Selangor state urged to assist teaching of Punjabi language

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The Selangor state government has been urged to extend financial and other assistance for the teaching of Punjabi language.

This was one of the messages put forward by Punjabi Education Trust (PET) Malaysia  (PETM) officials who yesterday (Dec 16, 2014) met with Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, the Selangor state ecxo member in charge of education, human capital development, science, technology and innovation.

“This was a preliminary meeting,” PET Selangor chairman Piara Singh told Asia Samachar when contacted about the meeting in Shah Alam, Selangor.

PET Selangor runs nine Punjabi Education Centres (PECs) in Selangor with 93 teachers and 880 students.

The centres are at Port Klang, Klang, Shah Alam, Petaling Jaya, Kajang, Gurpuri, Selayang, Rawang and Kuala Kubi Bahru (KKB).

The teaching of Punjabi language is conducted at community-run weekend schools outside the normal national school curriculum as national school are unable to provide the language education due to various reasons.

“We hope to get some annual financial assistance,” said Autar Singh, PETM director of school-based assessments, who was also part of the delegation that met Nik Nazmi. “In some places, we need help in getting premises, like schools, to run the centres.”

So far, the Selangor state government, run by the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition, has provided a one-off RM50,000 financial assistance in 2011.

The team was led by Bhag Singh, who is the president of Khalsa Diwan Malaysia (KDM) and chairman of PETM.

KDM, a national organisation with its headquarters in Ipoh, Perak, is the umbrella body for PETM, which has been spearheaded the setting-up of PECs nationwide.

The others in the delegation were KDM immediate past president Santokh Singh, PETM director of research and development Prof Kuldip Kaur, PET Selangor secretary Belbir Singh and PETM legal advisor Baldeep Singh.

Punjabi language proponents meet Selangor state exco. (L-R) Santokh, Belbir, Bhag, Nik Nazmi, Piara, Kuldip, Autar, and Baldeep.
Punjabi language proponents meet Selangor state exco. (L-R) Santokh, Belbir, Bhag, Nik Nazmi, Piara, Kuldip, Autar, and Baldeep.

PHOTO:

(L-R) Santokh, Belbir, Bhag, Nik Nazmi, Piara, Kuldip, Autar, and Baldeep.

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