| Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 23 April 2016 | Asia Samachar
UPDATE 20:30, 23 APRIL: Malaysian Sikhs will not get a chance to meet and greet Canadian national defence minister Harjit Singh Sajjan due to a ‘very tight schedule’.
Malaysian Sikhs are making efforts to secure a slot tomorrow (24 April 2017) to meet and greet Harjit Singh Sajjan, the Canadian national defence minister on his maiden three-day trip to Malaysia.
Harjit, who stormed into prominence in 2015 after being made a minister in the Justin Tredeau Cabinet, is now almost a household name in the Sikh world.
“We are hoping it happens. We’re trying our best, but he has a tight schedule,” Kuala Lumpur chief police officer Commissioner Amar Singh tells Asia Samachar.
Amar, the most senior ranking Sikh police officer in Malaysia, and the management committee of Gurdwara Sahib Pulapol are working to secure the meet and greet session.
The plan, subject to confirmation, is between 3pm-5pm tomorrow at Gurdwara Sahib Pulapol, a Sikh place of worship located within the Sikh police training centre at Jalan Semarak.
The suggested dress code, according to one message being circulated via the social media, is official uniform for uniformed personnel, suit with service medals for ex-servicemen and formal/ traditional wear for the Sanggat.
Harjit, who was born in Punjab and migrated to Canada when he five years old, has just concluded his maiden as a visit to India as a Canadian minister.
He is scheduled to be in Malaysia between 24 to 26 April 2017 in conjunction with the port call of two Royal Canadian Navy frigates in Port Klang: Her Majesty’s Canadian Ships Ottawa and Winnipeg.
“Minister Sajjan’s visit will highlight Canada’s strong military and strategic engagement in Malaysia and in Southeast Asia, and underline Canada’s position as an important bilateral trade and investment partner for Malaysia,” according to a statement from the High Commission of Canada in Kuala Lumpur.
Being the first Sikh defence minister, Harjit’s taking of office, along with four other Sikh lawmakers, took Sikhs globally by storm, making headlines in the Sikh media.
Harjit has served Canada and his community as both a soldier and a police officer. He continues his service to Canada as the Member of Parliament for Vancouver South and as Minister of National Defence.
He is a retired Lieutenant-Colonel in the Canadian Armed Forces and a combat veteran. He was deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina and served three separate deployments to Kandahar, Afghanistan.
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We tried but never mind. It is his first trip to Malaysia as Defence Minister of Canada. Many official duties. Hope he can visit us on his next trip. Tq. Kuldip Singh s/o Durbara.
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