| Kuantan, Malaysia | 27 March 2017 | Asia Samachar |
The gurdwara-owned land in the town centre of Kuantan has yet to be sold as it has not attracted atractive bids, probably due to the softening of the economy.
“We are still holding on to the land. It is deriving some income for the gurdwara,” Gurdwara Sahib Kuantan management committee president Dr Dharshan Singh, who was reelected on Sunday to serve for another term, tells Asia Samachar.
The 3/4 acre land in the town centre was donated to the gurdwara some four decades ago by the late Hari Singh. At one point, the gurdwara committee was considering to either to sell the land, develop it into a commercial property or build a community hall for the Sikh community.
“The community may most likely opt for developing the land. A community hall can still be considered if we can raise the funds,” he said.
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Dr Dharshan, a dental surgeon, was reelected as the president of the Kuantan gurdwara management committee (GMC) for the forth consecutive one-year term. The Kuantan gurdwara rules does not impose any limitation as to how many years a person can serve as the committee president.
Dr Ovinderjit Singh, who runs his own private medical clinic in Kuantan, was reelected as vice president, along with corporate executive Sourjan Singh (secretary) and warehouse manager Darshan Singh (treasurer). Businessman Gurbir Singh (popularly known as Kabir) was elected as assistant secretary and bank officer Jaswender Singh as assistant treasurer.
Last year, the gurdwara installed a lift at a cost of RM93,000.
Kuantan, the state capital of Pahang, is about 250km to the east of Kuala Lumpur. The gurdwara serves about 100 families, including those living in Kemaman, a district under the neighbouring state of Terengganu.
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE. Follow us on Twitter. Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
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Lack of response may give the perception that some one may be eyeing the land for personal use and not for common good of the Sanggat. No inference of bad intent but silence may give wrong perception. Silence is not golden in case of trust funds.
Gur Fateh
I was disappointed to read that the Kuantan Gurdwara Sahib Ji’s Management Committee is still considering selling off the land it owns. There are very few Gurdwara’s in Malaysia which have land which can be developed for commercial purposes. The other Gurdwara is Titiwangsa Gurdwara in Jalan Pahang Kuala Lumpur which still is reluctant to consider its commercial value.
It is long overdue that Gurdwara MCs stop having closed minds but should go beyond and venture into commercial activities via their land assets. The Christian Churches have done this [Cavelery in Bt Jalil KL and another behind PJ Gurdwara Sahib] which have developed their excess lands into commercial properties. Similarly the South Indian Mariamman Temple in Jln HS Lee in KL has constructed commercial buildings.
The buildings not only provide commercial spaces to assist their respective communities but also have a permanent source of income for future generations which can be used to assist the Sikh community in Kuantan via space and/or financial assistance for the needy and education/commercial purposes.
I had made a similar suggestion last year when news about the Kuantan land was published in Asia Samachar. But sadly there appears to be little interest by the community members.
INDIVIDUALLY SIKHS ARE GREAT BUT COLLECTIVELY THEY MAY NOT BE SO GREAT IF THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO THINK FOR THE COMMUNITY. Thinking should be for KHALSA PANTH AND SANGGAT.
SIKH GURDWARA LEADERS SHOULD STOP LIMITING THEIR ACTIVITIES TO JUST RELIGIOUS FUNCTIONS AND EXPAND TO ASSIST THE COMMUNITY IN THE ECONOMIC SECTOR.
Trust and hope the current leadership will seriously consider above views.
Gur Fateh
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