Sukhraj Singh Dhillon (middle) at the Singapore Masters Open Track and Field Championship 2018
By Avtar Singh | SINGAPORE
Sukhraj Singh Dhillon from Penang won bronze for the 3000m race walk at the 39th Singapore Masters Open Track and Field Championship 2018.
Sukhraj took part in the 45-49 age category in the event on 5 May 2018 held at the Kallang Practice Track Singapore, also known as ‘Home of Athletics Singapore’.
There were about a total of 400 participants from 12 countries: India, Sri Lanka, Mongolia, Malaysia, Indonesia, France, Japan, Poland, Switzerland, USA, UK and Singapore.
The 49-year old Sukhraj has in the past also taken part in the Sabah Masters and Malaysian Masters 2017 in Sarawak, where he clinched a gold and a bronze, respectively.
Sukhraj has participated in various road runs and race-walking for the past 35 years and has always been in top 5 to top 10.
The son of a prisons superintendent he always followed a strict and disciplined training regime with the Prisons Department athletes in Malacca.
Over the years, he had an opportunity to train under national record holders like R. Subramaniam. In his younger days, he has had the chance to watch the SEA Games and the Commonwealth Games as his uncle, S. S. Dhillon, was a former Singapore Olympic Council Secretary General and this led him into athletics.
In September, he will be competing in the first ever Asia Pacific Masters Games which to be held in Penang. Sukhraj still follows his strict training plan and aspires to win in the upcoming events.
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE. Follow us on Twitter. Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
[Fastest way to reach Asia Samachar: Facebook message or WhatsApp +6017-335-1399. Our email: editor@asiasamachar.com. For obituary announcements, click here]
Praneet Singh Arora with trophy. – Photo: Spelling Bee of Canada
Surrey teen Praneet Singh Arora emerged won the Spelling Bee of Canada National Championship when he spelt correctly Ostracod (a tiny crustacean) and Disreputable (not respectable in appearance or character).
The 13-year old emerged champ for the intermediate category for children ages 12 to 14 at the competition held in Toronto on May 6.
“He’s been participating for the last two or three years,” his dad Jagjot Singh Arora, told the Now-Leader newspaper. “He’s good at memorizing things. He participated last year, he was first in B.C., and then went to Ottawa and came in third in Canada, and this year he was first in B.C. and so he qualified for the nationals, and he was first there also.”
His dad, Jagjot Singh told The Voice that Praneet, who came to Canada in 2011, was the Under-7 State Chess Champion of the state of Punjab in India and has always excelled in academics. The first time that he participated in the Spelling Bee of Canada was in Grade 5 when he stood third in B.C. Then, last year he stood first in B.C. and third in the nationals held in Toronto.
Again, in 2018, he topped in B.C. and was selected to represent B.C. in the nationals held in Toronto on May 6. It was a tough competition, but he ended up bagging the trophy, the report added.
Praneet who likes reading, performing magic tricks and travelling aspires to be an archaeologist.
His dad, mom Ramneek Kaur and younger sister Maahi, 6, a student of Grade 1 in Khalsa Primary School, Newton Branch, were thrilled at his victory, the report added.
Spelling Bee of Canada (SBOC) is an educational organisation that encourages youth, parents, teachers and the community at large to participate in the education process and celebrate academic achievement, according to its website.
How does one start? In the FAQ at its website, this is what they say: “Before your child starts intensive study, create a foundation by you and your child getting to know the words in your child’s section. Read the words together; go over the pronunciation with your child, then read the meaning and example sentence. Make sure the words are being pronounced correctly. Your cell phone or tablet or computer is a valuable tool for checking pronunciation; google the Oxford dictionary, type in the word and press the voice symbol to hear the word orally. Try using the words in your everyday conversation. Have fun making up sentences with your child using the words.”
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE. Follow us on Twitter. Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
[Fastest way to reach Asia Samachar: Facebook message or WhatsApp +6017-335-1399. Our email: editor@asiasamachar.com. For obituary announcements, click here]
The two Singhs at the opposite ends of the on-going searches at the premises connected to former Prime Minister Mohd Najib Razak just days after the ruling coalition lost power has not escaped the attention of the people.
The social media is abuzz with situation on the ground involving Malaysian senior officer Amar Singh and lawyer Harpal Singh Grewal.
One Singh is leading the search party while another Singh is providing legal cover for Najib and his family.
Federal Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) director Commissioner Amar personally led the raids at Pavilion Residences in Kuala Lumpur in what is part of the investigations into the Malaysia’s state-owned investment fund 1MDB.
Early on Friday, he gave an impromptu press conference just before the police carted aways boxes after boxes.
Lawyer Harpal has been seen going in and out of Najib’s personal residence. He spoke to the media on a few occasions.
Coincidently, his son Ivanpal Singh Grewal had quit all his positions in Gerakan, a member of the Najib led coalition of Barisan NAsional (BN), after its disastrous performance in the General Elections 2018 held on May 9. He was the political secretary to the Minister Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Mah Siew Keong, who is also the Gerakan president.
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE. Follow us on Twitter. Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
[Fastest way to reach Asia Samachar: Facebook message or WhatsApp +6017-335-1399. Our email: editor@asiasamachar.com. For obituary announcements, click here]
Gobind Singh Deo (left) and his dad Karpal Singh at an Pakatan Rakyat event in 2012 – Photo:
Gobind Singh Deo, a third term parliamentarian and son of the late legendary politician and lawyer Karpal Singh, makes history as the first Sikh to become a Malaysian minister.
The 45-year old politician was today named as the Minister of Communications and Multimedia by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
He also becomes one of the two politician of Indian descend in the soon-to-be formed Cabinet of the Pakatan Harapan (PH), the coalition that dethroned Barisan Nasional (BN) that had ruled Malaysia continuously since its independence since 1957.
The other Indian in the Cabinet is Human Resource Minister M Kulasegaran, also coming from the Democratic Action Party (DAP), the party which was once chaired by Karpal who died in a car accident in 2014.
The ministers will be sworn in on Monday (21 May 2018).
Gobind was admitted to the Malaysian Bar in 1996, a year after returning from Lincoln’s Inn. In 2008, he was elected to Parliament after defeating the Barisan Nasional incumbent Lau Yeng Peng in Puchong in a general election that saw the Opposition parties capture the states of Penang and Selangor. His constituency Puchong sits in the state of Selangor.
He is also the national legal bureau secretary of the DAP.
His eldest brother, Jagdeep Singh Deo, won a state assembly seat in Penang while another brother Ramkarpal Singh won the Bukit Gelugor parliament seat.
Sikhs in the diaspora have made their mark in politics. In 2015, four Sikhs were made Cabinet minister after Justin Trudeau’s party won the Canadian general elections, including Harjit Singh Sajjan as the defence minister. The others were Navdeep Singh Bains as Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, Amarjeet Singh Sohi as Minister for Infrastructure and first-time MP Bardish Kaur Jhagger as Minister for Small Business and Tourism.
In October 2017, Jagmeet Singh created another history for Sikhs in the diaspora when he won the leadership of the New Democratic Party (NDP), the third largest political party in Canada.
The list of Cabinet members are as follows:
1. Prime Minister – Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (Pribumi – Langkawi)
2. Deputy Prime Minister – Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (PKR – Pandan), who is also Minister of Women and Family Development.
3. Home Minister – Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (Pribumi – Pagoh)
4. Education Minister – Dr Maszlee Malik (Pribumi – Simpang Renggam)
5. Minister of Rural Development – Rina Harun (Pribumi – Titiwangsa)
6. Minister of Economic Affairs – Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali (PKR – Gombak)
7. Minister of Housing and Local Government – Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin (PKR – Ampang)
8. Minister of Finance – Lim Guan Eng (DAP-Bagan)
9. Minister of Transport – Anthony Loke Siew Fook (DAP-Seremban)
10. Minister of Communications and Multimedia – Gobind Singh Deo (DAP-Puchong)
11. Human Resource Minister – M. Kulasegaran (DAP-Ipoh Barat)
12. Defence Minister – Mohamad Sabu (Amanah – Kota Raja)
13. Minister of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry – Salahuddin Ayub (Amanah – Pulai)
14. Health Minister – Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (Amanah – Kuala Selangor)
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: editor@asiasamachar.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here |
I left Malaysia almost 40 years ago to cari makan (earn a living) overseas for one of perhaps many other reasons.
I had top marks in Bahasa Kebangsaan, the then name for the Malay Language, in the mock Cambridge level exams in the premier school in Malaysia, V.I. Then for some strange reason (not very strange really) I ‘failed’ my Cambridge level Bahasa Kebangsaan within 4 distinctions and five credits! The Bahasa paper was the only paper marked locally. For me it was a sign to go elsewhere.
In almost 40 years I have returned for the teh tarik and nasi lemak, in the first years about once in three years but of late almost twice a year. For 40 years I have only heard my Malaysian friends complain about things getting bad to worse except for those of course who had lucrative Government contracts, or in well earning jobs. Even they are always making arrangements to get their children out.
In one stroke the mood has changed. At this stage Malaysia has been responsible for one of the major political miracles on this planet. A bloodless, democratic coup by the public, against amazing odds of vote rigging and gerrymandering besides every other trick in the book orchestrated by the ruling party of 60 odd years. And virtually master minded by a 93 year old former dictatorial Prime Minister who now genuinely appears to want to rectify what he himself had done wrong that many years ago. After all, he is 93 and probably wants to be at peace with himself before he meets his maker. And bless him for that.
I came back two days ago just to soak in this mood of Chardhi Kala (exalted spirit) within all except those of course who are about to lose their ruling party granted mainly ill-gained privileges. I am sure many are having sleepless nights!
I am now reclaiming my Malaysian heritage and like to officially float the term NRM. Just as NRI stands for Non-Residential Indian, similarly NRM stands for Non Residential Malaysian. I claim Number One spot!
For those interested, I have the honour of doing kirtan hajri at the new Gurdwara Sahib Subang, Selangor, on Sunday (20 May 2018) at about 10.30am. Please come and enjoy the euphoria with me and my kirtan colleagues.
Malaysian-born Dya Singh, who now resides in Australia, is an accomplished musician and a roving Sikh preacher. The Dya Singh World Music Group performs full scale concerts on ‘music for the soul’ based on North Indian classical and semi-classical styles of music with hymns from mainly the Sikh, Hindu and Sufi ‘faiths’.
* This is the opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of Asia Samachar.
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE. Follow us on Twitter. Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
[Fastest way to reach Asia Samachar: Facebook message or WhatsApp +6017-335-1399. Our email: editor@asiasamachar.com. For obituary announcements, click here]
AKHAND PATH: Akhand Path starts on 18 May (Friday) at 6pm till 20 May (Sunday) 6pm followed by Kirtan and Guru ka Langgar at Gurdwara Sahib Menglembu, Ipoh |Malaysia
Ranjit Singh (1938-2018), Menglembu
RANJIT SINGH A.M.N. S/O CHET SINGH
Ex president of Gurdwara Sahib Menglembu Ipoh
Village: Thakthu Chaak Taran Taran, Amritsar
Born: 23 February 1938
Departed: 11 May 2018
Wife: Pritam Kaur d/o Ajaib Singh
Children / Spouses:
1. Inderpal Kaur / Retired ASP Ranjit Singh
2. Late Dalip Kaur / Late Gurdial Singh
3. Late Satpal Singh / Daljeet Kaur
4. Harbans Singh / Harphajan Kaur
5. Hardip Singh / Sanjeet Kaur
Grandchildren:
1.Harpreet Kaur
2. Baldev Singh
3. Amandev Singh
4. Parveen Kaur
5. Jasweet Kaur
6. Narinjit Singh
7. Shareen Kaur
8. Nishpal Singh
9. Navinpal Kaur
10. Jaspal Singh
11. Prabhjotpal Singh
12. Jasmeer Singh
13. Rashmeer Kaur
14. Karan Singh
15. Mansimar Kaur
16. Aasees Kaur
Akhand Path: Akhand Phat starts on 18 May (Friday) at 6pm till 20 May (Sunday) 6pm followed by Kirtan and Guru ka Langgar at Gurdwara Sahib Menglembu, Ipoh
Contact: 012 9231845 Hardip Singh
| Entry: 18 May 2018 | Source: Family
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE. Follow us on Twitter. Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
[The fastest way to reach Asia Samachar is by sending us a Facebook message or Whatsapp message to +6017-3351399. For obituary announcements, click here]
1ST BARSI: Sukhmani Sahib path, 2 June 2018 (Saturday), 1pm- 3pm, at Gurdwara Sahib Puchong |Malaysia
Rtd. PW2 (Army) Pal Singh (1940-2017), Sentul
PAL SINGH A/L MAGAR SINGH
Retired Warrant Officer 2, 1st Recee Regiment
Village: Moga
Born: 5 November 1940
Departed: 5 June 2017
Wife: Late Charan Kaur
Children & Spouses:
1. Late Sharanjit Kaur & Harin Singh
2. Kironjeet Kaur
3. Late Jasvinder Singh
Grandchildren:
1. Daveena Kaur
2. Emaan Singh
Prayers: 1st Barsi, Sukhmani Sahib path, 2 June 2018 (Saturday), 1.00 pm- 3.00 pm, at Gurdwara Sahib Puchong, Selangor.
Message from family: Dearly missed and forever cherished by beloved children, grandchildren, siblings and all relatives and friends.
Contact: Harin Singh – 016-229 8246
Please treat this as a personal invitation from the family.
| Entry: 17 May 2018 | Source: Family
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE. Follow us on Twitter. Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
[The fastest way to reach Asia Samachar is by sending us a Facebook message or Whatsapp message to +6017-3351399. For obituary announcements, click here]
Gobind SIngh Deo (5th from left) posing with some Kelab Aman members – Photo: Asia Samachar
Justice Harmindar Singh (left) with fellow club honorary members Rear Admiral (Rtd) K Thanabalasingam and Kol (Rtd) Manjit Singh – Photo: Asia Samachar
Kelab Aman president Baljit Singh Sidhu (right) showing Gobind Singh Deo (middle) and Justice Harmindar Singh (left) how the club card words – Photo: Asia Samachar
Rising Malaysian politician Gobind Singh Deo and Court of Appeal judge Harmindar Singh Dhaliwal were made honarary members of SSU Kelab Aman at a simle ceremony yesterday (16 May 2018).
The timing could not have been more apt for Gobind, a lawyer for more than two decades and member of parliament for a decade, as he was reelected as an MP for Puchong at the recently concluded 14th general elections held on 9 May 2018.
Not only that. The elections also saw the Democratic Action Party (DAP), of which he is the deputy secretary general, coming to power at the Federal level along side other three coalition members under the Pakatan Harapan banner.
But that was not the reason for the honorary membership from Kelab Aman based at Kuala Lumpur.
“This was decided before the elections,” Kelab Aman president Baljit Singh Sidhu told Asia Samachar.
Forty new members were also admitted to the club in the same ceremony.
Gobind is no stranger to politics. His father, the late Karpal Singh, was a respected lawyer and politician himself.
His eldest brother, Jagdeep Singh Deo, won a state assembly seat in Penang while another brother Ramkarpal Singh won the Bukit Gelugor parliament seat.
Harmindar, 58, was elevated to the Court of Appeal in March 2016.
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: editor@asiasamachar.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here |
SASKAAR: 1pm, 18 May 2018 (Friday), at Loke Yew Crematorium, Jalan Loke Yew, Kuala Lumpur |Malaysia
Suraj Prakash (1948-2018), Rawang
SURAJ PRAKASH A/L RAM SINGH GULZAR
Retired from POS Malaysia
Born: 16 November 1948
Departed: 16 May 2018
Wife: Kawaljit Kaur (Retired from TNB)
Children / Spouses:
Suresh Kumar Dhawan /Rajisvinder Kaur
Kamal Roop /Adrian Singh
Grandchildren: Aarya Kaur Dhawan and Kimberly Asha Kaur
Saskaar / Cremation: 1pm, 18 May 2018 (Friday), at Loke Yew Crematorium, Jalan Loke Yew, Kuala Lumpur
Cortège timing: Cortège leaves residence 2A2B, Jalan Templer, Suasana 2B, Taman Templer, Suanana Templer Park Resort, 48000, Rawang at 11.00am on 18 May 2018 (Friday)
Path da bhog: 27 May 2018 (Sunday), 9am-12pm, at Wadda Gurdwara Kampung Pandan, Kuala Lumpur
Contact:
Suresh 012-2876781
Rajis 012-3821534
| Entry: 16 May 2018 | Source: Family
[ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs in Southeast Asia and surrounding countries. We have a Facebook page, do give it a LIKE. Follow us on Twitter. Visit our website: www.asiasamachar.com]
[The fastest way to reach Asia Samachar is by sending us a Facebook message or Whatsapp message to +6017-3351399. For obituary announcements, click here]
Dr Mahathir swearing in by Malaysia’s constitutional monarch at the Istana Negara in May 2018 – Photo: Dr Mahathir Facebook page
By Dr Balwant Singh Bains | OPINION | MALAYSIA
He is back to break the Strong Castle he build years ago. He is back this time round to become the RIDER to demolish his Unshakable Walls that grew to segregate governance from public.
Hail this Hero who now made History to break his own Home of Power and return the original Malaysia to its colourful people with diverse ethnicity.
We can now breath a new air of Being Malaysians Again…
We can walk high again…
We can enjoy the glory of being proud Malaysians again….
Thanks to those who left their home’s comforts to roam the streets the last few days to fight the tyranny of “Cash is King” ….
…to save the country from being bought to dooms by outside forces…
…To save open corruption that was being instilled by brutal self centered leaders, into the blood of the public in large which was fast becoming an irreparable destruction of the coming generation of Malaysia…
Allas! We are saved! We are saved!
…from disparity, shame, dishonesty, destruction of dignity. We have saved our nation from the iron fist of the very few powerful beings who could live above law and do anything that could not be questioned ….
#GE14 surely is a historic moment in Malaysian history. What are your hopes? What are your fears? What’s on your mind? Have your say. Send us a Facebook message or Whatsapp +6017-3351399 or email: editor@asiasamachar.com
Tun and the Great Team, has given us hope and reinstated the much needed pride of our young vibrant generation. We can now breath Fresh Malaysia and henceforth be proud to be Truly Malaysians at Heart, Spirit and Body.
There is a dire need for us the citizens of Malaysia to change the way we had taken things in the past. We literally forgot who we were.
Let’s together give our hand to those whom we have given this mandate to Rule this Beautiful Nation by the following virtues:
1. Aptitude – Let’s re-learn the Culture of each and every ethnicities of our country.. Let’s Love each other. Remove hatred and respect each other’s need and practises. Let’s invite the BN supporters too, to joint hands to form exemplary living and improve each other. Let’s remove animosity, put aside bickering about one another. Practise neatness and cleanliness. Let us become knowledge based citizen of Malaysia who would command respect from the world.
2. Gratitude – Always Remain thankful. Respect the eldest. Greet with folded hands as our forefathers did. Bow at each other in humility. Be thankful to the customers, passengers, working and professional colleagues. Similarly the eldest also should always respect the youth. Let’s not get carried away with ornaments, titles and richness. Let’s all Just remain humble.
3. Passion – Take pride in what ever we do. There is no low class or upper class job. Be punctual, and let’s respect each other for our dedication in accomplishing the jobs or profession we are in. Let’s not be written off as Lazy Lot… Passion will drive and increace efficiency and productivity of our nation. Let automation replace labour so that we don’t need to import manpower. Let’s be neat, tidy and discipline public.
4. Compassion – Let’s care for each other’s welfare. Take other’s pain with utmost importance. Be kind to the elderly. Care for their needs. While the Government look into their health, let’s look into their daily needs. Love the young and feed those on road. While the Government look into education of it’s nation, we as citizen augment and compliment them with duty bound activities.
5. Greet – Let’s re-learn how to greet each other with folded hands. This, in actual fact, is the Culture of this region. Look at Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia, Muammar and India. They still maintain their cultural richness.
All this in return, will emit great blessings and we will grow this great motherland, for, in return it will bless us with peace, prosperity and a soulful place to live in.
Hail Our Hon’ PM Tun Dr. Mahathir
Hail YB Wan Azizah,
Hail YB Lim Kit Siang,
Hail YB DS Anwar Ibrahim,
Hail Late YB Karpal Singh
Hail YB Gobind Singh,
Hail Dato Ambiga.
Hail YB Lim Guan Eng
Hail YB DS Azmin Ali
Hail YB DS Muhyddin Yassin
Hail Late YB K. Patto
Hail YB Mat Sabu
Hail all those Personalities who stood behind them.
Dr Balwant Singh Bains runs Malaysia’s largest standalone physiotherapist centre and a physiotherapy college. He is a kirtan and Gurbani discourse enthusiast via Satsangi Malaysia.
* This is the opinion of the writer, organisation or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Asia Samachar.
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: editor@asiasamachar.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here |
Malaysian-born Dya Singh, who now resides in Australia, is an accomplished musician and a roving Sikh preacher. The 
