By Asia Samachar | Malaysia |
Ranmit Singh has been elected unopposed to lead the Tatt Khalsa Diwan Malaysia management committee for the next two years (2025/2026).
Ranmit, a lawyer by profession, was part of a largely fresh team that ran with the slogan ‘Let’s come together for a change. Make Tatt Khalsa Great Again’. He served as the president in the outgoing team.
Women outnumbered men, making up seven out of the 12 members elected at Tatt Khalsa’s annual general meeting on Dec 1, 2024.
The two vice president slots went to Rejinder Singh and Sarjeet Singh, defeating Jasbir Singh, Harbans Singh and Gurdarshan Singh.
The new secretary is Amarinder Kaur who defeated the out-going secretary Hardev Kaur while Amarjeet Kaur won the treasurer’s position unopposed. (See full committee list below).
Among the key achievements of the out-going team were ramping up assistance to needy Sikhs families, providing temporary shelter to Indian nationals stranded in Malaysia during the Covid-19 period, settling a long running dispute with Panch Khalsa Diwan Malaya, air conditioning the Langgar hall and doubling up its income in the last few years.
Tatt Khalsa has close to 1,000 members, according to the president in a note to members.
WHAT TOOK PLACE
Ranmit said Tatt Khalsahad worked tirelessly to provide financial assistance and support to needy Sikhs, both locals and foreigners.
The Tatt Khalsa Family Aid Fund Committee has assisted 28 deserving families with monthly financial payments. One-off special aid payments were also given to needy Sikhs to assist with their medical bills and other financial difficulties. In FY2023, close to RM93,000 was disbursed, up from about RM87,000 in FY2022.
“We have also settled our long running dispute with Panch Khalsa amicably,” he said.
The issue revolved around a loan amounting to RM150,000 extended by Panch Khalsa to Tatt Khalsa. However, a previous management committee of Tatt Khalsa, led by Inder Singh Khosa, had argued that it was actually a donation, and not a loan. After attempts to refer the matter to arbitration failed, Panch Khalsa took the matter to the courts.
The long outstanding issue with Panch Khalsa was ‘amicable settled without prejudice’ in early March 2023 with a payment by Tat Khalsa the settle sum of RM75,000. In return and a goodwill gesture, Panch Khalsa has agreed to host/have Kirtan Darbars at Tatt Khalsa from time to time, according to its report to members.
In October, Ranmit said Tatt Khalsa pledged a total donation RM50,000, over the next five years, to the Malaysian Sikh Education Aid Fund (MSEAF) to assist students to pursue higher education as well as another donation to the Shamshan Bhoomi Parbandak Society which manages the crematorium at Jalan Loke Yew, Kuala Lumpur.
In another development, Ranmit updated the members that the next door market redevelopment was moving on track and the city council DBKL has ‘assured us all the hawkers will be relocated inside the market under Phase 3 starting next year’.
“Our application for Certificate of Fitness is also progressing well and hope to get the said CF by next year,” he said.
In 2021 and 2022, the gurdwara played a vital role in supporting local and foreign Sikhs affected by Covid-19.
FINANCIAL POSITION
On its financial performance, Tatt Khalsa’s income for the financial year (FY) 2023 was close to RM2.14 million, up 58% from 2022 (RM1.35 million) and more than double from RM928,670 in FY2021.
It incurred total payments of RM1.98 million in FY2023 (resulting in a surplus of RM160,760) compared to payment of RM1.38 million (2022) and RM774,756 (2021), with a small deficit of RM3,894 and a surplus of RM223,686 in FY2021 and FY2022, respectively.
The jump in FY2022 and FY2023 income was attributed to increase number of programmes as well as payments from the Indian High Commission for providing temporary shelter to Indian nationals who were waiting for their outward press and clearance during the Covid-19 period.
The report noted that the commercial flights to India, suspended in mid-March 2022, were only resumed in April 2022, and most of the Indian nationals affected were able to return by the third quarter of 2023.
On the payment front, the report attributed the increase in FY2022 and FY2023 to three items.
First, the cost incurred for the preparation of langar as well as utilities expenses in tandem with the increase in the number of programmes held. Second, the cost incurred in renovating and refurbishing the third floor of the Wisma Tatt Khalsa, into dormitories to provide the temporary shelter, as well as the cost of providing the meals. Third, the cost incurred for the major repairs undertaken at both the Guru Nanak Darbar and the Wisma to address the problems of leaking roofs and water pipes.
“As highlighted during the last Annual General Meeting in June 2022, both the buildings, the Guru Nanak Darbar as well as the Wisma Tatt Khalsa are now more than 30 years old, and there is a need to upgrade and to also focus on preventive maintenance at the premises.
“It was noted that the roof has been leaking due to the intensity of the rainfall, the lifts were breaking down more frequently, and the electricity costs has been on the rise as the air-conditioning system is old and needs to be changed to the cassette form,” according to its report.
TATT KHALSA DIWAN MALAYSIA (2025/2026)
President: Ranmit Singh
Vice President: Rejinder Singh, Sarjeet Singh
Secretary: Amarinder Kaur
Asst Secretary: Rajinder Kaur
Treasurer: Amarjeet Kaur
Asst Treasurer: Kernal Singh
Committee Members:
Nisha Kaur, Maninderjit Singh, Sarjit Kaur Madhe, Manjit Kaur, Amarjit Kaur
RELATED STORY:
Tatt Khalsa team elected unopposed (Asia Samachar, 12 June 2022)
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