By Asia Samachar | Malaysia |
In Malaysia, Punjabi language education has been available in our community for almost a century.
Formal Punjabi education started when the government established primary schools in the early 1900s. Punjabi was also taught in Guru Nanak Institution and Guru Kalgidhar School, both in Ipoh, as well as in Guru Nanak Punjabi School Sentul and Tatt Khalsa Diwan in Kuala Lumpur.
Typically, children received four to six years of primary education in their mother tongue, before being moved to English- or Malay-medium secondary schools. Additionally, a majority of Malaysian Gurdwaras and informal home-based establishments offered Punjabi lessons, while local publishers played a critical role in providing much-needed Punjabi textbooks.
These endeavours were highly successful as the 1960s and 1970s saw large numbers of Punjabi students taking the Punjabi paper at Form 3 (Lower Certificate of Education, LCE) and Form 5 (Malaysian Certificate of Education, MCE) level in Malaysian public schools. Those who excelled in these examinations were able to acquire jobs in the Malaysian civil service, mainly as interpreters, or as writers for Punjabi publications.
However, over the course of time, the number of candidates taking these examinations dwindled, leading to the eradication of the LCE/Form 3 Punjabi paper offered to students in Malaysian government schools. Seeing the decline of interest in Punjabi education in the 1980s and 1990s, Khalsa Diwan Malaysia (KDM) led efforts to revive Punjabi classes and to preserve the status of Punjabi as a primary language for members of the community.
A new vision for teaching and learning Punjabi was then built around the need to prepare Malaysian Punjabi children for the SPM Punjabi paper, as well as to revitalise Punjabi language programmes for Malaysian youth. This led to the development of a new model of Punjabi education in 2001, and the establishment of a formal national-level teaching-learning programme under KDM’s Punjabi Education Board. From a decentralised model of Punjabi education, using mainly teaching materials from India, a more structured national-level programme that was responsive to local needs was then implemented.
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In 2001, classes in the first eight KDM-led Punjabi Education Centres (PECs) commenced in Guru Nanak Institution Ipoh, Taiping, Batu Gajah, Kampar, Sitiawan, Butterworth, Penang and Kota Baru. Following the success of this model, more PECs were set up in Petaling Jaya, Selayang, Shah Alam, Klang, Sungai Petani and Melaka. Over time, the number of PECs nationwide rose to 50, with a total annual enrolment of 2,000 children. In tandem, the number of candidates for the SPM Punjabi paper increased; we now see about 50 students taking the SPM Punjabi paper every year.
This year marks the 25th anniversary of KDM’s Punjabi education programme in Malaysia.
KDM President Jaginder Singh said, “This is a historic achievement for the Sikh community in Malaysia. With the Grace of Waheguru Ji, and strong support from the Sikh community, the teaching of Punjabi has continued to flourish nationwide. Khalsa Diwan Malaysia remains firm in its commitment to preserve, promote and develop our Ma Boli, Punjabi.”
Professor Dr Kuldip Kaur, KDM Deputy President and Organising Chairperson of the 25t anniversary celebrations, says, “The past 25 years have seen us take great strides in establishing solid structures for professional teacher development, curriculum development for language and Sikhi education, as well as management of PECs across the country. The core of our work has to be about student achievement and learning.”
She also highlights the need to recognise the contributions of Gurdwaras, parents, teachers, community leaders as well as the Malaysian government toward the success of Punjabi language education in Malaysia.
KDM has organised a series to commemorate the 25th anniversary from May 1 to 3, 2025, beginning with the PEC children’s Kirtan Darbar at Gurdwara Sahib Sentul, Kuala Lumpur, on May 1.
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Malaysia back to face-to-face Punjabi learning (Asia Samachar, 9 Jan 2022)
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. You can leave your comments at our website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We will delete comments we deem offensive or potentially libelous. You can reach us via WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 or email: asia.samachar@gmail.com. For obituary announcements, click here
