| Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 4 Nov 2015 | Asia Samachar |
A number of Sikh organisation, both operating at national and state level, will receive funding from the Malaysian Federal government tomorrow.
Asia Samachar understands that Khalsa Diwan Malaysia (KDM), Malaysian Gurdwaras Council (MGC), Malaysian Sikh Women’s Awareness Network Society (SWAN) and Malaysian Sikh Union (MSU) are on the list.
UPDATE (6 Nov): It’s not MSU, as reported here, but Negeri Sembilan Sikh Union (NSSU) that received the funding. The error is regretted.
“You have both national and state level Sikh organisations amongst the NGOs receiving funding tomorrow,” Socio-Economic Development of the Indian Community (Sedic) director Prof Dr N.S Rajendran told Asia Samachar.
Sedic is the government outfit tasked to distribute a RM100 million federal fund meant to uplift the Indian community in the country, especially the so-called B40 which refers to the 40% of the population in the lower income group.
Prime Minister Mohd Najib Razak is scheduled to be present at an event in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow (5 Nov 2015) evening where cheques will be presented to the 380 selected NGOs.
MGC president Jagir Singh said the council had submitted two proposals: marriage counselling course and youth empowerment.
“We have been invited to the function tomorrow,” he said.
It is understood that Sikh Naujawan Sabha Malaysia (SNSM) had not make any submissions for this round of funding via Sedic.
KDM, SWAN and MSU are among the eight organisations that make up the Coalition of Malaysian Sikh Organisations (CMSO).
“The coalition itself did not submit any proposal for direct funding. We felt it was better for individual member organisations to tap direct the funding with their respective projects,” CMSO secretary general told Asia Samachar.
The other CMSO members are Guru Kalgidhar Diwan Malaysia (GKDM), Guru Nanak Guru Gobind Singh Foundation (GNGGSF), Malaysian Sikh Education Aid Fund (MSEAF), Sant Sohan Singh Ji Melaka Memorial Society Malaysia (SSJMMSM) and Sikh Welfare Society Malaysia (SWSM).
About 11.7 million (40%) Malaysians are said to be in the B40 group with a household income of less than RM2,500.
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