Volunteers form all races and faiths join community meal cooking at Shah Alam gurdwara
By Asia Samachar | Malaysia |
The Shah Alam gurwara was not spared the massive flooding that hit Klang Valley and elsewhere in Malaysia. On Saturday (18 Dec), volunteers saw the gurdwara’s kitchen utensil floating in flood waters.
When the water receded the next day, volunteers started the clean up work. And the next day, on Monday (20 Dec), they mobilised their resources to cook hot vegetarian meals for those holed up in temporary flood relief centres.
“We were able to enter the gurdwara on Monday. Looking at the need of the hour, we decided to start our seva. We are sending food to the various relief stations, and fulfilling any request for hot meals. Some of them are in neighbouring schools and suraus,” Gurdwara Sahib Guru Nanak Shah Alam (GSGNSA) committee president Patminderjit Sigh told Asia Samachar in a telephone conversation. “We decided to join Petaling Jaya and others in extending a helping hand in this difficult period.”
They also distributed essentials like milk powder biscuits, baby formula sanitary pads and instant cup noodles to flood affected areas especially those at Taman Sri Muda in Shah Alam.
“The most heartwarming experience was the presence of a group of Malay youth from the vicinity to help in the sewa. It was a delight to have them to assist in the sewa. They were responding to the messages for volunteers put up in the various social media,” said a volunteer.
SEE ALSO: The essence of Sikhism is sewa to humanity (THE MALAYSIAN INSIGHT)
Gurdwara Sahib Petaling Jaya (GSPJ) was among the first gurdwaras in the Klang Valley to kick start cooking hot meals for the flood victims. Hundreds of volunteers, of all races and faiths, turned up to join its efforts.
Neighbouring Gurdwara Sahib Subang is also mobilising its volunteers. They are collecting items from well wishers to be sent to GSPJ as well as distributing cooked hot meals.
While residents in Subang Jaya and USJ – the immediate neghbouring of the Subang gurdwara – were mostly unaffected directly by the floods, the gurdwara decided to provide food and shelter to those affected.
On the first two days, it accommodated some 15 people who were stranded due to the floods.
On Sunday, the gurdwara took over a wedding function at the last moment from the Shah Alam gurdwara as the latter was flooded.
“Today we are receiving another 15 Sikh foreign workers whose homes are flooded. They’ll be with us until their employers makes alternative arrangements,” a GSS volunteer told Asia Samachar.
URGENT APPEAL FROM SHAH ALAM GURDWARA: We badly need people to come and do sewa. We are cooking and packing about 5,000 packs of food to be distributed. We need people to pack food and help with cutting of vegetables. Contact number: Thesdave 019-3810086, Roshan 017-2098438, Daniel 018-2278337, Kabir 012-2031395
Volunteer Balvinder Singh registering those seeking shelter at Subang gurdwara
RELATED STORY:
Klang Valley Floods: PJ gurdwara getting non-stop calls, Tatt Khalsa open doors for temporary shelter (Asia Samachar, 20 Dec 2021)
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