Autar Singh | Putrajaya, Malaysia | Asia Samachar | 11 June 2015
Six member organisations of the Coalition of Malaysian Sikh Organisations (CMSO) attended a funding briefing in Putrajaya yesterday. The session was handled by Prof Dr NS Rajendran, the director of the Socio-Economic Development of Indian Community (SEDIC), a unit under the Prime Minister’s Office.
They briefed us on the mechanism to apply for the special funding made available for Indian-based non-government organisations (NGOs). The Government has set aside RM100 million for this purpose.
It was a useful briefing, especially for NGO representatives not exposed to the ins and outs of the process.
It was good to see a big turnout from the Sikh organisations. I was in good company at the briefing. SWAN president Satwant Kaur was present. So was Manohar Singh from Malaysian Sikh Education Aid Fund (MSEAF). Other Coalition member representatives were present as well.
Besides the Coalition, representatives from the Malaysian Gurdwaras Council (MGC) and the Sikh Naujawan Sabha Malaysia (SNSM) were also present.
I met Prof Rajendran after the briefing to request for a separate meeting with the Sikh NGOs. He assured us that the needs of all Indian origin communities will be looked into and agreed to have a separate meeting soon.
[Autar Singh is the secretary general of the CMSO. He was a former jathedar of the Sikh Naujawan Sabha Malaysia and author of the Q&A On Sikhi: Gurmat Discussions On the Internet]
COALITION OF SIKH ASSOCIATION OF MALAYSIA, CMSO:
CMSO is made up of eight organisations: Guru Kalgidhar Diwan Malaysia (GKDM), Guru Nanak Guru Gobind Singh Foundation (GNGGSF), Khalsa Diwan Malaysia (KDM), Malaysian Sikh Education Aid Fund (MSEAF), Malaysian Sikh Union (MSU), Malaysian Sikh Women’s Awareness Network Society (SWAN), Sant Sohan Singh Ji Melaka Memorial Society Malaysia (SSJMMSM) and Sikh Welfare Society Malaysia (SWSM).
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE! Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
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