SNSM elects Manjeet Singh as new jathedar

By Asia Samachar  | Malaysia |

Sikh Naujawan Sabha Malaysia (SNSM), an organiser of youth camps since the early 1960s, has elected a veteran Johor volunteer to lead the organisation for the next two years.

Manjeet Singh, a former president of Gurdwara Sahib Johor Bahru (GSJB) and long-time SNSM volunteer, will serve as jathedar, a role akin to an executive chairman, of the six-decade-old body.

The 51-year-old businessman emerged as the sole candidate after five others were also nominated for the post — a record for the organisation, which held its 60th annual general meeting yesterday (June 28).

“We’ve never seen so many names being proposed for the jathedar post. This is new,” an SNSM life member told Asia Samachar.

After the nominations, the six potential contenders went into a huddle and returned with Manjeet as the sole candidate. The house then elected him unanimously.

Manjeet and his new executive committee take office at a time when SNSM is seen by some members as having lost its leadership position in Sikh parchaar (preaching) and Sikh youth development in Malaysia.

In the past, SNSM took centre stage in Sikhi preaching, especially through its well-attended youth camps known as Gurmat Samelans. It also coordinated teams to conduct Sikh programmes in gurdwaras nationwide and pioneered Sikh camps in Sabah and Sarawak in the 1990s.

“In the early days, Sabha provided the template for Sikh camps in this region. They were even replicated in places like Australia. Today, many other Sikh outfits have emerged and are conducting various types of camps – a good development. Sabha will have to reclaim its leadership in that area, but it must inject new ideas for the present and future generations,” said another long-serving volunteer on the sidelines of the meeting.

SNSM also faces the challenge of developing Khalsa Land, a 20-acre Sikh retreat and campsite in Kuala Kubu Bharu (KKB), Selangor. Acquired in 2001, the land is undergoing major development to become what is envisioned as the largest Sikh campsite in Asia outside India, with facilities for camps and other activities.

The campsite has hosted a wide range of programmes, including camps, retreats, religious gatherings, educational visits, leadership activities and cultural events involving local and international participants.

Over the past year, SNSM has conducted several programmes, including a career and education fair, the Punjabi Bhasa Mela language carnival, the Holla Mahalla youth sports event, Fellowship Camp and EnKaurage, a platform for women.

A new addition was Ik Minute Ji, a series of bite-sized videos promoting Sikhi on social media platforms, primarily Instagram and TikTok. The team produced 64 videos on various topics, drawing close to one million combined views.

As at April 30, SNSM had 5,698 members, of whom 1,618 were active, according to its annual report.

Manjeet succeeds Paramjeet Singh, who served as jathedar for two consecutive terms from 2022 to 2026.

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