Government Approves RM4 Mln Allocation For Sikh Community

IPOH, April 24 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced a
RM4 million allocation for the Sikh community in Malaysia.

The announcemetn was made in conjunction with the 1Malaysia Vaisakhi celebration
open house at the grounds of the Indera Mulia Stadium, here, Friday night.

The prime minister said RM2 million was for upgrading and maintaining the Sikh
community's 118 houses of worship or Gurdwara, RM1 million for teaching of the Sikh
language to the young and RM1 million for Siklh cultural programmes.

"In 2008, (then Prime Minister) Tun Abdullah (Ahmad Badawi) approved a RM2 million
allocation for Sikh non-governmental organisations to hold Sikh language
classes...tonight I continue the agenda," he said to a multiracial crowd of over 30,000 at
the celebration.

He said the Sikh community's contribution to the nation since before Independence was
big although it was a small minority group.

"The sacrifices of Siklh soldiers during World War II and then in fighting communist
insurgency in the country will always be etched in gold in the nation's history," he said.

The prime minister also described the holding of the Vaisakhi open house under the
1Malaysia concept for the first time as very successful because over 30,000 people
attended the celebration, more than the 20,000 expected by the organisers.

He congratulated the Perak governent and the Association of Sikh Organisations in

Perak as the organisers of the event.

The Sikh community celebrated Vaisakhi on April 13 to commemorate the birth of the
Khalsa and it is the most important day for the community.

Also present at the Vaisakhi open house were the prime minister's wife Datin Seri
Rosmah Mansor and Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir.

-- BERNAMA

http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=493092