, KKB 

3

4 NEWS The Sikh, July 2012 

Fathers’ Day 

On 17th June, Sunday, we started the 

programme at 2pm with Sukhmani 

Sahib Path and Shabad Kirtan at 

Gurdwara Sahib Railways, Ipoh. We 

had lucky draw, games registration 

and guessing game. After the darbar 

sahib programme we had cake cutting 

and distribution of gifts to the senior 

fathers. We continued the event with 

arm wrestling and a quiz open to all. 

Prizes were given to all winners. 

A special book mark was given to 

fathers and winners with 

the message “When U 

Kneel Down In Front Of 

Guru Sahib, He Stands 

Up For You & When He 

Stands Up For You, No 

One Can Stand Against 

You – 

Happy Fathers Day!


Nitnem: The Sikh Daily Liturgy 

Convenor: RAVINDER SINGH 

Every Friday for the past three years or so, a few of us 

get together for what has come to be known as 

Gurbani Vichaar. 

The sessions began in the local gurdwara and were 

focused on the nitnem banis - the Sikh daily liturgy - 

but over time, the locale has shifted away from the 

gurdwara to private homes. 

Interestingly enough, a pattern has also emerged - 

all without much conscious thought or effort. We now 

begin with a reading from the Guru Granth Sahib, 

usually 10 pages at each sitting. Everyone present 

reads aloud, in unison. 

This is followed by 10-15 minutes of doing jaap or 

simran, audibly sounding the word 'Waheguru' until it 

naturally recedes into mental repetition. Thereafter a 

discussion ensues, usually around a passage that was 

previously read. A question that pops up with predictable 

regularity centers on the prescription of the daily 

nitnem. 

The nitnem regimen requires a Sikh to awake at 

amrit vela - the ambrosial hour, pre-dawn, commonly 

believed to around 4 am - to take a bath (ishnaan), 

then settling down to do simran, followed by reciting 

a specified number of banis. The discipline also 

includes banis to be read later in the evening and at 

night as well. The question invariably circles around 

the need for an externally imposed requirement. What 

good is it to merely recite gurbani without understanding 

what is being read? 

Why rise so early, especially when we all have 

busy, hectic schedules? Besides, isn’t it all the Guru’s 

grace? 

Shouldn’t we focus on reflection, dialogue and 

understanding instead? The idea that nitnem is 

mechanical and repetitive and therefore without value 

is one that needs to be resisted. Repetition is a necessary 

element for the development of any skill or 

discipline - from learning to hit a tennis ball to acquiring 

language skills. It is much like learning the alphabet 

or the multiplication tables, and requires daily 

practice - although the spiritual formation that must 

follow takes time. 

Not unlike the ability to piece together the alphabet 

symbols into words, and words into meaningful 

sentences. Or the facility of being able to calculate 

figures in a moment in one's head, instead of having to 

do an elaborate mathematical calculation, or having to 

resort to a computerized device. 

I get the distinct sense that these questions (like all 

questions) are cultural. Given our bottom line orientation, 

time is money and this activity does not appear to 

offer a healthy 'return on investment' ("ROI") - if at 

all. We are also a culture of instant gratification and 

our spiritual quests have become a search for the 

silver bullet - the technique, the trick or the holy man 

(or woman) that will bring instant transformation. But 

spiritual growth is like physical growth - it does not 

happen overnight. 

Nitnem, in addition to being a mental and spiritual 

exercise, is a matter of consecrating our days - and 

nights. By interrupting the mundane rhythm of our 

daily lives, it teaches us to create a sanctuary, a sacred 

inner space by defying the tyranny of ordinary time. 

Most of us jump out of bed only to become slaves of 

the clock, racing through our routines, transformed 

into Type automatons, high on caffeine. 

Nitnem weaves the sacred into the fabric of daily 

life and serves as a reminder that we live on dual 

planes simultaneously - the sacred and the 

profane, the secular and the spiritual. 

These moments make the extraordinary possible. 

Nitnem offers the doorway to enable us to enter the 

sacred space of the timeless One - Akal - where the 

soul dwells and its cultivation takes place. 

But we cannot rush the process. The inner self 

responds on its own time, its own cycle. We have to 

learn to wait. 

Conversation about this article 

Basant Kaur (Chandigarh, Punjab): I have been 

going to the gym, as well as doing yoga exercises, for 

years. Never have I, or ever heard anyone else, ask the 

instructor to first explain how each position or aasan 

or exercise "really works", or how the inner workings 

of the body go into operation in order to create a result 

... We simply do it! Fully knowing that if we do it 

continually, good results will invariably flow. We are 

also fully aware that initially there is a bit, or a lot, of 

drudgery, but then, gradually, slowly but surely, it 

5

6 The Sikh, July 2012 

turns into pleasure. The same holds for nitnem. I have 

found that those who want to know the whys and the 

hows and the wherefores BEFORE and WITHOUT 

doing anything, are merely looking for excuses to not 

do anything. They are lazy and intellectually dishonest. 

Simply, as far as I can see, they're losers to begin 

with and will remain so all their lives. 

Bobby (North Carolina, U.S.A.): Of course it 

begins with simple repetition ... for the child or the 

novice. But no one has ever suggested that, once you 

are old enough or are well on your way, you are not to 

spend time in understanding what you are reciting. 

Vichaar - study and contemplation - followed by 

application of what you learn, to your daily life, is 

the goal. No one suggests it should be otherwise. But 

one has to start at the beginning. The congenitally 

dishonest naysayers want it to be the other way around 

- results first, and then, maybe, they'll do the routine! 

Jaimal Singh (Jaipur, Rajasthan, India): In addition 

to the obvious ones and the ones already pointed out, 

there are three other important benefits stemming 

from the nitnem regimen: a) It promotes literacy. You 

can't do nitnem easily without learning to read. b) It is 

a daily exposure to Punjabi and Gurmukhi, two crucial 

keys to Sikh scripture. 3) It does away with the need 

for even a semblance of a priesthood, something 

which in other faiths continues to maintain a stranglehold 

monopoly on religious ritual, ceremony and 

practice. Doing nitnem regularly completely obviates 

the need for any Sikh to have anything to do with a 

priest-like broker between man and God ... Each of 

these three points are central to the practice of Sikhi. 

Proof: most of those who have never done nitnem are 

dependent on others to do paatth, or ardaas, or to 

acquire even the most basic understanding of any 

concept of being a Sikh. 

R. Singh (Canada): Basant Kaur ji: In the end we 

are responsible for ourselves and our actions. No one 

can justify imposing a regimen or sitting on judgement 

on another, for not conforming. Whatever one's 

preference - yoga or jogging, it is accepted that 

exercise is good. If done without understanding, a 

wrong aasan can actually hurt an individual. With 

knowledge of muscle groups, it is a better way of 

exercising any day. Gurbani encourages questioning 

and discussion (vichaar). Can we have vichaar 

without questioning conventional wisdom? 

Bachitar Singh (California, U.S.A.): A child whinning 

"Why do I have to learn tables?" is not the 

equivalent of questioning conventional wisdom. A 

Master's or Ph.D. student studying Mathematics or 

Metaphysics and asking "Does two-and-two really 

add up to four?" is indeed questioning conventional 

wisdom, and a worthy endeavour too. Basant Kaur ji 

(# 2 above) was not passing judgement on anyone who 

is questioning conventional wisdom. Nor did she, in 

my understanding, suggest that anyone should 

conform with anything, least of all with respect to 

nitnem. All she was saying - and I agree with her 

completely - is that it is foolishness for anyone to 

expect to understand the Binomial Theorem while 

poised to start out with learning the 2 x 2 tables, and 

then refusing to memorize the tables by declaring that 

the Binomial Theorem makes no sense at all. What 

Basant ji, and Bobby too (# 3), are saying is: if you are 

not interested in educating yourself, that's fine; skip 

school, if you wish; but don't malign the entire education 

system in supporting your decision! So, don't do 

nitnem ... millions don't. But don't expect to understand 

its value without even taking the first step. And 

... don't blame your own decision on some imagined 

shortcoming in the practice of nitnem. I would be 

more open to the rejection of nitnem AFTER one has 

practiced it for a while and THEN concluded it is of no 

benefit to him. In fact, my own goal is to reach a stage 

one day when I no longer need to do nitnem - hopefully, 

I'll move to a point where it is no longer useful! 

Mehar Kaur (Kitchener, Ontario, Canada): Nitnem 

is wrapped around the concept of discipline, albeit 

a spiritual one. The difficulties and challenges 

around this type of discipline are no different than 

those of any other. Such as the discipline required to 

do physical exercise everyday. Everybody can benefit 

from it. Very few do. The rest find excuses galore - 

and they come in every imaginable size, shape and 

colour. It's no different with nitnem. Do it if you want 

to. Don't do it if you don't want to. Sure, the Rehat 

Maryada recommends it. But the local gurdwara 

doesn't send Dara Singh after you with a hockey stick 

to punish you if you don't. There is no 'Rehat Police' 

lurking around the corner, trust me. Relax: there are no 

worldly consequences if you don't do nitnem. Does 

that help? Now you can sleep in tomorrow! 

Kanwarjeet Singh (New Jersey, U.S.A.): Nitnem 

does not purify you or put you on the correct path. It is 

the understanding and the implementation of what is 

learned in nitnem that sets us on the right path. 

This article, and the comments that follows, are from 

SikhChic.com. Please visit the website for more 

interesting and thought provoking articles on Sikhi.


The idea of an International Sikh 

Centre (ISC) was conceptualised 

in the 1980s. In thr 1990s, the 

journey took a sense of urgency 

when the Sikh Naujawan Sabha 

Malaysia (SNSM) began facing 

challenges to secure school 

premises for its Annual Gurmat 

Parchaar Samelan -- Sabha's 

signature event. However, any 

dream of acquiring our own 

premises had to be set aside as the 

sheer thought of raising large sums 

of monies required to make it a 

reality was mind boggling! 

Then came Sabha patron Baba 

Niranjan Singh Ji. He encouraged 

the Sabha to have its own centre 

from which to plan and execute 

programs. His prodding hit home. 

The Sabha then successfully 

acquired and paid for the Bangsar 

Sabha House, the steep pricing not 

withstanding. This gave renewed 

confidence to the sewadars to 

realise the vision -- a Sikh 

Complex to cater to the Sikh 

Sanggat's different needs. The 

Youth have their needs; the senior 

citizens have their needs; single 

mothers have their needs. This 

centre would seek to have 

something for all. 

Despite the sharp rise in 

property prices, the Exco took the 

first bold step in this direction -- it 

set aside some RM100,000 as an 

JATHEDAR BLOGS AT: Amarjit-Sabha.blogspot.com 

ISC Project -- The Journey 

initial deposit for a piece of land, 

yet to be identified. The deposit 

was ready; now the search 

commenced in earnest. 

Fortunately for the Sabha, the 

spectacular property and stock 

market crashes circa 1997/1998 

brought property prices down to 

levels where we dared to re-visit 

the dream. 

With the green light and broad 

guidelines from the Exco, the 

search team drew up the criteria. 

The land should be about 10-20 

acres, within an hour's drive from 

Kuala Lumpur. After an 

extensive two-year search, the 

current site in Kuala Kubu Bharu 

was identified. It would cost 

some RM1.6 million. A 10% 

deposit was paid and the fund 

collection was started. Sikh 

institutions and individuals rose 

to the occasion. They donated 

generously. Six months months 

later, the Sabha had raised RM1.3 

million -- just short of 

RM300,000. A generous Sikh 

benefactor came to the rescue 

with a friendly loan and the full 

amount was paid up on time. 

Over the next 6-12 months, the 

friendly loan was settled in full. 

Now commenced the business 

of seeking approvals. After 

numerous rebuffs over a six-year 

period, the authorities finally 

PERSONALLY FROM JATHEDAR 7 

gave the OK in December 2010. 

The Sabha had lost six years, but, 

in the meantime, infrastructure in 

the form of an access road as well 

as electricity and water supplies 

arrived at our doorstep. This 

would save us some RM1 million 

in infrastructure costs. 

The Sabha AGM in June 2011 

gave the approval for earthworks 

to be carried out. It also approved 

the building of temporary 

structures to be used among 

others, for resident caretakers 

quarters and camping facilities. 

The earthworks, which started 

in September 2011, were 

completed early this year and are 

now pending certification. The 

temporary structures comprising a 

marquee, cabins for 

accommodation and a toilet block 

are ready and have already hosted 

the first group of campers for the 

week ending 24 June 2012. 

The first few steps in the long 

journey have been taken. With the 

Sanggat's continuing unequivocal 

support, the dream is starting to 

unfold. With Waheguru's 

blessings, the vision we've had of 

a Sikh Centre catering to all 

segments of the Sanggat is on the 

way to becoming a reality. 

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa 

Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!

8 

Seva: 

Neither 

a Shield, 

nor a Sword 

By T. Sher Singh 

I have noticed that the concept of seva - loosely 

translated as "selfless, voluntary service" - is 

nowadays increasingly wielded as a weapon and less 

as what it is meant to be. 

The other day, when a community volunteer was 

asked why she repeatedly failed to do what she had 

undertaken to do, why she hadn't met her obligations 

fully or in a timely fashion, I was flabbergasted by 

the response I overheard: 

"I do seva, bhenji", she protested. "I'm not getting 

paid for this. I spend so many hours here, while I 

could easily be doing something else. I don't have to 

listen to this nonsense: if you don't want me here, say 

so, and I'm gone!" 

It was a clever use of seva: as a shield - a shield 

from criticism and from accountability. 

On another occasion, I heard a fellow wield the 

word somewhat differently, but equally effectively. 

He was addressing members of a community 

group: "I'm the one who can run this organization and 

ensure that it stays alive. I've done seva for three 

years ... day and night, and weekends too. And I 

haven't taken a single cent for my time. How can you 

even think that another person should come over and 

run it? Others will simply run it to the ground. And, 

you know, I'm not going to let you do this. I'm not 

going to let you turn all my seva into nought!" 

I felt, as I watched him through this performance, 

that he was wielding his seva quite deftly - as a 

weapon. A sword, actually. The parry and thrust was 


working; you could see it in the wounded look in the 

eyes of the audience. 

Is this what seva is all about? 

Am I wrong in thinking that the moment you use 

seva ... yes, USE it ... for any ulterior purpose, then it 

instantly ceases to be seva? If it loses its spiritual 

core, then all you're left with is ... a clumsy weapon. 

The concept of seva, I feel, is simple and 

uncomplicated in Sikhi. 

The very idea of seva begins with a metaphor: that 

of the milk-pot or vessel. Nanak says: 

First, wash the vessel, 

Next, disinfect it with incense. 

Then, and only then, is it ready to receive the milk. 

[GGS, M1, 728:1] 

True. What good is the milk once it has been 

poured into a soiled receptacle? The dirt of the vessel 

taints everything that is poured into it. 

The mind, like the vessel, first needs to be cleansed 

if one is to prepare it for things spiritual. Otherwise, 

all effort goes to waste. This cleansing of the mind, 

the preparation, is done with the "soap" of humility. 

So far, all of this is esoteric and philosophical. But 

Sikhi brings the exercise down to earth by guiding us 

how to do it while going about our day-to-day, 

ordinary lives. In seeking humility, there's no need to 

blindly wade through religious tomes. No penances, 

no fasting, no retreats, no masochism of any kind. No 

feeding of priests, no pilgrimages, no renunciations, 

no onerous abstentions. 

There's a simple, direct and effective way: seva. 

No grandiose projects are necessary for this inner 

cleansing. We don't have to build monuments, or light 

bonfires on top of mountains, or even go on far-flung 

crusades fighting for world peace. 

Just serving the basic needs of those who are in 

need puts us on the right path. At home, with the 

neighbour, in the community we live in, the 

concentric circles can get as wide or remain as narrow 

as the situation demands. 

Feed the hungry, clothe the destitute, shelter the 

homeless. 

Or even more simple: just wash the dishes at the 

langar, or serve food, or look after the shoes of those 

who come to worship. 

Anonymity helps. Not wearing a t-shirt or bandana 

that proclaims SEVADAR, helps. 

Doing it without fan-fare, without a shabash or pat 

on the back, is a definite plus. Doing things that 

others do not want to, or cannot do, is good. 

Sweeping the floor, or cleaning the washrooms are


therefore bound to be the most rewarding. 

One of the most moving sights I have seen in my 

life is something I witnessed a couple of years ago in 

Espanola, New Mexico. Singh Sahib Harbhajan 

Singh Yogi had shed his mortal coil and crowds from 

around the globe had arrived to celebrate his life. By 

the thousands. The logistics required to cater to the 

needs of these visitors from far and wide were 

stupendous. 

And one of them was the need for a platoon of 

portable toilets which were, I'm sure, leased for the 

occasion. It would've been terribly easy to have also 

bought the services of a handful of workers who 

could've maintained the facilities and kept them 

clean at all times. 

What touched me deep inside was the vision of 

our hosts who saw it as an unprecedented 

opportunity to do seva. Any time of the day or night, 

9

10 

if you walked into the facilities, you saw a couple of 

the Sikhs from the Espanola sangat cleaning the 

toilets and water basins, or down on their hands and 

knees, cleaning the floor. It was arguably the 

cleanest spot within the endless acreage roped in for 

the events of the week. 

And, you know, there was not a sign anywhere 

proclaiming, e.g., "Seva provided by the Sangat of 

....." 

Nothing. Not a word, not a peep. 

That's seva. 

It's for the sheer sake of seva. It has no other goal. 

Even the end result is not important. You don't need 

a smile or a nod, a pat on the shoulder, or the 

gratitude of another to validate it. You simply do it, 

and you do it to the best of your ability, and nothing 

else matters. 

You don't go home and note it in your diary. Or 

tell your family and friends. Or have it published in 

a newsletter in the "Acknowledgement" section. 

And you don't wave it in the face if you are 

running for election the next time around. 

Here's what I've been taught and what I try to 

emulate .... though those who know me well could 

easily cite many a lapse: 

Don't let the right hand know what the left 

hand does ... 

It isn't seva if it is for the purpose of getting a 

tax-deductible receipt. 

It isn't seva if your heart and soul aren't in it. 

It isn't seva if it isn't done with honesty and 

integrity. 

It isn't seva if you believe that mediocrity is all 

that is expected of you, and that you needn't 

do more. 

It isn't seva if it's for building your resume. 

It isn't seva if it is meant to be a stepping stone 

to bigger and better things. 

It isn't seva if you need to tell others, now or 

later, that you did it. 

It isn't seva if lack of appreciation by others, 

or their criticism, drives you away. 

It isn't seva if you believe that it is your right 

to do it. 

It isn't seva if you have to fight against others 

to do it. 


It isn't seva if you snatch it away from another, 

to do it. 

It isn't seva if you begin to believe you're the 

best one to do it. 

And, it isn't seva if it distresses you that 

others take credit for what you've done. 

Not too long ago, I was blessed with an opportunity 

to visit the Darbar Sahib in Amritsar, after an absence 

of more than three decades. There were so many 

things that added to the joy of being there. 

Not the least of it was the timeless sight at all hours 

of the day or night, literally - even in the cold and 

dark hours before dawn - of men, women and 

children behind the counter, tending to the shoes of 

pilgrims. 

Quiet faces, moving in the shadows. Ever-so-slight, 

barely discernible quivering of the lips, silently 

accompanying the kirtan playing from the speakers 

around them. No small talk. No name tags. No 

meeting of the eyes, no searching for acquaintances. 

Just simple, purposeful, swift, efficient movements ... 

the queues were long. 

There's always a hush around the shoe-stalls 

outside the main entrance, I've noticed. The only 

words you hear are "satnam, satnam..." and 

"waheguru, waheguru..." And a lot of "ji...ji...jee-o...ji 

...". 

I don't know how they do it. But I see them taking 

each pair of foot-wear as if it is a house-warming gift. 

Lovingly, gently, softly ... if you glance back for a 

split-second, as you turn away, you may even catch 

one in the shadows wiping the dirt off your shoes as 

they are placed on the shelves. 

I tell you, it is there, standing on the cold wet 

marble, looking at this scene, that I experienced the 

first communion with what I had come searching for, 

after all these years, at the doors of the Harmandar. 

It is the epitome of seva. 

And, it is most magical when - and I borrow from 

the English Bard - it "is not strain'd"... 

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven 

Upon the place beneath. 

It is twice blest: 

It blesseth him that gives and him that takes. 

May we all, each one of us, be blessed with this 

gift. 

(Adapted from: SikhChic, June 23, 2012. Readers are 

encouraged to check out the SikhChic website for 

comments on this article.)



Milestones 

1963-2012 

Sikh Naujawan Sabha Malaysia is 

approaching 50 years of its existence. 

We explore some of the key events in 

the organisation. 

1. DYA SINGH: 

Over the years 

2. SABHA JATHEDARS: 

20 of them 

3. KEY EVENTS: 

See Sabha Milestones over the years. 

We share some pages form past issues 

of The Sikh 

COVER: SABHA MILESTONES 

11


The amazing Sikh Naujawan 

An entry from Dya'ries, the blog by Dya Singh, a participant of Sabha’s samelans in early 

1960s 

(20 June 2012): I am in Malaysia, 

in Kuala Lumpur on my way to 

conduct an Anand Karaj in 

London. A copy of the 46th AGM 

of the Sikh Naujawan Sabha 

Malaysia arrived at my host and 

friend Menjit Singh's house; some 

memories and thoughts about the 

Sabha came to mind - hence this 

nostalgic trip down memory lane. 

Forty-six years means inception 

in 1966, but the Sabha held 

'samelans' earlier, from 1962. My 

peers or those older might say that 

they started even earlier. I do 

know for a fact that the 'official' 

Sabha idea germinated in 1961/2 

when the first two samelans were 

held in Port Dickson, on the west 

coast of Malaysia, under the 

auspices of our revered Sant Baba 

Sohan Singh Ji. So for me, this is 

the 50th anniversary. 

Malaysia's favourite and most 

revered 'sant', Baba Sohan Singh 

Ji, alongside other Sikh luminaries 

like S. Gurbachan Singh 

(headmaster), Master Joginder 

Singh Ji, S. Hardial Singh Ji of 

Seremban, Master Manjit Singh 

(whose untimely demise robbed 

the Sabha of a great youth leader), 

Master Karminder Singh, S. Sarjit 

Singh 'Bassian' and 'ham-radio 

enthusiast and space 

communication expert' S. Sangat 

Singh, were the initiators of a 

Naujawan Sabha idea which was 

then formalised in 1966. 

Founding member S. Joginder 

Singh Ji who now resides in South 

Australia recollected that there 

was great opposition from some 

gurdwara 'perbhandaks' who felt 

that 'naujawan' activities must be 

run by gurdwaras, not an 

exclusive youth organisation. 

I do not think a single year 

has gone by since without the 

Sabha conducting at least one 

'samelan' a year in Malaysia. 

'Samelans' are also organised 

today all over South East Asia as 

well as in Australia and New 

Zealand. In fact, virtually every 

weekend there is either a 

mini-samelan or some other 

'Sabha' activity in some part of 

Malaysia. 

The annual 'samelan' averages 

about 1,000 participants and 

about 300 sewadars providing 

langgar, security and also home 

trained facilitators fully versed 

in Sikhi perchar, kirtan and 

katha just before Christmas. A 

samelan climaxes with an 'amrit 

sanchar' ceremony for those 

inspired and prepared to make 

their 'commitment' to Kalgidhar 

pita, Guru Gobind Singh Ji. 

Today the Sabha boasts real 

estate, a healthy bank balance - 

even a stocks and shares 

investment portfolio, to further 

Sabha's Sikhi 'parchar' activities 

along Akal Takhat 'maryadha' 

lines and maintaining their 

autonomy. 

FOUNDING MEMBERS 

A few of the original founding 

members remaining are S. 

Joginder Singh Ji in South 

Australia (mentioned earlier); S. 

Karminder Singh Ji in Temerloh, 

Pahang state, Malaysia and S. 

Sangat Singh Ji in KL. Perhaps 

the Sabha should consider 

commissioning an official history 

of the Sabha for posterity? 50th 

Anniversary perhaps? 

Today the Sabha owns a hostel 

for interstate Sikh students 

studying in KL, a Sabha House in 

KL, a Sabha House in Ipoh, 

capital of Perak state and acreage 

just out of KL for future 

development into a Sabha 

complex for multi purposes such 

as 'samelans', leadership camps, 

retreats and other Sabha activities. 

Under the umbrella of the 

Sabha, Global Sikhs was born 

after the devastating Acheh 

(Indonesia) tsunami in 2005, 

which provided 'relief' and 

clearing operations in Acheh. The 

organisation has since been 

involved in relief work in 

devastating floods in the east coast 

of Malaysia, Thailand and 

Indonesia. 

Other activities besides 

samelans, relief work, leadership 

workshops and excursions, the 

Sabha is involved in are: Vesakhi 

celebrations; Punjabi Bhasha 

Melas; 'shudh paath' reading 

competitions; naujawan and teens 

kirtan competitions; leadership, 

self-improvement and career 

courses for school leavers and 

college students; one parent family 

relief; special workshops for 

widows, orphans and single 

mothers on self-improvement 

techniques, career advice and 

assistence; temporary 

accommodation for needy 

families; organising kirtenias, 

parcharaks and kethakars to tour


Sabha Malaysia 

all parts of Malaysia, and assisting 

gurdwaras to organise their 

programmes and activities. A 

Training & Development arm has 

been set up to develop training and 

development programmes by 

human resource development 

experts from within the Sabha 

membership. 

The Sabha has also groomed 

local talent in doing kirtan, 

bi-lingual inspirational sessions 

and parchar for Sikh youth. Sabha 

sewadhars do amazing work 

throughout Malaysia making 

langgar, helping in gurdwaras and 

inspiring the young. 

Over the years many names and 

faces of selfless sewadhars flash 

before my eyes - besides the 

names already mentioned - Master 

Daljit Singh; Malkith Singh; 

Master Pritam Singh; Autar 

(Avtar) Singhs; Sukhdev Singhs; 

Jasbir Singhs; Sukhinderpal 

Singh; Karamjit Singh; Balvinder 

Singh; Bulvant Singh; Bhajan 

Singh; a number of Inderjeet 

Singhs; Giani Lakhbir Singh; Raja 

Harcharanjit Singh; Boghar Singh; 

Amarjit Singh; Jagdev Singh; 

Harvinder Singhs; Mohan Singh; 

Harbhajan Singh; Tersame Singh; 

and many more whom I don’t 

know, having lived away from 

Malaysia for so long. 


Yes, the 'Sabha' has had its fair 

share of 'political' upheavels and 

intrigues, but on the whole 

rationality has prevailed; 'haumais' 

(egos) have sometimes been 

inflated but checked in time and 

its administrative setup has 

ensured continuity and progress. 

There has generally been 

transparency in its account 

keeping and the ideals of Sarbat 

Khalsa and general Sikhi spirit 

prevails. 

The Sabha played an important 

part in my formative years in the 

60s and also when I decided to 

look upon 'gursangeet' as my main 

vocation in the 90s. One sewadhar, 

June 1964. Baba Sohan Singh at the ceremony to lay foundation stone for Gurdwara Sahib Greentown, 

Ipoh. Baba Ji is a Sabha patron. 

13

14 

Malkith Singh,who has also 

served two terms as Jathedar 

invited my group for a number of 

major sabha functions and also 

organised a number of 

Malaysia-wide 'tours' for my jatha 

in the late 90s and early 2000s - 

necessary training ground before I 

took my 'kirten group' to other 

countries. 

Fifty years - half a century, 

seems like a long time. Yes, for me 

a lifetime affection and 

association, with Sikh Naujawan 

Sabha Malaysia - my link with my 

faith. The youthful Sabha has 

always worked towards making 

Sikhi relevant in the lives of 

younger generations and more 

importantly giving Sikh youth 

direction for their future 

materialistic and spiritual success. 

The continuity, growth and 

progress of the Sabha is testimony 

to the professionalism of the 

original and current Malaysian 

Sikh youth sewadars over five 

decades, the blessings of elevated 

Sikh souls like Sant Baba Sohan 

Singh Ji of Malacca and Akal 

Purakh. 

May the Sikh Naujawan Sabha 

continue to serve the needs of the 

Sikhs not only in Malaysia but 

also in South-East Asia, New 

Zealand and Australia, especially 

the younger generations, in 

progressive Sikh spirituality and 

may WAHEGURU bless the 

organisation with Chardhi Kala. 

(Edited for The Sikh, Source: 

http://www.dyasingh.com/Sacred 

Music/Sikh/Home/Entries/2012/6/ 

21_Dyaries.html) 

[Sabha records show the first 

samelan was in PD was in 1963, 

and the Sabha was officially 

registered in 1967. But As Dya 

Singh notes, it’s high time we get 

down to capturing the Sabha story. 

-- EDITOR] 

Sabha Jathedars 


1. Master Gurbachan Singh - 1963-1968* 

2. Bhai Isher Singh - 1968-1969 

3. Sdr Gurdarshan Singh - 1969-1971 

4. Sdr Harbak Singh - 1971-1972 

5. Sdr Surjit Singh Bassian - 1972-1973 

6. Sdr Dhiraj Singh - 1973-1974 

7. Sdr Chatar Singh - 1974-1977 

8. Master Amar Singh MABT - 1977-1979 

9. Sdr Harcharan Singh - 1979-1982 

10. Master Daljit Singh - 1982-1985 

11. Sdr Jai Singh - 1985-1988 

12. Master Pritam Singh - 1988-1991 

13. Sdr Autar Singh - 1991-1994 

14. Sdr Baldev Singh - 1994-1995 

15. Sdr Sukhdev Singh - 1995-1997 

16. Sdr Harbinder Singh - 1997-2000 

17. Sdr Bulvant Singh - 2000-2002 

18. Sdr Harwindar Singh - 2002-2006 

19. Sdr Malkith Singh - 2006-2010 

20. Sdr Amarjit Singh - 2010 

NOTES: 

*1963: Master Gurbachan Singh was Jathedar from 1963-1967 when 

Sabha was operating unofficially. 

1967: Sabha was officially registered in 1967. 

1972: Sabha Jathedar tenure changed from a 1-year tenure to a maximum 

3 consecutive terms of 1-year. 

1976: Master Amar Singh resigned after 2 ½ years over an issue, while Sdr 

Harcharan Singh served for 2.5 years. 

1994: Sdr Baldev Singh could not carry on as Jathedar after ½ year as he 

got transferred to Penang. Former Jathedar Autar Singh was appointed 

Meet Jathedar to stand in for the Jathedar until the following AGM. 

2006: The 3 consecutive terms of 1 year each changed to 2 consecutive 

terms of 2 years each.


Early 1960s: 

- SNSM started in Seremban with 

the blessings of Sant Baba Sohan 

Singh Ji. A band of sevadars had 

met Baba ji, who emphasised the 

need to ‘sambhaal’ the naujawans 

- Baba Ji of Melaka appointed as 


1963: 

- First boys-only Samelan at GS 

Port Dickson. About 40 boys 

participated. 

Key Events 

The Sikh Naujawan Sabha Malaysia today is a youth organisation looked up to by 

the Sikh community around the world as a model to be emulated. Sikh youth 

from many countries attend our programmes and take back good practices and 

programmes to implement in their own countries. 

Starting from humble beginnings back in 1963, the Sabha has attained its 

current position through sheer hard work and dedication of its numerous 

sewadars, with the grace of Waheguru and the constant support and blessings 

of the Sanggat. 

One of the obvious ‘exports’ of the Sabha to the world, at least to Sikhs in this 

region, is the Sabha’s Samelan technology. The Sabha organises Gurmat camps 

with participant numbers ranging from 100 to 1,200. 

The ‘technology’, or the Samelan know-how, has been deployed at Gurmat 

camps in various countries around the globe, including Thailand, Singapore, 

Indonesia, the UK, Canada, Italy, France, Switzerland, Sweden, India, and 

Australia. 

Over the years, the band of volunteers has made changes to keep improving 

the camp. As ever, it is work in progress. While every samelan has something 

new, major changes were made in the Annual Gurmat Parchaar Samelans of 

1978, 1988, 1998 and 2011. 

Another export of the Sabha is the Akaal Purkh Ki Fauj. It has become a 

dynamic force in India, while it has set up Sikh Scout Groups in the UK in 

partnership with the Scout Association. 

Here are some milestones that the Sabha has achieved over the decades. The 

list is far from exhaustive. We certainly would have missed many key events, 

while some of the dates would require confirmation. 

THE SIKH: Aug-Sept 1965 (Vol 1, No 4) 


1964: 

- Second Samelan for both boys 

and girls also at GS Port Dickson. 

- Parchaar tours by sevadars. 

- Naujawans started becoming 

active in various towns 

1965: 

- Sabha magazine The SIKH 

launched in Seremban with the 

purchase of a ‘duplicating 

machine’. 

- Mini Samelans in Rawang, 

Tanjong Malim, Ipoh, Kampar 

15


(Source: The SIKH, Vol 1 No 4, 

Aug-Sept 1965). 

- Naujawan Jathas set up in 

Seremban, Melaka, Batu Gajah, 

Kuala Lumpur, Klang, Rawang, 

Tanjong Malim, Kampar, Ipoh, 

Tanjong Rambutan, Johor Bahru, 

Batu Pahat and Tampin. 

- Sikhi Courses started. These ran 

over 4 days each and were 

conducted according to ages of 

participants. 

1967: 

- SNSM registered as a Society in 

1967 with its office in GS Seremban. 

Registration No: N.S. 53. 

- Constitution provided for 

unanimous selection of Sabha 

Jathedar at the AGM, who was 

authorised to appoint the rest of 

the committee members. 

1968: 

- Jathedar Bhai Isher Singh 

personally conducted parchaar 

tours around the country. 

1969: 

- Published 'AGAMA SIKH' book. 

- Celebrated Guru Nanak Ji’s 

500th Birth Anniversary with a 

target to give Khanday ki Pahul 

(Amrit) to 500 Sikhs. By 

mid-1970, 432 abhilakhis had 

taken Amrit. (Source: The SIKH, 

May-June 1970). 

1970: 

- Received new Gurmukhi 

typewriter from Punjab to facilitate 

typing articles for magazine 

(Source: The SIKH, May-June 

1970). 

1971: 

- Organised nationwide parchaar 

tour with eminent historian and 

writer Dr Ganda Singh. 

- Started Asa Ki Vaar kirtan 

classes by bringing Baba Nihal 

Singh from Mumbai. Classes were 

conducted in Gurdwara Sahibs 

Petaling Jaya, Batu Pahat, Port 

Dickson, Kota Baru and Seremban. 

By October 1971, 108 

students had learnt and 

performed 6 shakkay, 6 slok, 6 

paurhiaan and 6 shabad in Raag 

Asa. Sabha bought harmoniums 

from Mumbai for this project. 

Bibi Anand Kaur(wife of Baba 

Nihal Singh) conducted 

Gurmukhi and Gurbani Paath 

classes. 

- Sabha was unable to publish 

The SIKH magazine as it was 

costing the Sabha RM200, which 

was deemed too costly. (Source: 

The SIKH, Jan 1972). 

1972: 

- Launched ‘Sunday School 

Lessons’ to be used by Naujawan 

Jathas in Sikhi Classes on 

Sundays. (Source: The SIKH, 

Jan 1972). 

1973: 

- Sabha office moved to GS 

Klang. 

1976: 

- Started Naujawan Satsangs. 

1978: 

- Samelan in GNI Ipoh set new 

record with participants exceeding 

500 pax. The programme underwent 

a major change. 

- Received a single donation of 

RM21,000, bought own offset 

printing facility in Wadda GS Kg 

Pandan. 

- Set up SNSM Office at WGS Kg 

Pandan. 

THE SIKH: Aug-Sept 1965 (Vol 1, No 4) 

1979: 

- Started Mini Samelans. 

1981: 

- Organised High Tea for then 

Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir 

Mohamad at Hilton Hotel, KL


- Together with Khalsa Diwan 

Malaysia, Sabha became founder 

member of the Malaysian Consultative 

Council of Buddhism, 

Christianity, Hinduism and 

Sikhism. 

- Jathedar Harcharan Singh 

represented Sabha as a Panj Pyara 

leading the procession at Nankana 

Sahib. 

- SNSM Office moved to GS 

Sentul. 

1982: 

- Bought Sabha House Selayang. 

- Bought a van for Sikhi parchaar. 

- Hired two full-time parcharaks. 

- First Sikh contingent participated 

in the National Day parade. 

1983: 

- Started observing Vasakhi as a 

major Sikh celebration. 

- Introduced Vasakhi greeting 

cards. 

1984: 

- Started the Cameron Highlands 

Leadership/Fellowship Camp. 

- Supported the Ad-Hoc Committee 

set up in response to 1984 

tragedies in India. 

1987: 

- Sabha organised the first Vasakhi 

Open House at the Chinese 

Assembly Hall, KL. A 1-week 

long Punjabi culture show was 

organised at the Central Market. 

(Source: The SIKH, Vol 2/87). 

- Saint Scholar Baba Naranjan 

Singh Ji of Guru Nanak Ashram 

Patiala appointed as Sabha patron. 

1990: 

- Bought Sabha House Bangsar 

(sold SH Selayang). 

1991: 

- First state-level Sabha branch 

with Ipoh Branch becoming 

SNSM Perak. 

- Started the Mighty Khalsa 

Club, the first one in Rawang. 

- Started the Fellowship Division 

and the Training and Development 

Division. 

- Organised a number of Punjabi 

Bhasha Seminars and Exhibitions. 

1992: 

- Celebrated the Silver Jubilee of 

SNSM with a dinner honouring 

past Jathedars. 

- Organised the 4-day long 

Malaysian Sikh Convention 

which included: 

2-day International Sikh 

Conference (250 participants 

and about 12 foreign speakers); 

Sikh Heritage Exhibition 

mainly exhibiting paintings of 

Bodh Singh Artist; 

1-day National Sikh Youth 

Seminar; 

1-day National Punjabi 

Language Teachers Workshop; 

and 

Malaysian Sikh Convention 

Dinner. 

- Received a Sri Saheb from 

Takht Sri Akaal Takht Sahib as 

our 'Insignia of Office of 

Jathedar'. 

- Received a Nishan Sahib from 

Takht Sri Akaal Takht Sahib in 

recognition of our role as a 

premier parchaar organisation 

dedicated to the Guru Panth. 

- Started Punjabi Schools 

Carnival, the forerunner of 

Punjabi Bhasha Mela 

- Organised a Granthi Parcharak 

Samelan with Singh Sahib Prof 

Manjit Singh, Jathedar of Takht 

Sri Akaal Takht Sahib and Sikh 

scholar/writer Principal Satbir 

Singh as the main facilitators. 

Both also attended the Annual 

Samelans in 1992 and 1993. 


- Sabha branches for Negeri 

Sembilan and Penang were 

established. 

1993: 

- Punjabi Bhasha Workshops for 

teachers in KL and Ipoh facilitated 

by Sardar Surinder Singh Attariwala 

from UK and Master Amar 

Singh, a former Jathedar of Sabha 

and then residing in Canada. 

1994: 

- Launched the Miri Piri Brigade 

on 27 March, with the 1st Unit in 

Seremban. 

- Launched the Sant Sepahi 

Brigade on 15 August, with the 1st 

Unit in Subang Jaya. 

1995: 

- Participated in the World Sikh 

Samelan in 1995 held in Amritsar. 

- Prepared ‘Sabda Gurbani’, a 

kirtan booklet with shabads 

translated into Malay for use in 

East Malaysia 

- Sabha members in UK launched 

the National Sikh Youth Forum for 

youth from universities and 

institutes of higher learning in the 

UK. 

1996: 

- Akaal Purkh Ki Fauj launched in 

the UK by the Fauj Patron, Singh 

Sahib Prof Manjit Singh Ji, the 

then Acting Jathedar of Takht Sri 

Akaal Takht Sahib, at Gurdwara 

Sahib Reading. Singh Sahib 

Harbhajan Singh Khalsa, Yogi Ji 

and Council members of 3HO 

were also present. 

- Started the Family Paath Mala 

programme in which family 

members were required to spend 

time with Gurbani at exactly 

8.00pm daily. 

- Launched Eagle Camp, a 

self-development programme for 

youth. 

17

18 

1998: 

- Major revamp of the Annual 

Gurmat Parchaar Samelan held in 

SM Teknik, Ipoh. Introduced 

pre-selected Learning Modules, 

Social Dynamics, separate 

age-wise Camps with their own 

management, Cool Khalsa Corner, 

Nursery for young Khalsas, 

Spiritual Enrichment Sessions and 

Programme Evaluation Team of 

Senior Sewadars. 

1999: 

- Launch of Akaal Purkh Ki Fauj 

International at Takht Sri Kesgarh 

Sahib on 13 April 1999. 

- Held Akaal Purkh Ki Fauj 

International Jamboree at Anandpur 

Sahib during Khalsa 300 

celebrations (8-15 April) with 

participants from India, Malaysia, 

Australia, the UK and Singapore. 

- Started the Cheras Grand Vasakhi 

Celebrations, a 4-day programme 

with top jathas doing kirtan, katha, 

exhibitions, health camps, bazaar, 

Sikhi movies, Balak Kirtan 

Darbaar, and much more. This has 

become an annual feature. 

- Launched the ‘Daily Dialogue 

with My Guru’ programme, which 

required participants to read and 

contemplate on at least 1 page of 

Sri Guru Granth Sahib daily. 

2000: 

- Inaugurated the Holla Mahalla 

Games. 

2002: 

- Bought 21 acres of land in Kuala 

Kubu Baru (KKB) for activities. 

- 3 consecutive terms of 1 year 

each tenure of Jathedar changed to 

2 consecutive terms of 2 years 

each. 

2003: 

- Published 'GURDWARAS IN 

MALAYSIA', a coffee-table book. 

2004: 

- Formed Global Sikhs for action 

after Aceh Tsunami disaster. A 

total of 11 aid missions sent to 

Aceh by sea. 

- Held the International Sikh 

Conference with other societies in 

GS Melaka. 

2005: 

- In collaboration with 4 other 

Societies, set up a committee to 

explore the establishment of a 

Malaysian Sikh Agenda. 

2007: 

- Co-organised the National 

Conference to deliberate the 

Malaysian Sikh Agenda. 


2008: 

- Sold Sabha House Bangsar, 

bought Sabha House Titiwangsa. 

2010: 

- Started obtaining substantial 

government grants for SNSM 

activities. Previously, it had 

received smaller project based 

grants. 

- Set up the SNSM Facebook page 

and Yahoogroup (MPN). 

2011: 

- Organised Vasakhi Open House 

with PM at Dataran Merdeka. 

- Held Mothers' Day programme 

on a big scale. 

2012 (thus far): 

- Punjabi Bhasha Mela competitions 

in 5 regions inaugurated 

before the national competition. 

- Development starts at the KKB 

Land with Campsite completed. 

- First Youth Camp at the KKB 

Campsite. 

- Set up Oh My Guru (OMG), a 

youth group that brings Sikh youth 

together in a number of innovative 

programmes, such as participating 

in a bhangra flash mob at KL 

Sentral on World Smile Day, 

sharing Sikhi Awareness over 

Kheer & Cha at KL and Ipoh, and 

others that reached out to the 

general public. 

- Published a book, 'Q & A on 

Sikhi - Gurmat Discussions on the 

Internet'. 

- Set up the Joint Parchaar Initiative 

with 3 other societies to 

organise Kathaa Tours. 

- Annual Gurmat Parchaar 

Samelan revamped with youth 

organisers taking the lead. 

SABHA IS HITTING 50 SOON. 

IF YOU HAVE OLD PHOTOS 

OR MAGAZINES, PLEASE 

LET US KNOW.


A BLAST FROM THE PAST: 1992 


THE SIKH:1992 

19

20 The Sikh, July 2012




THE SIKH:1992 

21

22 The Sikh, July 2012


THE SIKH:1992 



23

24 COVER: SABHA MILESTONES 


1982: FIRST NATIONAL DAY PARADE 

THE SIKH, 1982, cover. Sabha joins the national parade. The team comprised (from left) Malkith 

Singh, Jagjit Singh (late), Sukhdave Singh (now Gurpuri), Gurdial Singh (Sentul) and Balwant Singh.


Sabha update: 

SNSM Perak 

Perak 

Mothers 

Day 

A Mother’s Day programme was held at Wadda Gurdwara 

Sahib Ipoh on 13 May 2012. The event started with a 

Darbar Sahib programme in which the mothers did five 

Benti Chaupai paath, followed by kirtan. The entire 

programme was handled by a group of mothers. At the 

same time, lucky draw booths were opened. 

After the darbar programme, mothers and children took 

part in rounds of musical chairs. Mothers left the event with 

door gifts, some winning the lucky draw. 

It was organised by Perak Sikh Youth and Isteri Satsang 

and was supported by the Persatuan Pembangunan Insan 

Sikh Perak. 

PHOTOS: PRO Photography 

25



IPOH: OMG PERAK 

Sharing Vasakhi message 

with kheer & chaa 

By Nisha Bhandal 

Shortly after we arrived at the 

Gurdwara Sahib Tanjung 

Rambutan on 29th April morning, 

we saw the familiar faces of 

friends walking towards us with 

smiles on their faces. 

After packing the food, we 

headed towards the orphanage in 

Tambun. The kids were very 

excited to see us. We started off 

with a small introduction of 

ourselves, followed by playing 

football and a chat with the kids. 

We also managed to take pictures 

with them. During teatime, we 

gave them “kheer n cha” which 

they loved. We also told them 

what Vasakhi was all about. 

At 3.30pm, the group headed 

towards Lost World of Tambun. 

Upon arrival, the girls started 

unpacking the boxes while the boys 

set up a tent and had a short 

briefing. The group then spread out 

and started serving “kheer and cha” 

to everyone. 

The Dholis (drummers) who 

played a big role in entertaining the 

public with nonstop beats, caught 

everyone’s attention. We also had


photo sessions with the 

general public, explaining to 

them what Vasakhi was all 

about, and handing out 

cards as well as pamphlets. 

Most of them enjoyed the 

“kheer n cha”, though for 

most of them it was a new 

experience. 

About 600 cups of “kheer 

n cha” were given out. We 

had a very good response 

because in the end we 

managed to distribute all the 

“kheer and cha” we brought. 

The main purpose in 

organising this event was to 

let the public know that 

Vasakhi is celebrated by 

Sikhs on April 14 every year. 

This day marks the 

revelation of the Khalsa 

(initiated Sikhs, with an 

unique identity and 

discipline), in the year 1699. 

From that moment on, Sikhs 

were gifted with names 

Singh and Kaur by our 10th 

Guru, Sri Guru Gobind 

Singh Ji. 

(Adapted from: Ipoh Echo) 

Gurmat College 

in Malacca 

Sant Sohan Singh Ji Melaka 

Memorial Society Malaysia 

has decided to set up a 

Gurmat College. The 

Melaka-based society’s 

annual general meeting had 

passed a resolution start a 

company to set up and 

manage the college. The 

AGM was held on May 26, 

2012. 

“We thank the sanggat of 

Malaysia for giving us 

overwhelming support in our 

Diploma in Gurmat Studies. 

Your support is the catalyst 

for this Gurmat College,” said 

Associate Prof Autar Singh, 

who has been running a 

Gurmat course in Malaysia 

since 2009. It now has 697 

participants in Malaysia and 

Indonesia. 

Honouring 

Granthis 

Coalition of Malaysian Sikh 

Organisations organised a 

programme to honour Granthis 

and Parcharaks at GSPJ in 

June 2012. At the end of the 

Session, the Granthis and 

Parcharaks present were 

presented with a siropao and a 

bag which included a copy of 

'Gurbani Viaakaran dhe Saral 

Nem' and a copy of 'Gurbani 

Shudh Uchaaran'. Singh Sahib 

Giani Kewal Singh ji, former 

Jathedar of Takht Sri 

Damdama Sahib facilitated the 

session and honoured the 

Granthis and Parcharaks. 

27

28 


KL: Mothers’ Day 

Superwoman! That’s clearly the best way to 

describe our mums who tirelessly take care of 

us and the home with so many even juggling a 

demanding career at the same time. So it’s only 

apt that these wonderful beings are celebrated 

and honoured on Mother’s Day – it’s one small 

way to show our gratitude and appreciation for 

all that they do for us. And Sikh Naujawan 

Sabha Malaysia once again made sure this 

year’s Mother’s Day celebrations hit all the 

right notes and was one to remember with an 

evening of fun-filled entertainment and a lavish 


To Mataji with love... 

By Serena Kaur


food fiesta. 

Themed 1960’s Nostalgia, many 

mothers starting sashaying into Wisma 

Tatt Khalsa Diwan an hour before the 

event was scheduled to start. Dressed 

to the nines like yesteryear stars such 

as Asha Parekh and Sharmila Tagore, 

the afternoon started with an Ardas 

and opening speech by the Sabha 

Jathedar Amarjit Singh. The two jovial 

hosts for the event, Sardar Chamkaur 

Singh and Bhen Ravinder Kaur, took 

to the stage next to give the crowd of 

close to 700 mothers a small preview 

of the awesome activities lined up for 

them. 

29


Anand Camp 

A three-day Anand Camp was held to inspire, motivate and 

challenge couples to seek out bliss in their married lives. Ten 

couples took part in the inaugural camp organised at Taman 

Rimba Komanwel, Templer's Park (Jan 21-23, 2012) by InSPiRE 

with the support of SWAN. The facilitators were Manjeet Singh 

(lawyer and moderator of the Titiwangsa Satsang Group), Heera 

Singh (HEERA Training and Management Consultancy), Dr Har 

Sharan Kaur (psychologist/consultant) and Sukhdarshen Singh 

(Intel). 

Punjabi Language Teacher Training 

Khalsa Diwan Malaysia has held 2 workshops for Punajbi Language 

Teachers teaching the lower level classes. The first Workshop was held 

in GSPJ in February for teachers in Selangor and Wilayah KL, while the 

second workshop was held at the Hillcity Hotel in Ipoh on 23-24 June 

for teachers in Perlis, Kedah, Penang and Perak. Prof Dr Kuldip Kaur, 

Assoc Prof Bhajan Kaur and teachers Amarjit Kaur and Suwaran Kaur 

conducted the workshop in Ipoh, which was attended by around 50 

teachers. 

Gurmat Studies Seminar 

The Gurmat Studies Seminar organised by the Sant Sohan Singh Ji 

Melaka Memorial Society Malaysia at GSPJ on Thursday, 14th June 

became a highly interesting dialogue session where participants asked 

questions and shared their views with Singh Sahib Giani Kewal Singh 

Ji, former Jathedar of Takht Sri Damdama Sahib. 

The session started at 7.30pm after the commencement of the Sri 

Akhand Paath Sahib in the Darbar Sahib. The Seminar was in the AV 

Room. The Chair had to cut short the discussions at 10.10pm to the 

disappointment of participants. The session was so lively and 

enlightening that no one noticed the passage of time. 

Gurcharan 

wants to be 

Mr Perak 

Malaysian-born Gurcharan Singh 

Bedi will be vying for the title of 

‘Mr Perak 2012’, his first bodybuilding 

competition. Living in 

UAE, the 39-year old believes he 

will be the first Malaysian Sikh to 

take part in a professional bodybuilding 

contest. The competition 

will be held at Ipoh Parade 

Shopping Mall on 24 June. 

SWAN Family Camp 

SWAN Family Camp held on 5-7 

February 2012 at the Sg Klah Hot 

Springs Resort. More than 130 

Sikhs of all ages participated in 

this memorable camp. 

SWAN Cygnet wing set up 

The youth wing of SWAN, the 

Cool Young Girls Network, has 

been set up. They have had their 

first get together at the SWAN 

Centre after the Young Sikh 

Women's Leadership Camp.




Language Carnival 

slwnw pMjwbI BwSw mylw 2012 

Punjabi Bhasha Mela 2012 

PHOTOGRAPHS: JAGDEEP, PAREM 

31

32 

Singh Sahib Giani Kewal Singh, 

former Jathedar of Takht 

Damdama Sahib, presenting 

the champion’s trophy to the 

Selangor team reps that 

emerged as champs of the 

National Punjabi Bhasha Mela 

2012 held in Kuala Lumpur on 

June 2-3. On the left is Sabha 

Jathedar Amarjit Singh. 





Selangor emerge ‘12 champs 

KUALA LUMPUR: The state of 

Selangor emerged as the 

champions of the 22nd annual 

National Punjabi Bhasha Mela 

2012 that ended on June 3. 

They scored 186 points to take 

home the trophy for the event 

designed to promote the usage of 

the Punjabi language amongst 

school-going children between the 

ages of 6-19 years old. 

Federal Territory came second 

with 158 points while Perak thirs 

(152). Next comes the Southern 

Region with 136 and Northern 

Region with 80 points. 

The tournament, organised by 

the Sikh Naujawan Sabha 

Malaysia and supported by the 

various Punjabi Education Centres 

(PECs) nationwide, includes 

events like debate, story telling, 

news reading, poetry recital and 

spelling bee. 

The Punjabi Bhasha Mela, first 

held in 1991, today hosts some 40 

PECs nationwide. This year, the 

community-run weekend schools 

first took part at the regional level, 

with the winners then representing 

the various regions to the national 

tewo-day event. 

The PECs are run by Punjabi 

Education Trust Malaysia 

(PETM), a wing under Khalsa 

Diwan Malaysia. 

Singh Sahib Giani Kewal 

Singh, former Jathedar of Takht 

Sri Damdama Sahib, had 

declared open the event. 

“It is important to keep alive 

the learning and usage of the 

Punjabi language. You can see 

today, where the Punjabi 

language had languished, so has 

people’s attachment to Sikhi. I’m 

impressed to see that the Sabha 

has been undertaking this event 

for so many years. Its an 

achievement to have sustained it 

for so long,” Singh Sahib said in 

his address when opening the 

event.Some 350 participants took 

part in the national event. 

Selangor comprises of PECs 

from Klang, Port Klang, Shah 

Alam, Petaling Jaya, Selayang 

and Rawang. 

Federal Territory consists of 

PECs from Sentul, KL South 

(Kampung Pandan and Sungei 

Besi) and Pulapol (national 

police training centre in Kuala 

Lumpur). 

Perak comprises of Kampar, 

Ipoh, Taiping, Tanjung 

Rambutan, Batu Gajah, Sitiawan, 

Tanjung Malim, Tapah, Bidor 

and Teluk Intan. 

Batu Pahat and Malacca joined 

regulars Seremban and Johor 

Bahru for the South Region. 

The Northern Region teams 

come from Penang, Butterworth, 

Sungai Petani, Kulim and 

Kangar. 

Ajj di taza khabar (Today’s 

Fresh News) and Shudh akhar 

jorh (Spelling bee) were two of 

the ebvents. In the former, a 

secondary school boy-girl team 

reads out news. The new items 

are given to them 30min before 

they go live. They decide how 

they present, who goes first, and 

how their interchange. 

In shudh akhar jorh, he 

three-member primary level 

teams compete on their spelling 

prowess. First, they get easier 

words. The competition then 

heats up with bigger and more 

difficult words or phrases. 

In prashnotri (quiz), 

participants are tested on their 

language as well as Gurmat 

knowledge. There is one round 

on muhaveray (idioms and 

proverbs). 

33

34 

Port Klang’s 

Harminder 

emerges top 

He took home the Shudh 

Paath trophy for Tahap 4 and 

his team won the news 

reading competition. 

Harminder Singh from Port 

Klang also came out third for 

Tatkaal Pesh competition. At 

the end, he emerged as the 

best participant for Tahap 4. 

Harminder, 18, now a 

Form 6 Science student at 

ACS Klang, has been taking 

part 

In the Punjabi Bhasha 

Mela since he was in the 

primary school. 

“When we get together at 

PEC, we practice. We discuss 

and share ideas. We make 

sure participants are 

confident when they compete. 

We coach them, we 

encourage them,” he said 

when met after emerging as 

the best participant. 

He is the son of trailer 

driver Suvarna Singh. His 

mother, Darshan Kaur, 

teaches at PEC Klang. He 

learnt Gurbani paath under 

the care of Bhenji Ajit Kaur 

from Pandamaran. 

Family Support 


Amrishta Kaur, 8, took part in kavita (first level). This is the first time 

she (centre in the photo above) is taking part, and got selected for the 

Northen region. While she may be the only participant from her family 

circle, but the entire family was down at APIIT College to give her 

morale support. 

Dad Sukhbeer Singh, a logistic manager from Penang and mum 

Parmjit Kaur were present. So was her massi Devinder Kaur. 

“We came here to give her morale support. It was a good 

experience,” said Sukhbeer. “Winning is not important. Surprisingly, 

she was brave. She’s getting braver since joining the Punjabi school. 

Her memory has got better, she now can recite the Raheras, Kirtan 

Sohela and say the Ardas.” Amrishta goes to the Punjabi Education 

Centre (PEC) in Bayan Baru, Penang.

The Sikh, July 2012 Sabha update: 


35

36 



A participants prepares her notes for one of the competitions 



37

38 



Teachers tested for their computer knowledge 

Events Unplugged 

INDIVIDUAL ITEMS 

Shudh paath: 

The youngest (lower primary) will 

recite Japji Sahib, the upper 

primary Anand Sahib, lower 

secondary Asa ki Vaar and upper 

secondary will recite from the 

sanchiaa of Guru Granth Sahib. In 

the past years, the participants 

have shown a good ability to read 

Gurbani. 

Sakhi/kahaani (story telling): 

Primary students tell stories of 

their own choice. 

Bhashan (elocution): 

Secondary students deliver 

speeches on topics given to them 

before they come to the 

competition. Most of them speak 

without referring to notes. 

Tatkaali peshkaari (impromptu 

speeches): 

Primary and secondary students 

deliver speeches on topics given to 

them 10 minutes before the 

competition. Teachers are not 

allowed to assist them. You will be 

amazed with the quality of 

presentations. 

Kavita (poetry recital): 

Primary and secondary students 

recite poems of their own chosing. 

Sun ke jawab likhnaa (Listening 

comprehension) 

Students listen to a recorded 

passage in Punjabi and answer 

questions on an answer sheet. 

Their listening skills are put to a 

test here. 

TEAM ITEMS 

Ajj di taza khabar (Today’s 

Fresh News): 

A secondary school boy-girl team 

reads out news. The new items are 

given to them 30min before they 

go live. They decide how they 

present, who goes first, and how 

their interchange. 

Shudh akhar jorh (Spelling bee): 

The three-member primary level 

teams compete on their spelling 

prowess. First, they get easier 

words. The competition then heats 

up with bigger and more difficult 

words or phrases. 

Prashnotri (Quiz): 

What do call a fan in Punjabi? 

That could be one of the questions 

in quiz, at the early level. It gets 

tougher. They are also tested on 

their Gurmat knowledge. There is 

one round on muhaveray (idioms 

and proverbs). Fan is pekhaa in 

Punjabi. 

Behas (debate): 

Naujawanaa dey jiwan sathi dhi 

chon maapiaa nu karni chahidi 

hay. Parents should select 

children’s marriage partners. The 

teams will debate on this topic for 

the first round. In round two, they 

will debate on the usage of 

Facebook. 

NON-COMPETITIVE ITEMS 

Choir 

TEACHERS Computer 

knowledge, Gurmat quiz 



39

40 



Sentul Punjabi teachers: 

(Left to right) Baljit Kaur, 

Sita Rani Kaur, Jeevanjeet 

Kaur, Jewsen Kaur, Gurnam 

Kaur (principal), Kulwant 

Kaur, Surinder Kaur, Rishpal 

Kaur, Sarabjeet Kaur. 


Cool moment: 

Members of the 

debating team.


FAITH, FORM, FEAR AND FATHER 

By Sukhinderpal Singh 

Since the beginning of April this 

year, I have been actively involved 

in the provision of Legal Services 

under the auspices of the National 

Legal Aid Foundation, NLAF. The 

NLAF is a joint initiative of the 

Malaysian Bar via the Bar’s 

National Legal Aid Centres and 

the Government, to ensure legal 

representation is available to a 

citizen at the earliest possible 

instance after an arrest. 

As of now the bulk of the legal 

aid is provided to suspects at 

remand proceedings. Here an 

arrestee, the ‘suspect’ is produced 

before a Judicial Officer, e.g., a 

Magistrate, by an Investigating 

Officer who proceeds to request 

that the ‘suspect’ be allowed to be 

detained or ‘remanded’ for up to 14 

days to facilitate investigations. 

At the remands I have attended I 

have seen that the majority of the 

suspects are detained for 

drug-related offences. These range 

from possession to 

self-administration. 

Many of those arrested are 

suspected of being drug 

dependents or “penagih”. They 

are detained for tests to ascertain 

whether they are addicts. 

When I look at the arrest reports 

and then at the suspects, I see a 

commonality. Many of them are of 

my generation, born in the 50’s and 

60’s. We may have been school 

mates at Hutchings School or 

played footie at the Esplanade. It 

always crosses my mind, “There, 

but for the Grace of God, go I.” 

From my observations these 

past 3 months I have come away 

many-a-time, nay EVERYTIME, 

thanking my parents for putting 

me on the straight and narrow. 

Why am I telling you all this? 

Let me explain. 

I was born in George Town on 

the Island of Penang which was, 

until the advent of the 

deep-water wharves in 

Butterworth and containers, a 

bustling port. 

My childhood was spent in 

the inner-city around the port. 

We stayed in a shop-house along 

Bishop Street till I was 10. After 

school we entertained ourselves 

by walking, running, chasing, 

hiding along the streets and 

back-lanes and of course the 

Esplanade, which fronted the sea 

not far from where I lived. 

My group of friends was of all 

shapes, sizes, colours and faiths. 

My first encounter with 

smoking took place when I was all 

of 8 years old. I was offered a 

cigarette by a ‘friend’ who was 

10! 

I was trembling. I was 

sweating. I was dumb-struck with 

fear. FEAR! That is what kept me 

from crossing the invisible line to 

be one of them, be one with them. 

Fear of my father, love of my 

mother and the fear of God’s 

wrath. More importantly at that 

moment, fear of being recognised 

by virtue of my distinct form. 

My earliest memories are of my 

parents, God bless their souls, 

teaching me my faith. They told 

me of the values and principles. 

The form and the substance. 

Banaa and Baanee. 

They told me of the do’s and 

don’ts. 

They made me aware of the 

Glory of the Guru. 

At that moment of truth, I 

turned and ran as fast as I could. I 

could not believe that my friends 

of my faith were indulging in the 

cardinal of cardinal sins: the 

number 2 “DON’T”. 

At 3½ years old I was sent to 

the Wadda Gurduara Sahib, 

Penang to learn Gurbani and 

Gurmukhi. I remain eternally 

grateful to my parents, the late 

Bhai Joga Singh and Bibi Amrit 

Kaur for ensuring that I learn my 

faith. 

That fear coated with 

immeasurable parental love and 

41


guidance has been instrumental in 

bringing me to my present station 

in life. 

As I write this, nearly all of 

those childhood friends have 

moved on. Some in life, most in 

death. 

On a recent law awareness visit 

to a Cure and Care Centre, all 

those at that time in the 

rehabilitation programme agreed 

that their long and winding road to 

chemical addiction and substance 

abuse began with the first cigarette 

proffered by ‘friends’. 

When I look through the 

partition either of glass or steel 

bars separating me from the 

detainees, I pause and reflect on 

the face of despair and pain that 

look at me. Many of them are 

regular visitors to remand 

processing centres. Many have 

long rap sheets of incarceration 

and multiple stints at rehabilitation 

‘pusats’. 

Our parents made the time and 

took the trouble to inculcate Sikhi 

values in us that have in no small 

way helped many us become what 

we are today. We have to pass the 

torch. Individually and 

collectively. 

Drug addiction and substance 

abuse are the unseen destroyers of 

society as we know it. All of us 

must do our part like our parents 

before us to educate our young on 

the need to stay on the Guru’s path 

and the importance of ‘Paath’ in 

our lives. Also show them through 

practical examples how our form 

helps us stay on the straight and 

narrow. 

bwbwxIAw khwxIAw puq spuq kryin ] 

babaaniaan kahaniaan put seput 

kerayn 

(Sukhinderpal Singh, who resides 

in Penang and now a practicing 

lawyer, is a long-serving volunteer 

of the Sabha) 

A Mountain to Endure 

By Karamveer ‘Warhawk’ Singh 

During the last Chinese New Year 

celebrations, I decided to gear up 

and join the Sikh Camping 

Troopers (S.CA.T) in their 

expedition to Gunung Tahan. Three 

weeks befpre the hike, out grouo of 

10 people began out training by 

jogging at Bukit Komanwel 

located at Bukit Jalil. This pre-hike 

training was to build and boost our 

fitness apart from monitoring the 

other members’ fitness as well. 

We began our journey from 

Wadda Gurdwara Sahib Jalan 

Kampung Pandan on the 22nd of 

February at 2000hrs after segregating 

our ration, equipment check by 

Wajinder “Batman” Singh and 

ardaas by Giani Lakhbir “Coyote” 

Singh. We reached our destination 

Sg. Relau Camp at Merapoh (one 

of the 3 gate-ways to Taman 

Negara at Kelantan) at 0100hrs. 

After washing up, we slept off. 

The next morning, after Japji 

Sahib and ardaas, we did the 

SCAT ‘secret leaf’ ballot. It’s a 

unique tradition practice over 10 

years to select 6 commanders for 

the entire 6 day expedition. Only 

those who have hiked at least 1 

mountain qualify to become 

commander. The commanders 

duty is to select Anchorman, plan 

re-group stops, water re-loading, 

keep to time and itenary. 

Sarabjit Singh (Rambo) was 

the 1st commander selected and 

received the golden SCAT badge. 

He will then pass on to the next 

commander and henceforth. Once 

we got ready our gears, we


Menveen (middle) 

and Baldev (right) 

crossing Sungai Putih 

headed to the Sg. Relau Camp- 

Taman Negara office. After 

receiving our entry permits and 

camera licenses, we got onto a 

4WDrive taking us through the 

hills to the foothill of Gunung 

Tahan at Kuala Juram. It was a 

30-minute bumpy ride. 

After a warm-up and ardaas 

(supplication), we began our 

Happy hikers Sarabjeet, Ramveer 

and Karamveer 

Jagajit, Sarabjeet and youngest hiker Ramveer at 

the starting point of Gunung Tahan trail. 

journey at 1020hrs. On this day, we 

crossed 4 rivers on route to our 

targeted campsite Camp Koh. By 

1530hrs we were at Camp Koh 

already as we made good speed. 

That night we had delicious-ly 

made ‘Mee Goreng’ by our chef, 

Baldev “Ferrari” Singh. Our 

commander of the day, Jagajit 

“Jaguar” Singh was very happy 

with our performance. 

The second day, we left camp at 

0830hrs for Camp Botak. On this 

day, our challenge was to walk thru 

muddy terrain which was deep up 

to our knees and also passing by 

swamp. As we rose higher towards 

the Botak Peak, we stopped at 

Gunung Bonzai. The air here was 

getting cooler and mist could be 

seen. At this height, there were 

only bonzai trees growing (no 

more than 3ft in height). The 

terrain began to get steeper and as 

we went, our path became like 

walking on giant rocks and stones. 

At 1830hrs, after 10 hours of 

hiking, we reached out destination. 

Well done commander of the day, 

Sarabjit “Rambo” Singh. 

On the third day, commandeered 

by Ishverjit “Melman” Singh, we 

raced to the summit of Gunung 

Tahan. We left Camp Botak at 

0945hrs and reached the peak 

roughly an hour later. The first 

trooper from our team to reach the 

top was our youngest hiker 14 year 

old Ramveer 

“Robin” Singh. 

The journey home 

would be 62km. 

That evening, we 

reached Gedung 

Peak at 1700 hrs. 

After a good night 

sleep, we left Camp 

Gedung at 

0820hours. We 

passed Gunung 

Reskit and Gunung 

Tangga 15 before 

reaching Pangkin 

Bawah where we stopped for 

lunch. This was a tough journey: 

descending ladders 25 feet and 

going up 60 feet plus. Then, we 

headed for Camp Teku. I was the 

commander of the day. 

After leaving Teku the next 

day, we had to cross the river 

seven times. Day commander 

Robin led us to Camp Putih for 

lunch, then on to Gunung Raja. At 

Raja Peak, you can make phone 

calls as there is reception. We put 

up the night at Camp Tengah. 

Next morning, we left Camp 

Tengah at 0820hrs and reached 

Melantai for a short rest. Here, it 

began raining. The already 

slippery and muddy terrain 

became even worse. At 1450hrs, 

our last trooper was out of the 

jungles. Everyone had a tired grin 

on their faces. The satisfaction, 

difficult to describe. 

INTERESTED TO JOIN 

THEM? 

Email Wajinder Singh at 

wajinder@tm.net.my 

or call: 

Baldev Singh (012.2883085) 

or Lakhbir Singh 

(016.2230630). 

You can also view their exploits 

on Youtube, search for ‘Sikh 

Camping Troopers’ 

43

44 

Elimination of duality 

By Sukdarshen Singh 

We are trapped by duality. All our 

lives, we have looked for answers 

outside of our own minds as we 

feel we are incapable of finding 

the solution within ourselves. This 

is where the problem starts. 

We can blame the systems - 

granthis, gurdwara presidents and 

Sikh bodies but the reality is we 

are unwilling to acknowledge the 

very first step that “I need to 

change if I want the world to 

change”. 

Our Gurus were able to make 

significant changes in people lives 

because they were willing and 

certainly blessed to live and 

breathe the live of a Gursikh. The 

world is so full of delusions and 

we are all trapped in it. We seek 

solutions outside for a glimpse of 

hope and salvation. We are willing 

to accept any path that promises 

happiness. 

The reality is we need to look 

within ourselves to identify how 

our behaviors are inconsistent to 

GURMAT values as prescribed by 

Shabad Guru as the only reference. 

We use our current consciousness 

to read, understand and reflect on 

what Shabad Guru is asking of us 

and ask ourselves the TRUTH 

question if whether I am following 

this hukum. 

IF ‘yes’, express our gratefulness 

to our Guruji. If ‘no’, then 

seek specific help from Guruji to 

help us address areas where we 

need to improve. This way we start 

building a powerful bond with 

Guruji as we self-monitor our daily 

behavior. Here, when we allign to 

Guruji’s hukum, a sense of 

gratefulness will arise. Where we 

find misalignment, we will 

immediately appreciate the gap 

and seek to change it with our 

actions. 

When we align our intentions 

in its purest form with Guruji’s 

hukum, our success is guaranteed 

as we are than aligned towards 

our Guruji’s expectation of us. 

Through this process, with 

Guruji blessing, our consciousness 

grow and the reflection 

process from the Shabad Guru 

will enhance too leading to 

further uplift towards a spiritual 

stage. 

That is why the Shabad Guru 

is a Living Guru. It aligns ones 

consciousness to it irrespective at 

what stage of spiritual path we 

are. When we choose to read, 

understand and reflect the 

Shabad Guru from the perspective 

of others we experience a 

perspective that is different from 

our thoughts. At times, this 

prevents us from moving forward 

as it is not coming from our own 

reflection. This get translated in 

our minds as knowledge but not 

necessary divine knowledge. 

Divine Knowledge inspires us to 

change towards a spiritual path 


while knowledge merely 

increases our level of understanding 

of a certain area. It may not 

necessarily drive a change for the 

better in our lives. 

Sukh and Dukh are man-made 

experiences based on their ability 

to achieve or not to achieve their 

desires. When we achieve our 

desires, it is translated to Sukh. 

When we fail to achieve our 

desires, it translates into dukh. 

The degree of Sukh and Dukh is 

based on the intensity of that 

desire. We know our desires will 

grow as they get achieved. Over 

time they become more and more 

challenging, leading these desires 

to be unlikely met. Ultimately, 

they lead us to a sense of 

unhappiness, overriding any joy 

we had from past desires met. 

When contentment exists, 

desires get controlled. When 

something is achieved based on 

our effort, it is accepted as 

Guruji’s bessing. When something 

is not achieved to our 

defined plans, we then look at 

understanding objectively what 

prevents our success and we are 

able to objectively align our 

thoughts to correcting mistakes 

or lapses of judgment leading to 

positive results from past 

mistakes. That is why a Gurmukh 

is always successful. 

Sukdarshen Singh is an active 

long-time Sabha sevadar from 

the Northern region.


45

46 VIEW The Sikh, July 2012


47

48 



49

50 

Jathedar: 

Amarjit Singh 

(ktamarjit@gmail.com) 

Meet Jathedar 1: Pavandeep Singh 

(pavandeep79@gmail.com) 

Meet Jathedar 2: Jagdev Singh 

(digidevice@yahoo.com.sg) 

Secretary: Harbindar Singh 

(hrbindrs@yahoo.com) 

Asst Secretary: Jasbir Singh 

(snsm@khalsa.com) 

Treasurer: Manjeev Singh 

(chiefjeev@yahoo.com) 

Asst Treasurer: Hardeep Singh 

(hardy_khalsa01@hotmail.com) 

Exco Members: 

Mohon Singh, Kuldip Kaur 

Saranjit Singh, Serena Kaur 

Simret Singh, Simran Kaur 

Baljit Singh, Balvinder Singh 

Ravinder Kaur, Jujhar Singh 

Habhajan Singh, Harvinder Singh 

Jathedar : 

Dr. Amarjeet Kaur 

(dramarjeet@gmail.com) 

Meet Jathedar I : 

Dr. Sarabdeep Singh 

(sarabdeep_1043@yahoo.com) 

Meet Jathedar II: 

Pajan Singh 

Secretary : 

Penji Surinder Kaur 

Assistant Secretary : 

Kuldip Kaur 

Treasurer : 

Jaswant Singh 

Assistant Treasurer : 

Satish Kaur 

Committee members: 

Pushpinder Kaur 

Ninder Kaur 

Gurbinder Kaur 

Kalwant kaur 

Rakhpreet kaur 

Dr. Manjit Kaur 

Daaljit Singh 

Rajinder Singh 

Rabinder Singh 

Jagjit Singh 

Dhaljirt Singh 

Gurpreet Singh 

Harinderjit Singh 

Hanoj Singh 


Sikh Naujawan Sabha Malaysia 

11A, Jalan Kuantan, Titiwangsa, 

53200 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia 

Sabha Ex 

Tel: 03-4021 3313 Fax: 03-4021 0313 

Email: info@snsm.org.my 

URL: www.snsm.org.my 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/sikhnaujawansabhamalaysia 

HQ Perak 

Kedah 

Branch 

Branch 

Jathedar : 

Bhuvinder Singh 

(bhupin_cool@hotmail.com) 

Meet Jathedar I : 

Kashminder Kaur 

(kashkang17@gmail.com) 

Meet Jathedar II: 

Tarsame Singh 

(tarsamesp@gmail.com) 

Secretary : 

Hardip Singh 

(hardip_singh7@yahoo.com) 

Asst. Secretary : 

Paremjit Kaur 

Treasurer : 

Suakwinder Singh 

(suakwinder@hotmail.com) 

Asst.Treasurer : 

Nasip Khor 

Committee Members : 

Gurcharan Singh 

Akbal Singh 

Naginder Kaur (Kangar) 

Balbir Kaur (Kulim) 

Sarjit Kaur (Kulim) 

Harjit Kaur 

Gurmeet Kaur (Kangar) 

Sarabjit Kaur (Alor Setar) 

Darshan Singh (Alor Setar) 

Jaspreet Kaur 

Kanvel Kaur 

Satbir Singh (AIMST) 

Internal Auditors: 

Balvinder Singh 

Ranjit Singh


ecutive Committee 

2011/12 

Negeri Sembilan 

Branch 

Jathedar: 

Balbir Singh 

(bilu1313@yahoo.com) 

Meet Jathedars 1: 

Harmit Singh 

Meet Jathedars 2: 

Surinder Kaur 

Secretary: 

Harbindar Singh 

Treasurer: 

Taranjeet Singh 

Committee Members : 

Gurvinder Singh 

Arjan Singh 

Sarban Singh 

Harjindar Singh 

Harcharan Singh 

Jagdave Singh (PD) 

Surinderjit Singh (PD) 

Johor 

Branch 

Jathedar: 

Dr Sarjit Singh 

(sarjitsd@yahoo.com) 

Meet Jathedar: 

Gurdip Singh 

Secretary: 

Manjeet Singh 

Asst. Secretary: 

Resham Singh 

Treasurer: 

Savaranjit Singh 

Asst. Treasurer: 

Jagdev Singh 

Comm. Members: 

Ajeet Singh 

Iqbal Kirpaljit Singh 

Mohinder Singh 

Bulwant Singh 

Hardip Singh 

Bhagat Singh 

Sewadars/Granthi Ji : 

Giani Paramjit Singh 

Penang 

Branch 

Jathedar: 

Kirpal Singh 

Meet Jathedar 1: 

Gian Singh 

Meet Jathedar 2: 

Gelinder Kaur 

Secretary: 

Avinash Singh 


Shareenjit Kaur 

Treasurer: 

Melvinderjit Singh 


Simerjit Kaur 

Exco Members: 

Manmeet Kaur 

Dalbir Singh 

Thanveer Singh 

Jasvinderpal Singh 

Sukhveer Kaur 

Binderjit Singh 

Verinder Kaur 

Rashvin Kaur 

Manprit Kaur 

Harbinder Singh (Birju) 

Advisors: 

Harbans Singh 

Sukhinderpal Singh 

Santokh Singh 

Sabah 

Branch 

Jathedar: 

Pritam Singh 

Meet Jathedar: 

Baldev Singh 

Secretary: 

Mohan Singh 


Bhen Herjit Kaur 

Treasurer: 

Ramjeet @ Ishwar Singh 


Bhen Ramaya K. Ramdas 

Exco Members: 

Naranjit Singh 

Papinder Singh 

Kaljit Kaur 

Balvinder Kaur 

Harvinder Kaur 

Blanant Singh (Tuaran) 

Hanil Raj Singh (Sandakan) 

Ramtan Prasser (Lahad Datu) 

51

52 



Cream of the crop 

NATIONAL hockey defender Baljit Singh and 

national 3,000m steeplechase runner Melinder Kaur 

were named the 2011 Sikh Sportsman and Sportswomen 

of the Year 

Both Baljit and Melinder were presented with the 

awards during the Sikh Festival of Sports — Gurdwara 

Cup, organised by the Malaysia-Singapore Sikh 

Sports Council (MSSSC), hosted by the Selangor 

Sikh Association (SSA) in Kelana Jaya recently. 

The Most Promising Sportsman and Sportswoman 

awards went to hockey player Harnesh Singh and 

athlete Savinder Kaur respectively. 

About 700 athletes and officials from nine states — 

Johor, Malacca, Negri Sembilan, Kuala Lumpur, 

Perak, Penang, Pahang, Sabah, Selangor and Singapore 

— took part in the 61st edition of the carnival 

involving football, hockey, badminton, netball and 

golf. 

Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid 

Ibrahim was the guest of honour at the opening 

ceremony at the Petaling Jaya Stadium in Kelana 

Jaya. 

The carnival was first held in 1952. Then only 

hockey was played in the inaugural carnival in Perak. 

Mukhtiar Singh, who skippered Perak to the gold 

medal in the carnival, was also present and was 

presented with the special merit award. 

“Selangor is hosting the Cup after 14 long years. 

We have also requested to the Selangor state government 

to provide us a piece of land to build a sports 

club,” said SSA president Amarjeet Singh. 

Courtesy: The Star ( June 25, 2012) 

By Gurmat Gian Missionary College 

53

54 

KUALA LUMPUR (May 07, 

2012): Prime Minister Datuk Seri 

Najib Razak today announced 

various “gifts” for the Sikh 

community in the conjunction with 

the Vaisakhi Day celebration. 

It entailed a total allocation of 

RM4 million to improve their 

quality of life and this included aid 

for religious, education and social 

matters. 

What was more meaningful was 

that the prime minister also 

announced that Sikh civil servants 

could take unrecorded leave to 

enable them to discharge their 

religious duties for the celebration, 

which falls on April 14 each year. 


PM Najib showers RM9m 

And in recognition to the role 

played by their houses of 

worship, Najib also announced a 

financial aid of RM1.5 million 

for the Malaysian Gurdwara 

Council this year. 

Through the financial aid, the 

prime minister said he hoped that 

all gurdwaras in the country 

would be properly maintained so 

that they could provide conducive 

atmospheres for the Sikh 

community to organise their 

religious activities. 

“Furthermore, I was made to 

understand that the aid will also 

be used to help gurdwaras which 

were affected by disasters like 

flood and fire,” he said at the 1 

Malaysia Vaisakhi Open House 

2012 at Dataran Merdeka here 

tonight. 

Apart from that, 18 other 

gurdwaras in need of aid and 

special attention will also be given 

allocations totalling RM900,000, 

or RM50,000 each. 

The gurdwaras are in Bayan 

Baru, Malim Nawar, Port Dickson, 

Tanah Rata, Kota Bharu, Petaling 

Tin, Kajang, Kuala Pilah, Changkat 

Tin, Kuala Kubu Baru, Pokok 

Assam, Bentong, Alor Setar, 

Tanjung Tualang and Kampung 

Pandan in the peninsula, and in 

Sandakan and Lahad Datu in 

EDITORIAL: Jathedar: Amarjit Singh | Advisors: Master Daljit Singh, Assoc Prof Autar Singh | Team: Habhajan Singh, Dr Manjit Kaur Ludher, 

BK Sidhu, Gurmeet Kaur, Inderjeet Singh, Narain Singh (Ipoh), Balvinder Singh (Sabha Facebook), Indy Piper (Sabha website) | Photo director: 

Jagdev Singh | Photographers: Jesmesh Singh, Naranjan Singh


Sabah as well as in Sibu, Sarawak. 

Najib said the government 

would also give a total of 

RM300,000 or RM100,000 each, 

for the construction of three 

gurdwaras in Shah Alam, Subang 

Jaya and Georgetown. 

An allocation of RM300,000 

will also be given to Police 

Training Centre Gurdwara in 

Kuala Lumpur for the construction 

of the National Sikh Resource 

Centre while another RM200,000 

will be allocated for the renovation 

of the Sikh crematorium in Jalan 

Loke Yew. 

In a bid to improve access and 

quality of Punjabi language 

education, Najib said the government 

would give an additional 

allocation of RM500,000 for the 

production of relevant text books, 

which would be given free of 

charge to the students. 

The prime minister said the 

allocation was additional to the 

RM500,000 channelled by the 

Ministry of Education to the 

Khalsa Diwan Malaysia which 

began receiving the sum last 

year. 

For the first time, the Sijil 

Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 

Punjabi paper recorded a 100 per 

cent pass rate last year, with 51 

per cent of the students who sat 

for it scoring Grade A. In the 

Penilaian Menengah Rendah 

(PMR) examination, the pass rate 

was 92 per cent, with 38 per cent 

attaining Grade A. 

For youth development, 

RM800,000 will be channelled to 

the Sikh Naujawan Sabha 

Malaysia to carry out its activi- 

in ‘gifts’ on Sikhs 

ties throughout the 

country. 

“All these allocations 

and facilities show the 

commitment of the 

Barisan Nasional government 

in looking after the 

interests all communities 

in the country, including 

the Sikhs,” said Najib, 

adding that it was also in 

appreciation of the 

community’s contributions in 

preserving peace and harmony in 

the country since World War 

Two. 

“The apt term in the Punjabi 

language is ‘Vishwaz’, which 

means trust. If we can reinforce 

Vishwaz, I am confident much 

more can be done for the Sikh 

community,” he added. — 

Bernama 

55

56 


pMjwbI BwSw 

mylw 2012 

fathers’ day 


Milestones 

1963 2012 

bhasha mela 

Mother’s day 

Vol 45 (No 3, July 2012) PP 16301/03/2012 

1963: 1st Sabha Camp, PD 

1967: Registered SNSM 

1976: Naujawan Satsangs 

1981: High Tea for PM 

1990: Bangsar HQ 

1999: Fauj at Kesgarh 

2000: Holla Mahalla 

2002: Acquired KKB Land 

2004: Global Sikhs 

2012: 1st Camp, KKB

PHOTOGRAPH: JAGDEV SINGH

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