Sikhism in Malaysia

Last updated
Sikhism in Malaysia
Khanda (Sikh Symbol).svg
Sikh infantry during the Battle of Kampar, taken between 1941-1942.jpg
Sikh soldiers of the Indian Infantry Division during World War II involved in a fierce battle with the Imperial Japanese Army in the Battle of Kampar, British Malaya (1941)
Total population
100,000
0.3% of the total Malaysian population (2021)
Regions with significant populations
Kuala Lumpur
Religions
Sikhism
Languages
Punjabi  · Malay

Malaysian Sikhs are known to be the fourth largest Malaysian Indian ethnic group. It is estimated that there are around 100,000 Sikhs in Malaysia. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

Contents

Early Sikh pioneers

Sikhs were initially sent to British Malaya as political prisoners. The first few Sikhs to set foot in Malaya were Nihal Singh (better known as Bhai Maharaj Singh) and Khurruck Singh, [7] who were deported from India due to anti-British involvement in 1849. These prisoners were sent to the Outram Road prison in what is now Singapore. In 1865, Sikhs were sent to Malaysia again as recruits in the armed forces in the British Empire mainly as police, military and guards.[ citation needed ]

Sikh community and migration

Photograph of Gurdwara Sahib Sikh Police, Fort Cornwallis, Penang, Malaysia, taken on 28 December 1927 Photograph of Gurdwara Sahib Sikh Police, Fort Cornwallis, Penang, Malaysia, taken on 28 December 1927.jpg
Photograph of Gurdwara Sahib Sikh Police, Fort Cornwallis, Penang, Malaysia, taken on 28 December 1927

Regular Sikh migration to Malaya (Malaysia) started here in 1873. The Sikh community is the largest here among Southeast and East Asia. The earliest Sikhs settlers were Policemen. The first Sikh Gurdwara was set up in Cornwallis in 1873 inside police Lines. The first public Sikh Gurdwara was set up in 1903 in Penang. Sikhs occupied top positions in Military and Police during the British rule of Malaysia. There are as many as 15 Sikh Gurdwaras in Kuala Lumpur alone more than the number of mosques there, despite Muslims being the dominant demographic in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysian Sikhs are deep-rooted in Sikh culture more than Sikh diaspora anywhere in the world and are assimilated in mainstream keeping their identity intact. [8] A group of Sikh businessmen in Malaysia has set up a network of International Sikh Entrepreneurs (NISE) to promote their products and services and generate opportunities among members.

List of Malaysian Sikhs

Gurdwaras in Malaysia

There are a total of 119 gurdwaras throughout Malaysia. 42 of them are situated in the state of Perak, where the majority of Sikhs in Malaysia resides.

Controversy

In 2016, a teaching module published by a leading Malaysian university (Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, UTM) depicted Hindus in India as unclean and dirty in a slide. Another slide aimed at teaching the origins of Sikhism claimed that founder Guru Nanak had a poor understanding of Islam and had combined it with his surrounding Hindu lifestyle in forming the early foundation of the Sikh faith. A police report was lodged by the chairman of the Hindu Dharma Association of Malaysia in Sungai Petani district against UTM. [11] [12] Malaysia's Minister of Health, Deputy Minister of Education and others had condemned this incident. Due to these condemnations, UTM was forced to apologize. [13]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1963 in Malaysia</span> List of events

This article lists important figures and events in Malayan and Malaysian public affairs during the year 1963, together with births and deaths of significant Malaysians. The Federation of Malaya merged with Singapore, North Borneo, and Sarawak to form the Federation of Malaysia on 16 September.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1973 in Malaysia</span> List of events

This article lists important figures and events in Malaysian public affairs during the year 1973, together with births and deaths of notable Malaysians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourism in Malaysia</span> Overview of tourism in Malaysia

Tourism in Malaysia is a major industry and contributor to the Malaysian economy. Malaysia was once ranked 9th in the world for tourist arrivals. The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report 2017 ranks Malaysia 25th out of 141 countries overall.

The 2011 season was the 33rd season in Kuala Lumpur's existence, and their second consecutive year in the top flight of Malaysian football.

The 2011 Malaysia FA Cup, also known as the Astro Piala FA due to the competition's sponsorship by Astro Arena, was the 22nd season of the Malaysia FA Cup, a knockout competition for Malaysia's state football association and clubs.

The 2012 Liga Super also known as the Astro Liga Super for sponsorship reasons is the ninth season of the Liga Super, the top-tier professional football league in Malaysia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Malaysia FA Cup</span> Football tournament season

The 2013 Malaysia FA Cup, also known as the Astro Piala FA due to the competition's sponsorship by Astro Arena, was the 24th season of the Malaysia FA Cup, a knockout competition for Malaysia's state football association and clubs.

Liga Semi-Pro was a semi-pro football league in Malaysia that operated from 1989 until 1993. The league was managed by Football Association of Malaysia. It consist of two divisions, the Liga Semi-Pro Divisyen 1 and Liga Semi-Pro Divisyen 2. Liga Semi-Pro was official established in 1989 as a semi-pro league competition for football team in Malaysia to qualify for Piala Malaysia.

Liga Perdana 1 or Liga Perdana Satu was the nation's top-tier professional football league in Malaysia that operated from 1998 to 2003.

The 2015 Piala Belia was the fifth season of the Piala Belia since its establishment in 2008. The league involve the youth level (Under-19) football player of Malaysian football. Selangor became the champions of the 2015 Piala Belia.

The 2016 Malaysia FA Cup was the 27th season of the Malaysia FA Cup, a knockout competition for Malaysia's state football association and clubs. It was sponsored by Kopi Superbest Power, and was known as the Superbest Power Piala FA due to sponsorship purposes. LionsXII were the defending champions after beating Kelantan 3–1 in the previous season, but did not compete in this edition.

Liga Perdana was the top-tier football league in Malaysia that operated from 1994 to 1997. The league was formed and established in 1994 to succeed the Liga Semi-Pro and became the Malaysian fully professional football league. At this time the league was interchangeably referred as Malaysian League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piala Tun Sharifah Rodziah</span> Football league

Piala Tun Sharifah Rodziah is a women's football tournament in Malaysia. It was established in 1976 as a women's football competition competed by the teams around Malaysia. The competition is managed by the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM).

Liga Malaysia was an amateur football league in Malaysia that operated from 1982 until 1988. The league was managed by the Football Association of Malaysia. The Malaysian League was established in 1982 after the introduction of a league trophy for the winner of the league stage qualification round for the Malaysia Cup, with the format first introduced in 1979 where the top eight teams qualified from the league to compete in the knockout stages of the Malaysia Cup.

The 2017 Malaysia FA Cup was the 28th season of the Malaysia FA Cup a knockout competition for Malaysia's state football association and clubs. The final was played between Pahang and Kedah at the Shah Alam Stadium in Shah Alam, Selangor. Kedah beat Pahang 2–3 to win the cup for the fourth time.

Liga Semi-Pro Divisyen 1 was the top-tier semi-pro football league in Malaysia that operated from 1989 until 1993. The league was managed by Football Association of Malaysia. Liga Semi-Pro was official established in 1989 as a semi-pro league competition for football team in Malaysia to qualify for Piala Malaysia.

References

  1. ↑ "Homepage". Malaysian Sikh Union. The population of the Sikhs has grown from 30,000 in 1930 to 130,000 in 2011.
  2. ↑ "Gobind Singh Deo is Malaysia's first Sikh minister". The Economic Times. Malaysia has nearly 100,000 Sikh population.
  3. ↑ "Malaysia gets first Sikh minister". WION. Miri Indian Association president, Councillor Karambir Singh was quoted as saying by the Borneo Post. Malaysia has nearly 100,000 Sikh population
  4. ↑ "On the Gurdwara Trail in Malaysia: A Spiritual Experience". SikhNet. The Malaysian Sikh community is the fourth largest ethnic group of Malaysian Indians. It is estimated that over 100,000 Sikhs reside in Malaysia. The Sikh population is the largest here among Southeast and East Asia.
  5. ↑ "Indian-origin appointed as first Sikh Minister in Malaysia". Connected to India. The whole Sikh community is happy over the appointment of Deo as a Minister in the Malaysia's Cabinet. There are about 100,000 Sikhs in Malaysia occupying significant positions in the country.
  6. ↑ "Vaisakhi festivities showcase Sikh community's vibrancy". MalayMail. "We are small in Malaysia — there are 100,000 of us — but you see us everywhere," said Daljit....Daljit estimated between 100,000 to 120,000 travelled from north Indian region Punjab, where Sikhism originated, as well as Delhi and Mumbai.
  7. ↑ ਸਿੰਘ, Harinder Singh | ਹਰਿੰਦਰ; ਸਿੰਘ, Harinder Singh | ਹਰਿੰਦਰ. "Bhai Maharaj Singh: Freedom Fighter for Panjab". Sikh Research Institute. Retrieved 2019-07-03.
  8. ↑ Kahlon, Swarn Singh (2016). Virk, Dr. Hardev Singh (ed.). Sikhs in Asia Pacific's: Travels among the Sikh Diaspora from Yangon to Kobe. New Delhi: Manohar Publisher, New Delhi.
  9. ↑ "Gurdwara Sahib Labuan". PulauLabuan.com. 6 March 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  10. ↑ "Gurudwara Sahib Bau, Sarawak". All About Sikhs. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  11. ↑ "Malaysia varsity's module depicts Hindus in India as unclean, sparks row". 14 June 2016.
  12. ↑ "Deputy minister intervenes over UTM slides on 'dirty' Hindus | Malay Mail".
  13. ↑ "Malaysian University Publishes a Paper Calling Hindus in India 'Unclean' Forced to Apologise!". 2 July 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.