By Rishpal Singh Sidhu | Opinion |

Dr. Sarban Singh was colonial Singapore’s first Sikh medical practitioner. Little is known about him following his untimely death at a relatively young age of 32 following a severe attack of asthma. This research article has been written to commemorate the life, times, and achievements of this young doctor, and his contributions to the Singapore Sikh community during his short lifetime.

He  completed his early schooling at the King Edward VII School in Taiping, before journeying to Singapore to commence medical studies at the King Edward VII Medical College. He was an active sportsman, played hockey for the medical college, and also captained the side in the 1937 season. He was also a keen cricketeer. He graduated from the King Edward VII College of Medicine in 1941 and served as a medical officer at the Singapore General Hospital. Not long after, Singapore fell to the Japanese on  15 February 1942 after a fortnight of battle, and Singapore was renamed Syonan-to, meaning “Light of the South.’’

From family accounts, it is understood that Dr. Sarban Singh was commandeered by the Japanese forces together with 44 other Australian and Singapore civilian doctors and served as a medical officer in Thailand on the infamous Siam-Burma Railway that was being built in June  1942 by civilian labourers and Japanese prisoners of war to supply troops and weapons in the Burma campaign of World War II. This railway project was completed in October 1943.

It is not exactly known in which year Dr. Sarban Singh returned to Singapore and set up his own medical practice, City Dispensary, at 245 Serangoon Road, which may also have served as his residence.

He was an active member of the Singapore Sikh community during his altogether short life and was Treasurer of the Singapore Khalsa Association (SKA) at the time of his death. On 27 January  1949, he was the umpire at a hockey match held at Farrer Park between the SKA and Shell Sports  Club.¹ Ten days later on 6 February 1949, he was a member of Hardial Singh’s XI cricket team (together with Wazir Singh Wasan, founder member of the SKA and its first Secretary) that played a friendly match against  Sardul Singh’s XI whose members included the late Justice Choor Singh (also a founder member of  SKA, and later its Patron), Master Tharam Singh, Inspector Gurdial Singh (later Assistant Commissioner of the Singapore Police Force), and Sudager Singh.

Two weeks later , the Indian Daily Mail ² reported the sudden death of Dr. Sarban Singh at 8pm on Sunday 20 February 1949 at the Civil General Hospital in Singapore. At the time of his untimely passing, he was believed to be the only Sikh private medical practitioner in Singapore.³  The newspaper did not report on the cause of his sudden death, leaving behind his wife and infant son.⁴ The cortege left the City Dispensary at 245 Serangoon Road at 10.30am on 22 February 1949 and Dr. Sarban Singh was cremated  at the Bidadari Cemetery.  His brother Mr. Sudager Singh lit the funeral pyre. His ashes were cast   into the sea off Clifford Pier the following day.⁵

The Sikh community and members of the SKA commenced the reading of the Guru Granth Sahib at 9am on Friday 25 February 1949 at the Central Sikh Temple in Queen Street. Prayers were concluded at 9am on Sunday 27 February 1949.  Sardar Balwant Singh, member of the Legislative Council of Singapore and erstwhile President of the SKA spoke of the grievous loss the Sikh community had suffered by Dr. Sarban Singh’s untimely death. Tributes were paid to the late Dr. Sarban Singh in verse, song, and prayer at this condolences meeting. Ram Singh Gulzar read a poem.  Bibi Rattan Kaur (late mother of Adelaide GP Dr. Bhagwant Singh spoke on behalf of the women’s section). Giani Nihal Singh gave an account of Dr. Sarban Singh’s short life. Master Bhag Singh’s party sang three songs specially composed for the prayer meeting, and Sardar Balwant Singh repeated the Holy Resolution.⁶ Two years later, a memorial service was held at the Central Sikh Temple on the second anniversary of the death of Dr. Sarban Singh.⁷

Dr. Sarban Singh’s son, Surinder Johl, was only two years of age when his father passed away. He is a retired psychiatrist, now living in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia. His mother passed away in 2004 at the age of 78.

Dr. Naranjan Singh was another well-known 1947 graduate of the King Edward VII Medical College. Upon graduation, he worked for a short time in the Singapore Prisons Service before leaving to set his own private practice, Lall Dispensary, at 119 Serangoon Road on the opposite side of the road from the City Dispensary. He and Dr. Sarban Singh were very close friends.

Although, Drs. Sarban Singh and Naranjan Singh were originally from Malaya, they struck roots and adopted Singapore as their home. They were both dedicated doctors, their clinics were always full of patients,  a large number of whom were from the Sikh community. They gave free service to the poor and needy. Dr Naranjan Singh also served as President of SKA in 1963.He passed away in August 1994.⁸

Following these two medical doctor trailblazers, Dr. Mukhtiar Singh Sidhu was the first Singapore-born Sikh  medical graduate in 1963, followed two years later by Dr. Kuldip Singh Wasan.  The number of Sikh medical graduates practising in Singapore today could well be to close to 100 if not possibly more so.

This has been a story worth telling of  Dr. Sarban Singh’s promising life so tragically cut short!

References

1. Straits Times, 27 January 1949, p.11
2. Indian Daily Mail, 25 February 1949, p.4
3. Straits Times, 21 February 1949,
4. Straits Times, 24 February 1949
5. Straits Times, 23 February 1949, p.5
6. Straits Budget, 3 March 1949, p.15
7. Straits Times, 21 February 1950. p.5
8. Sidhu, R.S. (2017). (Ed.) Singapore’s early Sikh pioneers; Origins, settlement, contributions, and institutions. Central Sikh Gurdwara Board. p.126

Rishpal Singh Sidhu is a semi-retired casual academic at the School of Information and Communication Studies, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, Australia. He has a passion for research, writing, and teaching and is the compiler and editor of the book, Singapore’s early Sikh pioneers; Origins, settlement, contributions, and institutions, published by the Central Sikh Gurdwara Board  in Singapore in 2017. He is currently based in Sydney, Australia. He can be reached at rishpal.sidhu@gmail.com

* This is the opinion of the writer, organisation or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Asia Samachar.

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