| Putrajaya, Malaysia | 4 Feb 2016 | Asia Samachar |
The Prime Minister of Malaysia has appointed two Sikhs to an interfaith committee meant to boost relations among the various faiths that make up Malaysia.
Jagir Singh, a key official of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCCHST), was reappointed to the main governing body of the Committee for Interfaith Promotion of Understanding and Religious Harmony.
Academician Assoc Prof Dr Sarjit Singh Gill, a social anthropologist at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), was appointed as deputy chair for one of the sub-committees.
“We are to promote understanding and harmony among the followers of the various faiths, as well as advise Government on related matters,” Dr Sarjit told Asia Samachar in a text message.
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The letters of appointment, dated 20 Jan 2016 and signed by Prime Minister Mohd Najib Razak, were presented to the members by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Joseph Kurup in Putrajaya yesterday (3 Feb 2016).
The committee, chaired by Azman Amin Hassan, is under the Malaysian National Unity and Integration Department in the Prime Minister’s Department.
Azman is a former director general of the department. It is now headed by L Gandesan.
Jagir, a lawyer by profession, is also the president of the Malaysian Gurdwaras Council (MGC). He was reelected at the council’s recent annual meeting for another two-year term.
Dr Sarjit is also the secretary for the National Unity Cluster at the National Council of Professors Malaysia. His research interests are in majority-minority discourse, religion and identity, ethnic relations and indigenous studies.
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