Asia Samachar – Asia Samachar

SASKAAR / CREMATION: 12pm, 18 July 2020 (Saturday), at Simpang Lima Crematorium Klang. Cortège leaves from residence No. 39, Jalan Kim Chuan, Pandamaran, 42000 Port Klang, Selangor at 11.30am | Malaysia

ਘਲੇ ਆਵਹਿ ਨਾਨਕਾ ਸਦੇ ਉਠੀ ਜਾਹਿ ॥੧॥

GAIGINDAR KAUR D/O LATE TARA SINGH

(1 January 1939 – 17 July 2020)

Village: Thunda, Amritsar

81 years old.

Deeply missed by sister, grandchildren, relatives and friends.

Husband: Late Bhajan Singh s/o Socha Singh

Children / Spouses:

Amarjit Kaur / Balraj Singh

A. Swaran Kaur / Dr. Balwinder Singh (Melbourne)

Manjit Singh / Dr. Sharan Kaur (Auckland)

Saskaar / Cremation: 12pm, 18 July 2020 (Saturday), at Simpang Lima Crematorium Klang

Cortège timing: Cortège leaves from residence No. 39, Jalan Kim Chuan, Pandamaran, 42000 Port Klang, Selangor at 11.30am, 18 July 2020 (Saturday)

Path da Bhog: 26 July 2020, from 10.00 to 12.00pm, at Gurdwara Sahib Port Klang

Contact: Manjit Singh 0122777913

Message from the Family: Kindly adhere to Covid-19 SOP.

| Entry: 17 July 2020 | Source: Family

By Saranjit Singh | OPINION |

Culture is about group behavior and behavior is driven by values and beliefs. Culture is formed by people working in an organization and this is led by the leaders. Culture is about how people feel while working at an organization (and this is the reason for their behavior).

A strong organizational culture will consist of articulated and simplified values (and its associated behaviors). It acknowledges its people’s FEAR (during the time of uncertainty, like the current pandemic or what could be stopping them in achieving the organization goals). It also builds resilience (how do deal with blockers when it comes to changing behavior) and redefine success (what are the goals and how relevant it is to the people in the organization).

In the context of the Gurdwara, the culture is shaped by the overall committee members and sewadars, led by the key leaders (Granthi Ji, President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer).

In an organization, the leaders and employees can articulate an amicable set of behaviors and values in line with their business goals. What’s challenging about culture is the beliefs of individuals and how do we garner the emotional commitment of the employees towards the goals.

In an organization, leaders can influence their people to behave voluntarily in shaping the culture. To a certain extent, they can even dictate how people behave. However, it is slightly different for an non-government organisation (NGO) or a Gurdwara.

When dealing with an organisation, failure to comply with directions can see a person facing consequences in terms of rewards, benefits, etc. Hence, the shaping ability is somewhat more controlled (even then, it’s very challenging). When it comes to NGOs and Gurdwaras, it boils down to living up to the shared purpose of the outfit . Equally important to note is that it has to be done voluntarily.

Changing behavior is not an easy task for an individual, leave aside a group of people.

Culture is like personality or character of an individual. Once you’ve learned to be a certain kind of person, that is you in all aspects of your functioning. You will be reluctant to do things differently. Hence the difficulty in changing culture. So culture only matters when there is a problem. In the same sense, personality only matters when things are not working right for you.

So how do we build a strong culture for gurdwara teams? I will attempt to answer this question in a few steps…

STEP 1

First, identify the problems/challenges we are facing with regards to teamwork among gurdwaras. We must be able to articulate the root cause with clarity. All parties involved must agree (via consensus) the problem at hand.

Next, we must also describe what are the behaviors we see ourselves doing when the teamwork is in its perfect condition. Once we have identified the behaviors, we need to agree on the values needed to be put in place and what beliefs we need to change. Remember to keep this as simple as possible so people can easily form a picture in their mind which will allow them to remember. Finally, develop ways and means to measure those behaviors (as in, are we living up to it or not).

STEP 2

What are some of the problems/challenges we may face in living up to the new way? This involves changing processes, policies, and procedures.

STEP 3

How will we support each other in living up the new behaviors? This is when we can introduce huddles – a casual and honest conversation in small groups focused on our behaviors. If it is something that was against the new norm, then we need to openly tell the person about it and also vise versa, acknowledge people for doing or living up to the new norm

STEP 4

Is our purpose clear and do we all subscribe to it? As per my understanding, a gurdwara is a place of assemble and worship. It serves as a focal point for Sikhs to gather to hear the spiritual discourse and sing Shabad as a gateway through which spirituality could be reached. Today, a gurdwara is also a community centre and offers food, shelter, and companionship to those who need it. Are our new behavior in-line with this purpose? If it is not, then we need to realign our behaviors.

Once all this is somewhat in place, we can then start implementing the entire “project”. The above can be done over a few workshops.

During implementation, it is important to ensure all members involved are updated on the progress of others.

Whenever somebody comes and tells me they want to change their organization culture, I first ask them to define the business problem, which they think culture can help and what have they done about the problem. Culture change is not an easy task; it requires commitment at the highest level for it to be successful.

The author is a senior consultant for change management at a Malaysian-based firm

My tribute to gurdwara management committees (Asia Samachar, 17 March 2017)

POLITICS IN GURDWARAS: Low Hanging Fruit (Asia Samachar, 15 Oct 2019)

By Asia Samachar Team | UK |

Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre has decided to stop using the term BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic), saying it is outdated.

The UK theatre said it made the decision after listening to local black artists who want to see the term eradicated across the industry, reports BBC.

Echoing the reasons set out by Black Creative Network, the theatre said its use “reinforces the assumption of white British as the ‘norm’ or default” and that the move was “only the first step on a long journey”.

Last month, UK students and artists explained why they felt the term – which originated in the ’60s and ’70s – was no longer relevant to them.

More than 7.6 million people in the UK came under the category of black, Asian and ethnic minority in the most recent census.

Setting out its “statement of intent”, BBC reported that the theatre said the group of West Midlands-based artists identified several problems with the term and similar acronyms.

“Although originally intended to refer to groups of people as a means of measuring diversity across organisations… it stripped away people’s individual identities and encourages us to see those who are not white British as a single, homogeneous group,” it said.

BAME came into sharp when UK started getting reports that people from the BAME background were the most dying from the novel coronavirus pandemic. But the homogenising nature of the term does little to tell more about what was happening on the ground.

In an opinion piece at Varsity, Sawen Ali argyed that the terms ‘BAME’ and ‘Black’ were often conflated to present a misleading idea that the justice system, educational system, and class system inflicts the same structural oppression across all non-White groups.

“It is no secret that Black Britons are far more likely to be stopped and searched, excluded from school, or end up homeless than not only White people, but also their Asian counterparts. To conceal this anti-Blackness under the guise of it being a ‘BAME’ experience not only obfuscates from the material reality that Black people live within, but also trivialises the Black struggle for equality in the UK,” it argued.

Kuljeet Singh’s Breathe: Into the Shadows – Photo: Supplied

By Dipanita Nath | INDIA |

In a world full of cops and a serial killer, he is a nobody. Breathe: Into The Shadows, on Amazon Prime Video, pivots on personalities that are towering, twisted or tormented — except Pritpal Singh Bharaj. “No personal vendetta, no property issues, no family issues,” says the detective played by Amit Sadh in the series, “Why would anyone mess with a guy like this?” It was up to Delhi-based theatre actor-director Kuljeet Singh to make sure that audiences cared and rooted for the ordinary Pritpal. Singh has made his web series debut with this role and, like Pritpal, held his ground.

Pritpal is the kind of character Singh has promoted on stage for 20 years to break the stereotypes of a Sikh character driving taxis, doing bhangra or dying in uniform. Pritpal is a soft-spoken family man even if he likes his pint and can pour a stream of abuses. “The initial roles that were offered to me, which I refused, were about doing shava shava and balle balle. I am very conscious of the process as a Sikh actor. I know thousands of sardars who don’t get up in the morning and say balle balle. This narrative has always troubled me,” says Singh, 42.

Kuljeet Singh has been on the Delhi stage since 1996. He handled backstage for the Partition drama Toba Tek Singh by Khalsa College, where he studied English literature. The following year, Singh became general secretary of Khalsa College’s dramatic society Ankur, and then its president. It was during this time that Singh was on stage for a college festival and heard the audience, unused to turbaned actors, hoot. “Somebody shouted, ‘Oye, tere barah baj gaye’. I come from this background of anxiety of whether I would be accepted in theatre,” he says.

See full story, ‘Kuljeet Singh on why ‘an ordinary sardar’ in Hindi cinema is a rare entity’ (The Indian Express, 19 July 2020), here.

Pakistan touch to Malaysia’s first local Punjabi movie (Asia Samachar, 7 April 2020)

PUNJABI | NEW RELEASE: Many years ago, Aussie-based Dya Singh and team produced a wonderful video to help children – and adults, too – to pick up the Penti. That’s what they call the Gurmukhi Alphabet, the script deployed by the Guru Granth Sahib. Now, it’s finally available on the Youtube.

“Created last century, already seen my millions, finally on our site. Please use to teach your kids and encourage Punjabi teachers to use,” he said in a note sent to Asia Samachar. Click here.

[TAKE NOTE OF ASIA SAMACHAR OFFICIAL WHATSAPP NUMBER: +6017-3351399. You can contact us to provide news alerts, community updates or obituary announcements. Stay in chardi kalaa]

Kirtan: Mool Mantar track by Amrita Kaur & Yadvinder Singh (Asia Samachar, 12 March 2020)

Kirtan video release: Gur Nanak Ki Wadiyai by Dya Singh (Asia Samachar, 7 Feb 2020)

Screen grab from the Bernama TV talk show

By Sanjay CS (#UnityPenang) | LETTER TO EDITOR |

LET’S say there is a topic titled, “Rape! Is it a woman’s fault?”. Between a news channel and a movie, one would expect the former to be more insightful than the latter, right?

But imagine, if the reverse happens!

Bernama TV ‘s Darah Muda (Young Blood) is a talk show that caters to young viewers.

On the other hand, Pink is a 2016 Hindi movie, starring Amitabh Bachchan as a lawyer representing three women of “questionable characters” who were accused of crime against men with powerful connections.

In a prime time episode of Darah Muda screened on July 12 (and repeated the next day), the topic was “Serangan seksual! Salah wanita ke?” (Sexual assault! Is it women’s fault?”), hosted by a young duo, male and female, and with an invited guest- a preacher.

The talk went on fine with some sensible and valid points exchanged. However, towards the end of the programme, as the guest was summarising his points, he had to be cut short due to lack of time. Just then, the female host, while giving her final words to the viewers, said the following:

“Jadi, kalau anda wanita, jangan jadi penyebab untuk orang ada attention dengan anda!” (So, if you are a woman, don’t become the reason for people to have attention on you!).

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE VIDEO

Compare that statement to Pink, where the title of the film has no relationship as being the favourite colour of girls but rather conveys a hard-hitting message that women should have the absolute FREEDOM, to speak up, walk freely at night or to do just about anything boys could do.

The host may have had good intentions, but her statement was painfully wrong.

If she implied that a good girl can only be measured or be safe by how she dresses – especially Muslim girls with head scarves like herself, then Noor Suzaily Mukhtar (or Suzi to her family), should still be alive today.

That’s because on October 7, 2000, the then 24-year old computer engineer was brutally raped in a bus, sodomised and killed by a maniac driver.

She was in a baju kurung, and that too with a tudung! So, why her dressing still could not shield her from the sexual assault?

When can we ever learn that decent clothes don’t prevent rapes?! And sexy clothes don’t cause rapes! When can the society be educated that even if a woman is standing stark naked in front of a man, he still doesn’t have any bloody right to rape her!

One reason out of many why a rape happens is when the perpetrator with the smallest of minds or the most ‘damaged’ mental faculty, has found an opportunity to strike.

In Suzi’s case, the rapist Hanafi Mat Hassan was such, where he could even flash a smile as the death sentence was read out.

Rape is always about the perpetrator’s crime, not the victim’s short dress or neckline!

So much so that, the question to ask is – what’s a woman – or even a child – has got to do in a rape? (with all respects to gender sensitive cases).

In the open letter, “Rape: Moral guardians need to change mindset” (Malaysiakini, May 26, 2008), Azrul Mohd Khalib enlightened an Islamic group that there is a disturbing trend that has been observed where a lot of Malay men find it a thrill to have sex with a girl wearing a tudung.

He further states, “Quite a few pornographic handphone videos originating from this country now involve girls wearing the tudung. Would you (referring to the Islamic group) suggest then that women should not wear the tudung ? The clothing a woman wears should not – and is not – the issue.”

In a letter referring to Pink when it was screened on TV, “Thanks, RTM, for a great movie” (The Star, Sept 13, 2019) , Chrismira A. reinforced – I hope men who think of women as “lesser beings” watched it and caught the important lesson from this great cinematic work, ie, when a woman says “No”, it means no!

It does not matter if she is your friend, a girlfriend, a sex worker or even your own wife. When she says no, you STOP!

Another point highlighted in the movie is how society is wrongly putting its effort into “saving” boys.

“We should save our boys, because if we save our boys, then our girls will be safe.” What this means is that it’s always the girls that need to cover up, lest the guys cannot handle themselves.

Bernama TV, you need to own up for the blunder made on the channel with regards to matters of women and rape. Otherwise, it will remain shameful that a Bollywood movie has given much better wisdom than a Malaysian national news agency.

(Asia Samachar, 23 June 2020)

Sikh volunteers Manpreet Singh, Gurkirapal Singh and Sukhwinder Kaur. – Photo: SIMON SCHLUTER / Brisbane Times

By Jewel Topsfield | AUSTRALIA |

In 2017, when Sikh volunteers began distributing free meals to the homeless from a van in Tooradin and Frankston, they were curious: would people like their vegetarian Punjabi curries?

“In the starting, we were thinking ‘People will like it or not like it?’,” recalls Manpreet Singh, the vice-president of Sikh Volunteers Australia.

“It was not just simple curries, it was very special curries we were making according to their taste. Because most of the people don’t like hot food we were trying to make it milder.”

They needn’t have worried. The food vans, plastered with Love all & Share all stickers, have become famous in Melbourne south-east.

Twice a week the volunteers – known as sevadars – distribute dishes such as creamy mutter paneers (a curry made with peas and fresh cheese), vegetable kormas, saag (a leaf vegetable dish) and alu pakora (fried potato slices) from Tooradin caravan park and Young Street car park in Frankston.

They have added pasta and soups to their repertoire, although when Sikh Volunteers Australia served these in Bairnsdale during the bushfires, thinking they might be better suited to country tastes, the locals begged for curries.

Read the full story, ‘Meet the Sikhs who keep coming to the rescue for vulnerable Victorians’ (Brisbane Times, 18 July 2020), here.

Short film ‘Langgar’ on beautiful gesture from first Sikh Guru (Asia Samachar, 24 Feb 2020)

By Asia Samachar Team | CANADA |

Sikhs expressing their views on Khalistan on the social media are more and more becoming targets of the Indian government.

The Indian authorities are increasingly using social media to target and prosecute Sikhs and members of other minority communities who advocate on human rights and political issues, according to a newly released report by a Canada-based Sikh organistion.

“Social media posts deemed critical of India or supportive of separatist movements are reported for removal and in some cases, lead to individuals being detained and charged for terrorism related offences. In particular, Sikhs expressing support for Khalistan are being targeted,” according to the World Sikh Organization of Canada (WSO) report.

The 11-page report, “Enforcing Silence: India’s War on Sikh Social Media”, examines recent developments and offers suggestions to social media platforms with respect to Sikh content.

It noted that since June 2020, hundreds of Sikhs have been detained and interrogated in India due to their social media activities and some have been charged with offences related to support for Khalistan under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

The report lists out more than a dozen incidents where the Indian authorities had targetted Sikhs for their social media entries.

Citing one example, in February 2019, an 18-year-old boy was detained after he liked a poem on Facebook promoting Khalistan.

The Indian authorities released the youth in exchange for a written apology and deactivation of his Facebook account, it cited a report in the Times of India. The authorities were said to be searching for the people who had shared the post.

The report comes on the heel of the blocking of the #Sikh hashtag on Facebook and Instagram, two of the largest social media platforms. The incident came to light in early June during the run-up to the anniversary of the Indian army assault on the most popular Sikh religious centre in Amritsar in 1984.

At the same time, a number of Sikh platforms, including independent media channel Akaal Channel, was blocked on Facebook and Youtube for viewers in India.

FLAGGING SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT

The newly released report noted that social media content that India deems offensive, particularly in relation to Khalistan, is being reported and flagged for removal on a wide scale.

“Khalistan refers to a sovereign state governed in accordance with Sikh principles and values. Khalistan is a construct that is understood in different ways and is a source of robust discourse and debate amongst Sikhs worldwide. ‘

“Discussing or promoting Khalistan is within recognized freedoms of expression and political discourse and should not be confused with extremism or terrorism,” it noted.

However, it added that the Indian authorities were attempting to marginalise and repress dissenting voices through draconian anti-terror laws such as the UAPA.

“Legitimate political expression that India finds objectionable or threatening is branded as extremism and those expressing such views are targeted by the State,” it said.

In a statement, WSO president Tejinder Singh Sidhu said India was attempting to silence dissenting voices and censor Sikh social media content.

The Report concludes with the following recommendations to social media platforms:

social media platforms establish a dialogue with the WSO and other Sikh stakeholders to identify Sikh historical figures being reported for censorship by Indian authorities and to better understand issues such as Khalistan and 1984;
social media platforms consider whether providing assistance to Indian investigations involving Khalistan or other political advocacy online is based on actual criminal activity or the suppression of dissenting voices;
where the disclosure of information that would result in a substantial risk of mistreatment of an individual, social media platforms not share information;
where content is restricted, there must be a clear mechanism within social media platforms to appeal the decision and have it reviewed by a human moderator well versed in the nuances of this topic.

Indian intelligence use money, disinformation to influence Canadian politics – Report (Asia Samachar, 18 April 2020)

India disrupts Akaal Channel (Asia Samachar, 6 June 2020)

Overplaying the Khalistan card (Asia Samachar, 21 Feb 2018)

Two Indian magazines and how they treat Sikh related stories (Asia Samachar, 11 Feb 2018)

By Asia Samachar Team | EUROPE |

The novel coronavirus pandemic has thrown up a name of a young Sikh entrepreneur, and it has happened almost by chance.

Meet Harpreet Singh Rai. The co-founder and CEO of Finnish healthtech start-up Oura Health Ltd has been around town trying to fix your sleep, and miles away from Covid-19.

But a new opportunity leapt up recently for the health technology company which was founded in 2013 and markets a ring-like product that tracks sleep.

The company is involved in sleep performance platform, focused on improving sleep that leads to a better life. Its Oura Ring and app gives users daily feedback to improve their health, allowing users to better understand their body and reach their goals.

The Covid-19 track began with feedback from one of its users.

“One user of ours in Finland was traveling in early March. His scores were normally in the 80s or 90s and he noticed his readiness score dropped to 50 and that caused him to get tested. He was positive for coronavirus,” Harpreet told a CNBC programme.

The Oura ring costs upwards of $300 and measures and logs data ranging from sleep and body temperature to heart rate and respiratory function. Researchers said the device has been successful in recognizing Covid-19 symptoms up to three days in advance with 90% accuracy, the reported said.

While still in early stages of research, the Covid-19 connection has opened up a whole new market for Oura.

Oura is now finding ways to use that data to help detect Covid-19 cases among frontline workers and general users. The NBA basketball league, for example, has ordered more than 1,000 of the rings, which cost upwards of $300 each

The company is headquartered in Oulu, Finland, with offices in Helsinki, London, and San Francisco.

You can listen to an interview with Harpreet here.

How lawyers and courts can benefit from technology (Asia Samachar, 4 July 2020)

By Asia Samachar Team | AFGHANISTAN |

Members of the dwindling minority communities, gutted by recent deadly violence, welcomed an emergency exit but expressed worry that what would await them in India is poverty. – NYT

The Indian government said it will expedite visas and the possibility of long-term residency for Afghanistan’s tiny Hindu and Sikh minorities, shrunken by decades of persecution and decimated by attacks in recent years amid the Afghan war, reports the New York Times.

“India has decided to facilitate the return of Afghan Hindu and Sikh community members facing security threats in Afghanistan to India,” the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement on Saturday (18 July 2020).

The statement, on the rescue of an Afghan Sikh leader who was abducted in eastern Afghanistan last month, did not provide further details.

An Indian official in Kabul said the decision meant that any of the roughly 600 Hindus and Sikhs in Afghanistan, an overwhelmingly Muslim country, would be given priority visas and the opportunity to apply for long-term residency once they arrived in India, the report added.

On March 25, the small community of Sikhs and Hindus saw yet another assault upon them, the latest being a terror attack on a Sikh gurdwara in central Kabul that killed 25 men, women and children.

The senseless attack upon Gurdwara Guru Har Rai in Shor Bazaar was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back as far as their dreams of continuing to live in Afghanistan. The gunmen stormed the gurdwara, shot discriminately and held 80 hostages.

After the first attack on 25 March, the next day, an explosive went off just outside the crematorium as the Sikhs were cremating their dead. And the next day, yet another attack.

In interviews, NYT reported that many welcomed the emergency option, but said it posed an agonizing dilemma. In Afghanistan, they have livelihoods — shops and businesses passed down through generations — but spend their days dreading the next attack. Making a new start in India would most likely mean living in poverty, they said, particularly during an economic slump exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.

Lala Sher Singh, 63, who lives near a Sikh temple in Kabul that was attacked in March, said the community had shrunk so much that his thoughts were occupied “day and night” by a fear that the next assault might not leave enough people who can perform the final rituals for the dead.

“I may get killed here because of these threats to Hindus and Sikhs, but in India I will die from poverty,” he said. “I have spent my whole life in Afghanistan. In this neighborhood close to the temple, if I run out of money and stand in front of a shop and ask for two eggs and some bread, they will give it to me for free. But who will help me in India?”

Sikhs are finished in Afghanistan (Asia Samachar, 29 March 2020)

New deans at Universiti Malaya( (L-R) Dr Surinderpal Kaur, Dr. Jatswan Singh and Dr. Kiran Kaur

By Asia Samachar Team | MALAYSIA |

Malaysia’s top university promoted three Sikhs, including one as a dean, that will see them joining the institution’s Senate.

Universiti Malaya (UM) appointed Dr Surinderpal Kaur A Chanan Singh as the Faculty of Languages & Linguistics dean, making her probably the second Sikh to hold a deanship at the Kuala Lumpur-based university.

At the same time, UM also appointed Dr Jatswan Singh Harnam Singh as the executive director of the Asia-Europe Institute (AEI) and Dr Kiran Kaur Gurmit Singh as the director of the Quality Management & Enhancement Centre (QMEC).

All three, who are associate professors, will hold their position until 2022.

“They must be very good in their respective areas to land these positions at the nation’s oldest university. They have definitely earned their positions because of their expertise,” Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) emeritus professor Dr Chatar Singh told Asia Samachar.

Dr Chatar, who was the backbone of USM’s School of Physics and Mathematics which he helped establish in 1969, began his academic life when he joined UM University as a lecturer in Physics in 1968.

“It’s was a pleasant surprise to see the elevation of three Sikhs at a go. It speaks well of their years of dedication and work at the university,” said another senior academic.

Dr Surinderpal, who has been the faculty’s deputy dean since January 2018, is an expert in areas like humanities, linguistics and literature as well as democracy and governance (political discourse, electoral dynamics, protests, dissent, demonstrations, terrorism and insurgency).

She co-authored Gender and the Changing Face of Higher Education in Asia Pacific which was released last year.

Dr Surinderpal, a PhD holder from UK’s Lancaster University, has also been active on the Sikh community front. In 2016, she took an active part when Kultar’s Mime, a theatre play from US, came Malaysia.

She also spearheaded two plays – ‘Marjana to Mittar: Bhai Mardana’s Story’ in 2017 and ‘Tribute to the Tenth’ in 2018.

The first Sikh dean at UM was Prof Dr Satwant Singh Dhaliwal who holds the distinction of being the nation’s youngest professor when appointed in 1968. He had set up UM’s Faculty of Science and served as its dean.

Dr Jatswan, who holds a PhD from Leeds University, is an expert in areas like conflict resolution, foreign policy and comparative politics for contemporary Southeast Asia. He is the author of Historical Dictionary of Brunei Darussalam and is an expert on Myanmar.

On her part, Dr Kiran Kaur is from the Department of Library & Information Science, Faculty of Computer Science & Information Technology.

The holder of a PhD from UM, she began as a public school teacher where she taught for eight years, and then as a UM librarian for four years. She then joined the faculty as an academic staff in mid-2003.

Dr Kiran’s research interests include information services, service quality, quality management, academic librarianship, social networking, community information services, social capital and scientometrics.

QMEC is responsible for accreditation and quality assurance of all levels of academic programmes in UM.

The Sikh who almost became Vice-Chancellor of UM! (Asia Samachar, 17 Feb 2015)

Two Sikh academics bag Malaysian national book awards (Asia Samachar, 5 April 2019)

Dr Baljit inducted into prestigious Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (Asia Samachar, 25 Sept 2018)

Jasjit made dean at Rutgers School of Public Health (Asia Samachar, 25 Jan 2015)

By Asia Samachar Team | SINGAPORE |

Does entrepreneurship and technology excite you? Young Sikh/Punjabi students with a keen interest in the two areas are invited to join a new online workshop series that kick start next Saturday (1 Aug).

The virtual workshop will gather an exciting range of Sikh professionals from around Southeast Asia to share their journeys and professional advice. And its for free!

“We want to expose our students to entrepreneurship and technology. We will want to set up a mentorship network,” said organiser Bobby Bhatia who founded TrakInvest, a Singapore-based social investing platform for equities.

The workshop series is being organised under the umbrella Misl and supported by online media portal Asia Samachar.

“We have the resources to help those who need help. But they need to raise their hands if they seek help,” he added. Bhatia previously had stints with AIG Financial Products and JP Morgan

One of the key speakers is Aswin Phlaphongphanic, the CEO/founder of international money transfer firm DeeMoney, a subsidiary of Thailand-based Sawasdeeshop Co Ltd. The other speakers are Tript B (healthcare incubator), Amrit Kaur (testing ground) and Jasdeep Singh Hundal (UC Berkeley)

Join the maiden Misl Entrepreneurship Workshop Series on 1 August from (4pm – 6pm, Singapore/ Malaysia time). Sign up for free at https://bit.ly/MISLseries.

Coronavirus awakens millennial Sikh entprepreneur (Asia Samachar, 22 July 2020)

DeeMoney charges ahead with third branch for money transfer business (Asia Samachar, 29 March 2018)

Entrepreneurship a lonely journey, says Ash Singh (Asia Samachar, 13 Dec 2017)

Singapore PM Lee Kuan Yew with Sikh community on 14 Jan 1967 – Photo: Singapore National Archives

By Asia Samachar Team | SINGAPORE |

When Singapore Sikhs celebrated the 300th birthday of Guru Gobind Singh in 1967, the Sikh community handed the second Guru Nanak ambulance to serve the needy.

At a function to celebrate the major celebration, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew received keys to the ambulance donated by the community.

The ambulance, costing about $15,000, is to be used at the Thomson Road General Hospital. The first is being used at the General Hospital, reported The Straits Times (16 Jan 1967).

“To me, the Sikh community is one of the stirring sagas of human history. It is a small but vigorous community,” he was quoted as saying at the event at the Conference Hall on 15 Jan 1967. “We should not throw away virtues and doctrines which hold groups together.”

Among those present to welcome him at the event were textile magnate Sardul Singh Narula (in white turban) of Indersons Co.

Nirman Singh: Facemask to fit the turban and beard

By Asia Samachar Team | SINGAPORE |

A Singapore Sikh couple has produced reusable face masks for Sikhs with turban and beard. And they are ready to customise the face mask to cater for the type of the nose bridge as well as the beard.

As the novel coronavirus pandemic began digging in, Nirman Singh realised conventional masks were not designed for turbaned Sikhs.

“It was very uncomfortable. Since our ears are covered, putting the mask on and off was also difficult and cumbersome. Also, often, the beard gets pushed into my mouth,” he told Asia Samachar.

Nirman and his wife Surinder Kaur then began working on a solution. And they believe they have come up with the perfect solution as people globally are still battling the Covid-19 pandemic.

“To put-on and remove the mask easily, we incorporated a velcro strap and we also have filtered masks for those who want extra precautions,” he said.

The face masks are made of washable cotton and polyester for the inside lining.

Tp purchase them, call +65-811 26224 (Sizes: Sizes: S ~6″, M ~7″, L ~8″).

Physically challenged Sikh boy designs facemask holder for turbans, tudung (Asia Samachar, 12 June 2020)

All set to distribute Langgar at the NamRas event in Singapore – Photo: Parvitar Singh

By Parvitar Singh | OPINION |

The concept of langgar, also translated as the concept of free kitchen, was founded by the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev Ji (Baba Nanak) around 1500 where anyone regardless of background can have access to a warm, hearty vegetarian meal.

The humble beginnings of langgar started with Guru Nanak feeding hungry holy men who hadn’t eaten for days as well as providing them with clothes all as a mark of service.

The concept of langgar isn’t just the act of providing free food to those in need, but it elaborates the deeper values of equality, humility, selflessness and mercy. The concept of langgar has since grown with its continuation carried out by the 9 Gurus that followed, as well as beyond where langgar can be found in any Gurdwara around the globe. Open to all, without prejudice or judgement.

Over the years we have seen langgar evolve. From its availability in Gurdwaras to further outreach done by various organisations and institutions to provide food, as well as aid to those who are disadvantaged, disabled, disaster or war stricken. No matter how difficult the terrain or the volatility of the region, Sikhs saw it to be there and render assistance to those in need.

LANGAR BECOMING A SIKH IDENTITY

The wings of langgar have reached so far out, that anyone who spots a Sikh or a Sikh institution can very confidently know that should they be in trouble or difficulty, they can always count on Sikhs to come to their aid.

This is due to the neutrality Sikhs have always showcased which stems from religious values of recognising humanity as one brotherhood. More importantly, walking on the values of Guru Nanak Dev Ji where he describes God as “Nirbhau” and “Nirvair” – translating as without fear and without hate, respectively.

It is imperative that when it comes to service towards humanity, Sikhs remain impartial while rendering aid and do so without discrimination. They should also take note to not entangle themselves in political leanings or agendas, which could risk biasness and alter the unprejudiced image of selfless service or as we call it sewa.

In recent crisis like Covid-19, we have seen and still do see various Sikh organisations and Gurdwaras cooking up meals, providing clothes, resources as well as financial aid to anyone who needs it. These are one of the many examples of Sikhs rising up to the occasion when crisis hits.

Free food distribution at Gurdwara Sahib Myanmar – Photo: Supplied

CONTINUING, SUSTAINING & RELEVANCE

With langgar being a formidable ground for Sikhs to reach out to the masses within their local settings as well as globally, community effort is important to allow both the continuing and sustaining of langgar efforts as well as aid in other forms.

Community support is crucial to ensure that there is constant financial and volunteer support, as well as the grooming of the next generation of innovative, trustworthy and compassionate individuals and leaders to broaden the outreach to diversify the sort of aid the community can render.

The Sikh community should also remain rooted to the primary mode of service – langgar. As this has given the community its branding over the last 600 years and keeps us grounded to always remember to stick to fundamentals of service towards humanity.

Alongside, it will be good for us to continue to look into other aspects of sewa needed on a communal, societal, national and even a global level as there are many talented individuals from diverse backgrounds who can provide their expertise. This will keep the Sikh community relevant and up to date in its efforts, as well as empower a whole new pool of individuals to step up and do their part in serving.

IN CONCLUSION

The Sikh community, by and large, has come a very long way in always rising to the occasion whenever needed. However, it will be good for various organisations to collaborate so as to deconflict and prevent overlapping of efforts so as not to overstretch resources. It will also be good for them to work together to increase efficiency and efficacy in community efforts.

Sikhi is, and will always remain, a relevant faith. Our scriptures and teachings amplify how we can live in a constantly evolving world and yet remain rooted, relevant and of service to people. Let us always stick to basics, take guidance from our scriptures and continue to serve humanity with true faith and kindness.

Parvitar Singh is a Singapore-based youth leader who’s passion lies in understanding people, polices and worldview to do his part in making this world a better place.

Khalsa Dharmak Sabha provides take-away langgar (Asia Samachar, 28 March 2020)

A Sikh tradition helps feed the hungry in Los Angeles, no strings attached (Asia Samachar, 23 June 2020)

By Asia Samachar Team | INDIA |

India’s men hockey captain Manpreet Singh is all set to settle down with his long-time Malaysian sweetheart Illi Najwa Saddique.

After falling in love upon first sight in 2012, the couple have fixed 2 December 2020 for their big day, with a reception in Ludhiana.

Manpreet first met Illi during the Sultan of Johor Cup in 2012. He was the captain of the Indian side while Illi was amongst the spectators. The couple got engaged two years later on 26 February 2014.

Illi, hailing from a Pakistan Muslim family, has been a frequent visitor to Manpreet’s village in Mithapur in Punjab, India, since they began dating.

The 27-year-old Manpreet began his captaincy when he led the Indian side to Asia Cup gold, ending a 10-year old draught for the tournament.

“An Olympic hockey medal next year will be the perfect start to our married life,” the 26-year-old Illi told an Indian-based media portal.

“Hockey will still remain Manpreet’s priority even after our weddng,” she told another portal.

Manpreet and the team are now preparing for the Tokyo Olympics which is now scheduled for July 2021.

This would be Manpreet’s third Olympic debut after London in 2012 in London and Rio in 2016. But India fared poorly in both occasions.

Illi Najwa Saddique’s posting at her Instagram page on 26 July 2020

(Asia Samachar, 23 June 2020)

KIRTAN | NEW RELEASE: Singer and composer Arvinder Raina has released ‘Jagath Jalandhaa’, a shabad cmposed by Guru Amar Das. The music was composed by Harsimran Singh Raina who also played the guitar. Backing vocal by Ameeshaajit Kaur and Mansimer Kaur. Click here.

[TAKE NOTE OF ASIA SAMACHAR OFFICIAL WHATSAPP NUMBER: +6017-3351399. You can contact us to provide news alerts, community updates or obituary announcements. Stay in chardi kalaa]

Arvinder Raina releases ‘Jaan Nikle’ (Asia Samachar, 16 Feb 2020)

Workers’ Party chief Pritam Singh poses for a photo with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong after the swearing-in ceremony of new office holders at the Istana on July 27 – Photo: Ministry of Communications and Information

By Asia Samachar Team | SINGAPORE |

Singapore’s political landscape took a significant step in its coming of age when it gave an official stamp to the opposition leader.

Pritam Singh, secretary-general of the Worker’s Party (WP) that rocked the recent general elections, becomes the first to assume the Leader of the Opposition (LO) designation.

In the past, Singapore’s legislature had not formally recognised the position and its opposition lawmakers received scant regards.

“As with any new political appointment, the role of the LO will evolve as our political system develops,” according to a joint statement by the Office of the Speaker of Parliament and Office of the Leader of the House.

The position now gives Pritam staff and resources, and a total annual package of $385,000, which is double the allowance of an elected MP.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsieng Loong made the promise soon after winning the 2020 General Election.

In the final tally of the 13th national polls, PAP won 83 seats while the WP took 10 seats, including a surprise victory at the new group representation constituency (GRC) of Sengkang. WP won six seats in the last parliament.

In the statement, it was noted that the LO position was not provided for in either the Constitution or the Standing Orders of Parliament.

“Singapore’s legislatures have never had formal Leaders of the Opposition, not even in the 1950s and early 1960s, when there were substantial numbers of opposition legislative assemblymen.

“Mr Lee Kuan Yew led the People’s Action Party as the largest opposition party in the Legislative Assembly between 1955 and 1959, and Dr Lee Siew Choh led the Barisan Sosialis as the largest opposition party in the Legislative Assembly between 1961 and 1963. Neither Mr Lee nor Dr Lee were formally designated Leader of the Opposition,” it added.

It said that LOD will also received briefings on issues of national interest.

“In addition to the government data or information available to other MPs, the LO will receive confidential briefings by the Government on select matters of national security and external relations, and in the event of a national crisis or emergency,” it said.

Pritam Singh leads a stronger Singapore opposition (Asia Samachar, 11 July 2020)

SASKAAR / CREMATION: 12 noon, 31 July 2020 (Friday), at Jalan Loke Yew Crematorium, Kuala Lumpur | Malaysia

ਘਲੇ ਆਵਹਿ ਨਾਨਕਾ ਸਦੇ ਉਠੀ ਜਾਹਿ ॥੧॥

SARDAR JOGINDER SINGH A/L PALL SINGH

(6.3.1936 – 30.7.2020)

Leaving behind

Children:

Mr & Mrs Manjeet Singh (Cheras)

Mr & Mrs Sukhwinder Singh (Shah Alam)

Also leaves behind grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Saskaar / Cremation: 12 noon, 31 July 2020 (Friday), at Jalan Loke Yew Crematorium, Kuala Lumpur

Contacts:

Parvin 016 – 600 7375

Ashvin 016 – 956 7721

| Entry: 30 July 2020 | Source: Family

LAKHBIR KAUR D/O VEER SINGH

(6.8.1957 – 30.7.2007)

13th Anniversary. Passed away peacefully on 30th July 2007.

Wife of Late Lawyer Markhan Singh

Deeply missed, forever cherished and fondly remembered by children and grandchildren, in-laws and nephews.

Mom, your death has made realize that every single second we spent together, I wasted an opportunity to tell you how much I love you – Dharamjit

| Entry: 30 July 2020 | Source: Family

SASKAAR / CREMATION: 12pm, 18 July 2020 (Saturday), at Simpang Lima Crematorium Klang. Cortège leaves from residence No. 39, Jalan Kim Chuan, Pandamaran, 42000 Port Klang, Selangor at 11.30am | Malaysia

ਘਲੇ ਆਵਹਿ ਨਾਨਕਾ ਸਦੇ ਉਠੀ ਜਾਹਿ ॥੧॥

GAIGINDAR KAUR D/O LATE TARA SINGH

By Saranjit Singh | OPINION |

STEP 1

STEP 2

STEP 3

STEP 4

RELATED STORY:

By Asia Samachar Team | UK |

By Dipanita Nath | INDIA |

RELATED STORY:

RELATED STORY:

By Sanjay CS (#UnityPenang) | LETTER TO EDITOR |

RELATED STORY:

By Jewel Topsfield | AUSTRALIA |

RELATED STORY:

By Asia Samachar Team | CANADA |

FLAGGING SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT

RELATED STORY:

By Asia Samachar Team | EUROPE |

RELATED STORY:

By Asia Samachar Team | AFGHANISTAN |

RELATED STORY:

By Asia Samachar Team | MALAYSIA |

RELATED STORY:

By Asia Samachar Team | SINGAPORE |

RELATED STORY:

By Asia Samachar Team | SINGAPORE |

By Asia Samachar Team | SINGAPORE |

RELATED STORY:

By Parvitar Singh | OPINION |

LANGAR BECOMING A SIKH IDENTITY

CONTINUING, SUSTAINING & RELEVANCE

IN CONCLUSION

RELATED STORY:

By Asia Samachar Team | INDIA |

RELATED STORY:

RELATED STORY:

By Asia Samachar Team | SINGAPORE |

RELATED STORY:

SASKAAR / CREMATION: 12 noon, 31 July 2020 (Friday), at Jalan Loke Yew Crematorium, Kuala Lumpur | Malaysia

ਘਲੇ ਆਵਹਿ ਨਾਨਕਾ ਸਦੇ ਉਠੀ ਜਾਹਿ ॥੧॥

LAKHBIR KAUR D/O VEER SINGH