By Manjit Singh | Malaysia |
In a display of gratitude and respect, a group of us – former Sikh students of Setapak High School – recently gathered in the backdrop of the 2025 Vaisakhi celebrations, to honour our cherished teacher, Master Daljit Singh ji. We organised an impromptu appreciation dinner to celebrate his remarkable journey and dedication to education and the Sikh community.
Mr Daljit Singh, fondly known as Master Ji within the Sikh community circle in Malaysia, was a former teacher at the Setapak High School and also a former Jathedar of Sikh Naujawan Sabha Malaysia (SNSM). Through his visionary insight in 1974, the first school Sikh Society in the history of Malaysia was established in Setapak High School, Kuala Lumpur . He went on to retire as the headmaster of Sekolah Rendah Wangsa Maju, in 1993 or thereabouts, reaching the pinnacle of his teaching career.
We had earlier arranged to pick up Master ji from his residence for the evening held a cosy vegetarian restaurant. The dinner was a blend of nostalgia, reminisces, laughter and heartfelt tributes.
We shared stories of how Master ji not only taught us the usual classroom lessons , but also lifetime lessons that shaped our Sikhi values and life ambitions. For both students and beloved teacher, the gathering served as a moment to reflect upon, seek comfort and remember those comrades who had passed on.
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The dinner ‘gup-shup’ was indeed a journey down memory lane. Master ji recalled his journey from his initial dabbling into education in the early 1960s in Terengganu, his early days in KL, his unique educational Malaysian experiment of undergoing teachers training in UK which included the life changing experience of boarding a British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) plane that would transport him 7,000 miles to the Malayan Teachers’ Training College in Kirkby, Liverpool. He recalled fondly his involvement in SNSM and retirement, and much later establishing the Senior Citizens Retreat Centre in Ulu Yam Baru, Selangor. The narrative captured the spirit of a teacher mentor who gave his all to his students and community, day in and day out.
When asked about his feelings, in his usual steady and calm demeanour Master ji, revealed: “To see all of you here tonight reminds me why I loved teaching so much. It was never just about textbooks or exams—it was about helping you become who you are meant to be. And seeing you all here, thriving, fills my heart with joy”.
As the evening drew to a close, in a fitting finale to a night that will remain etched in our memory— each gave a tight heartfelt hug to Master Ji (it was definitely not a hand-shake occasion), as a tribute not just to a teacher, but to a legacy of empowering students to think critically, inspiring a love for learning, nurturing youth on the importance of Sikh identity and Punjabi language and leaving a lasting impact on the Sikh community, proof that the seeds of emphatic kindness he planted so many years ago continue to blossom in beautiful ways.
To sum it up, the dinner was just a small way of showing our appreciation to Master Daljit Singh ji, who at 85-years-old, remains an enduring symbol of inspiration, wisdom and compassion to many of us who passed through his hands or classrooms, shaping our knowledge, values and perspectives.
(Manjit Singh, PhD, who served with Malaysia’s Department of Civil Aviation, is a seasoned Malaysian aviation professional, who moved on from the comfort of the Malaysian civil service to work for International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO, a specialised agency of the United Nations, headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand)
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