Manmohan bangga Pencapaian Etnik India Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR 25 Okt. - Perdana Menteri India, Manmohan Singh melahirkan rasa bangga dengan pencapaian serta sumbangan yang diberikan oleh kaum India di negara ini.

Perkara itu disampaikan pemimpin tersebut kepada Presiden Pergerakan Kebangsaan Sikh Malaysia (Geraksikh), Tan Sri Darshan Singh Gill ketika kedua-dua mereka mengadakan pertemuan di New Delhi, baru-baru ini.

Menurut Darshan, Manmohan tidak ketinggalan mengikuti perkembangan rakyat Malaysia berketurunan India di sini termasuk komuniti Sikh yang berjumlah 100,000 orang.

"Beliau turut menunjukkan minat tinggi terhadap perkara-perkara yang menyentuh tentang kemajuan Malaysia, khususnya berkaitan masyarakat India yang telah bermigrasi ke negara ini.

"Begitu juga kepada masyarakat Sikh yang bilangannya cukup kecil. Kami boleh diibaratkan seperti 'minoriti dalam minoriti.' Meskipun begitu, kami tetap setia dan akan bersama membantu kemajuan negara,'' katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian ketika dihubungi Utusan Malaysia sempena kunjungan rasmi Manmohan ke Kuala Lumpur, Rabu ini.

Dalam kunjungan itu nanti, Manmohan bersama Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak dijangka merasmikan projek 'Little India' di Brickfields.

Mengulas lanjut Darshan berkata, dalam pertemuan bersama Manmohan di India, beliau berpeluang menghadiahkan pemimpin itu sebuah buku berjudul 'Sikh Community in Malaysia'.

Buku setebal 270 muka surat dalam bahasa Inggeris itu merupakan tulisan beliau sendiri yang memperlihatkan kejayaan masyarakat Sikh di negara ini

Utusan Malaysia, 26/10/2010

Manmohan proud of Indians in Malaysia

Impressed: Darshan chatting with Manmohan at the prime minister’s office in New Delhi during his visit to India early this year. — Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is set to witness a progressive Indian diaspora in the country.

His launch of Little India in Brickfields, here, with his Malaysian counterpart Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is a recognition accorded to Malaysians of Indian origin.

Malaysia National Sikhs Movement (GerakSikh) president Tan Sri G. Darshan Singh, who earlier this year handed over to Manmo­han in New Delhi his book entitled Sikh Community of Malaysia, said the Indian Prime Minister was impressed with Malaysia and the Indians there.

He said Manmohan took great interest to find out about Sikhs and other Indians in Malaysia, and was pleased with Malaysia’s achievements and the Sikh community’s contribution to the country.

The Sikhs welcomed Manmohan’s visit as it was timely and meaningful, Darshan said, adding that it would help cement bonds between the two countries.

“The Sikhs here are proud that a member of their community is leading the world’s biggest democracy,” said Darshan, referring to Man­mohan whom the Time magazine listed as among the world’s 100 most influential people in 2010.

On the honour given to the Indian Prime Minister to launch Little India with Najib, Darshan said it acknowledged the contribution of the people from the Indian sub-continent who made Malaysia their home. — Bernama

Courtesy, The STAR, 25/10/2010

Sikhs in Malaysia eagerly await Singh's Visit

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's three-day visit from Tuesday is being eagerly awaited not only by Malaysian government but also its minority ethnic Indian community, especially the Sikhs who have applauded his contribution to India's fast-paced growth. The Sikh community is "very, very proud" that a Sikh has risen and become the Prime Minister of India, one of the biggest democracies of the world, a prominent Malaysian Sikh leader said referring to Singh's upcoming visit here.

"We, the Sikhs in Malaysia, are so proud that Manmohan Singh has turned India around at such a fast pace and put the country on the path of accelerated development," President of the Malaysia National Sikhs Movement, Darshan Singh Gill, a fifth generation Sikh in Malaysia whose great-great grandfather arrived in the then Malaya in 1880s,said.

Gill, who has been awarded the title 'Tan Sri' by the King of Malaysia, said he had met Manmohan Singh during his visit to Delhi earlier this year when he had presented him with a book on Sikh Community in Malaysia, compiled by him.

"Our 15 minutes meeting stretched to 30 minutes and most of the time we spoke in Punjabi," he recalled fondly.

At the national level in Malaysia, there are only five Sikhs who have been bestowed the award of Tan Sri, with Gill being one of them.

The Sikhs arrived in Malaysia over five phases, beginning from mid 19th century to 1990s, and the first Gurudwara was set up by Sikh policemen in Fort Cornwallis in Penang State in 1881.

Gill said it was interesting to note that the Sikh community in Malaysia had one time virtually monopolised the transport system before the introduction of lorry and train services. The Sikhs provided transport in the tin mining areas using bullock carts.

Ethnic Indians compose eight per cent of Malaysia's total population of 27 million people. Sikhs are only 0.001 per cent of the 27 million people.

A majority of ethnic Indians are Tamils from Tamil Nadu, whose ancestors were brought by the British to work in plantations as indentured labourers.

The Hindustan Times, 24/10/2010

Perdana Menteri India, Dr. Manmohan Singh Bangga dengan Masyarakat India di Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR: Perdana Menteri India, Manmohan Singh yang dijadual melakukan lawatan dua hari ke Malaysia bermula Selasa ini akan menyaksikan sebuah masyarakat India yang progresif di negara ini.

Semasa lawatan itu, Manmohan juga akan menyaksikan pengiktirafan yang diberikepada rakyat Malaysia keturunan India apabila beliau merasmikan 'Little India'di Brickfields bersama rakan sejawatan di Malaysia Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Manmohan tahu yang masyarakat India di Malaysia berkembang maju seiring dengan masyarakat lain, terima kasih kepada mereka seperti Tan Sri G.Darshan Singh yang membantu menonjolkan pencapaian serta sumbangan mereka dengan asal-usul dari benua kecil India di Malaysia.

Presiden Pergerakan Kebangsaan Sikh Malaysia (GERAKSIKH) itu yang pada tahunlepas secara peribadi menyampaikan buku nukilan beliau kepada Manmohan di NewDelhi bertajuk "Sikh Community of Malaysia" (Masyarakat Sikh di Malaysia) memberitahu Bernama bahawa perdana menteri itu kagum dengan Malaysia dan masyarakat Indianya.

"Beliau sangat berminat untuk mengetahui lanjut akan masyarakat Sikh dan masyarakat India yang lain di Malaysia dan sehinggakan bertanya mengenai Gurdwara masyarakat Sikh serta aktiviti kebudayaan mereka.

"Beliau kagum dengan pencapaian Malaysia serta sumbangan masyarakat Sikh kepada negara.

"Apabila saya memaklumkannya yang asal-usul saya juga dari India, iaitu Punjab seperti beliau tetapi kini rakyat Malaysia, beliau menunjukkan reaksi gembira," kata Darshan Singh yang menambah kata di sepanjang pertemuan selama 30 minit itu mereka bertutur dalam bahasa Inggeris dan bahasa ibunda mereka Punjabi.

Semasa pertemuan itu Darshan Singh, yang diiringi Setiausaha Agung GERAKSIKH Datuk Amarjit Singh, juga mendapati Manmohan yang lembut tutur katanya itu, juga berpengetahuan tinggi serta berwawasan.

"Kaum Sikh menyambut baik kedatangan Manmohan dan lawatan ini adalah tepatpada masa dan penuh bermakna. Ia akan membantu memeterai ikatan antara India danMalaysia serta rakyat kedua-dua negara.

"Masyarakat Sikh di sini bangga yang seorang daripada anggota masyarakat mereka menerajui demokrasi terbesar di dunia," kata Darshan Singh merujuk kepada Manmohan yang disenaraikan majalah TIME sebagai antara 100 orang paling berpengaruh di dunia pada 2010.

Mengenai penghormatan yang diberi kepada Manmohan untuk merasmikan 'Little India' bersama Najib, Darshan Singh berkata ia merupakan pengiktirafan sumbangan mereka dari benua kecil India ini yang kini merupakan rakyat Malaysia dan membuktikan lagi hakikat yang mereka kini sebahagian daripada keluarga besar Malaysia.

Ia juga mengiktiraf kuasa ekonomi yang terus meningkat dalam kalangan masyarakat India di sini dan peluang yang luas terbuka bagi mereka yang sanggup berusaha gigih. - BERNAMA

Indian PM proud of Indians in Malaysia

By Ravichandran D. J. Paul

KUALA LUMPUR, Saturday 23 October 2010 (Bernama) -- Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, scheduled to make a two-day visit to Malaysia beginning Tuesday, is set to witness a progressive Indian diaspora in the country.

During the visit, he will witness the recognition accorded to Malaysians of Indian origin when he launches `Little India' in Brickfields, with his Malaysian counterpart, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Malaysia National Sikhs Movement (GerakSikh) president Tan Sri G. Darshan Singh, who last year handed over to Manmohan in New Delhi, his book entitled 'Sikh Community of Malaysia', said the Indian prime minister was impressed with Malaysia and the Indians there.

He told Bernama in an interview that Manmohan took great interest to find out about Sikhs and other Indians in Malaysia, was pleased with Malaysia's achievements and the Sikh community's contribution to the country.

The Sikhs welcomed Manmohan's visit as it was timely and meaningful, he said, adding that it would help cement the bond between the two countries.

"The Sikhs here are proud that a member of their community is leading the world's biggest democracy," said Darshan, referring to Manmohan whom the TIME magazine listed as among the world's 100 most influential people in 2010.

On the honour given to the Indian prime minister to launch `Little India' with Najib, Darshan said it acknowledged the contribution of the people from the Indian sub-continent who made Malaysia their home.