By Asia Samachar | Malaysia |
State assemblyman Jagdeep Singh Deo makes history as the first Sikh to be made a Deputy Chief Minister of Penang.
The 52-year-old politician follows in the illustrious footsteps of his late father Karpal Singh, a long-serving Opposition MP who was known as the ‘Tiger of Jelutong’, named after the Penang parliamentary constituency he represented. Jagdeep is Karpal’s eldest son.
In the newly former Penang state government following the Aug 12, 2023, elections, Jagdeep has been appointed as the Deputy Chief Minister II.
In 2018, his younger brother, lawyer and federal lawmaker Gobind Singh Deo made history as the first Sikh to become a Malaysian minister.
In the 15th General Election (GE15) in November 2022, Gobind was once again returned as a Member of Parliament (MP), but did not join the Cabinet. Instead, his younger brother Ramkarpal Singh, who won the Bukit Gelugor parliamentary seat, was appointed as Deputy Minister of Law and Institutional Reform by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Jagdeep, the assemblyman from Datuk Keramat, was previously the local government and housing state exco. This time around, he will hold the portfolios of human capital development as well as science and technology.
Jagdeep, who is also a lawyer by background, first joined the Penang State Legislative Assembly (MLA) when he won the the Datok Keramat seat in March 2008.
In 2013, he was appointed as an Penang State Executive Council (Exco) member under Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng. In 2018, he was once again tapped to serve as an exco under Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
All the siblings are members of the Democratic Action Party (DAP), a strong component of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition. Karpal (1940–2014) was DAP chairman for a decade until his death in 2014.
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Congratulations to YB Jagdeep for becoming the first Sikh Deputy Chief Minister of the esteemed and historic Malaysian state of Penang. This is a moment of immense pride not just for the Sikhs of Malaysia, but for Sikhs worldwide. As a Sikh, may Waheguru grant you the strength and wisdom to navigate our diverse and inclusive society with justice and honor. May the teachings of our Gurus guide you in your role, and we, the Sikh community of Malaysia, will look to you as our representative in the Madani Government. Best wishes and good luck in your endeavors.
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