Tan Sri Darshan: Segerakan Siasatan

KUALA LUMPUR 18 Jan - Kerajaan diminta menyegerakan siasatan terhadap kes seorang pelatih Program Latihan Khidmat Negara (PLKN) berketutunan Sikh di Pulau Pinang yang mendakwa rambutnya dipotong kelmarin.

Presiden, Pergerakan Kebangsaan Sikh Malaysia (GERAKSIKH), Tan Sri G. Darshan Singh berkata, perkara itu perlu bagi menjaga keharmonian kaum serta mengekalkan keyakinan masyarakat berkenan terhadap PLKN

Menurutnya yang juga seorang Peguam, bagi Masyarakat Sikh perbuatan menyimpan rambut merupakan salah satu daripada lima perkara yang wajib dilakukan seperti larngan memakan daging babi bagi umat Islam.

"PLKN tidak seharunya dijejaskan dengan insiden seumpama ini kerana program itu amat baik bagi golongan belia mempelajari nilai nilai moral dan membina kekutan fizikal dan mental.

:Justeru saya meminta lebih 100,000 masyarakat Sikh di negara ini bertenang dan menyerahkan siasatan kes berkenan kepada pihak berkuasa tanpa menimbulkan sebarang insiden yang tidak diingini," katanya

Utusan, 19/1/2011

NTV7 News Clip (18/1/2011) on Sikh boy's Hair Cut in NS Camp

Courtesy: SNSMMediaCrew

Utusan: Kecewa rambut anak digunting

IPOH 18 Jan. – Seorang bapa kepada pelatih Program Latihan Khidmat Negara (PLKN) berketurunan Sikh kecewa selepas rambut anak sulungnya dipotong sewaktu dia tidur di Kem Seri Impian Sungai Bakap, Pulau Pinang pada Ahad lalu.

Surinderpal Singh, 46, memohon supaya pihak berkuasa menyiasat perkara tersebut kerana ia didakwa menyalahi undang-undang kebebasan beragama meskipun ia dipercayai angkara perbuatan nakal.

Anaknya, Basant Singh, 18, bekas pelajar Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) St. Michael di sini mendakwa rambutnya dipotong sepanjang kira-kira 50 hingga 60 sentimeter selepas bangun daripada tidur pada pukul 6.30 pagi di Dorm 5 kem berkenaan.

Malah, anaknya yang juga bekas Presiden Persatuan Sikh di sekolah lamanya itu tidak lagi berhasrat untuk meneruskan program tersebut meskipun diberi tempoh seminggu oleh komandan kem untuk bercuti sehingga 23 Januari ini.

“Rambut adalah simbol utama dalam kepercayaan Sikh dan ia adalah pemberian tuhan yang dihadiahkan oleh nabi kami.

“Saya mempercayai PLKN sebelum ini, malah anak saya sememangnya bersungguh-sungguh mahu untuk menyertai program tersebut. Namun, setelah kejadian ini, dia menjadi takut dan tidak mahu lagi kembali ke sana,” katanya .

Dia berkata demikian pada sidang akhbar yang turut dihadiri isterinya, Swaran Kaur serta sebahagian besar penganut Sikh di sini hari ini.

Dalam pada itu, Basant yang mendaftar program tersebut pada 4 Januari lalu berkata, kem berkenaan buat pertama kalinya mengambil pelatih dari Ipoh untuk tahun ini.

Dia berkata, 10 lagi peserta kem tersebut yang berkongsi bilik dengannya terdiri daripada enam pelatih Melayu, tiga Cina dan seorang India.

“Sebelum tidur, saya telah melonggarkan serban kepala. Saya terkejut apabila rambut saya dipotong dan terus menghubungi ayah. Laporan polis dibuat pada hari sama saya dibawa pulang ke Ipoh.

“Namun saya tidak mengesyaki ia perbuatan rakan-rakan sebilik kerana mereka turut bersimpati dengan kejadian tersebut,” katanya.

Sementara itu, Swaran berkata, dia tidak menyalahkan mana-mana pihak tetapi begitu sedih kerana sebelum ini, anaknya begitu gembira mengikuti program tersebut sehingga insiden tersebut berlaku.

“Saya menyimpan rambut anak saya sejak lahir sehingga ia berusia 18 tahun ketika ini. Saya tidak dapat menerima perkara ini,” katanya sambil menitiskan air mata.

Sementara itu, Komandan Kem Sri Impian Sungai Bakap, Mejar Shamsudin Abdul Aziz ketika dihubungi Utusan Malaysia berkata, kes tersebut kini telah diserahkan untuk siasatan pihak polis.

Menurut beliau, selepas kejadian tersebut, satu pemeriksaan mengejut telah dijalankan terhadap semua pelatih tetapi pihaknya tidak menemui sebarang alatan seperti gunting yang sememangnya dilarang untuk dibawa masuk ke kem tersebut.

Malah katanya, pihak Jabatan Latihan Khidmat Negara tidak pernah sesekali mengeluarkan arahan supaya pelatih berketurunan Sikh dipotong rambutnya.

Beliau turut berkata, bagi memastikan keselamatan pelatih, terdapat pengawal yang ditugaskan melakukan rondaan selama 24 jam selain enam jurulatih yang bertugas pada setiap hari.

“Di kem ini, terdapat dua lagi pelatih berketurunan Sikh dan daripada kesemua 306 pelatih yang ada di sini, 305 daripadanya tidak pernah mengadu apa-apa.

“Saya tidak mahu menuduh sesiapa kerana kita tidak mempunyai sebarang bukti,” katanya

By Kairul Abidin Nua, Utusan 19/1/2011

NST: Sikh teen claims hair was cut in Camp

IPOH: An 18-year-old Sikh youth's start to National Service at the Kem Sri Impian in Sungai Bakap, Kedah, got off on the wrong foot after some pranksters cut his hair, which he had grown since birth.
Basant Singh woke up on Sunday morning to find his hair shorter by 60cm, believed to have been snipped off while he was asleep.

In his police report, Basant said that incident happened between 3am and 6.30am.

"I called my father and relayed the incident to him. He came to the camp and we met the camp commandant and related the incident to him.

"He gave my father permission to take me home for a week but told me to report back to the camp on Jan 23," he said when met at his residence at the Wadda Gurdwara Sahib here yesterday. His parents Surinderpal Singh and Swaran Kaur, both 46, were also present.

Basant, however, was adamant he would not return to the NS camp in Sungai Bakap.

"I am angry and hurt. I've never shaven my hair since birth but some cowards thought they could have fun at my expense.

"I had been looking forward to the National Service stint and was excited when I boarded the bus. But now, I don't want to set foot into the camp as I don't feel safe there."

(Adherents of the Sikh faith, both men and women, are required to keep their head, bodily and facial hair unshaven until their death.)

"This incident leaves a bad taste and I want the authorities to investigate and take action against those who transgressed my son's religious rights," said Surinderpal.

"My family and I are not pointing fingers at anyone but I plead to all Malaysians to ensure that religious rights are respected and that we can live in harmony. That is my wish for this country and my family," said Swaran.

Chairman of the Union of Perak Sikh Organisations Dheer Singh urged all quarters not to politicise or turn the matter into a racial issue.

"I understand the hurt felt by the Sikh community and I believe that other communities share our feelings but this is not the time to champion the community's problems by issuing fiery or provoking statements.


In Putrajaya, National Service Training Department director-general Datuk Abdul Hadi Awang Kechil said preliminary investigations found no evidence that Basant's hair had been cut as claimed.

This included the absence of hair around Basant's bed as well as knives of scissors in the dorm.

Nevertheless, the department would conduct a two-week investigation, led by its operations director Col Sanusi Hashim.

"If there is any wrongdoing, we will take action," Hadi said, adding that the management was well aware of the practices of various religions.

Hadi said if the claim was indeed true, the guilty party would be "advised" to respect the various religious customs.

In Nibong Tebal, Sri Impian National Service Camp commandant Maj Shamsudin Abdul Aziz said the incident could have been the work of mischievous trainees at the camp.

He said camp officials had conducted a search at the camp dormitories after the matter was highlighted by Basant's parents during their visit on Sunday and they discovered a pair of scissors in a separate dormitory block.

He stressed that sharp objects, including scissors, were banned from the camp and they were investigating how it ended up at the dormitory.

NST, 19/1/2011 By Jaspal Singh, Sean Augustin, Adie Suri Zulkefli
Pic by: Ikhwan Munir
Read more: Sikh teen claims hair was cut in camp http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/12sikb/Article#ixzz1BSiFPQ7C

Scholarships for Courses in Traditional Systems of Medicine in India for 2011-12 Academic Session

The Government of India has announced twenty (20) Scholarships for Malaysian students to pursue courses in Traditional System of Medicine in India during the academic year 2011-12 following the visit of Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh in October 2010.

2. High Commission of India welcomes applications from interested Malaysian nationals who wish to pursue courses in Traditional System of Medicine in India from the academic year 2011-12 onwards. The number of seats available under each course is appended below:

(i) Bachelor of Ayurveda, Medicine & Surgery (BAMS)- 11
(ii) Bachelor of Siddha Medicine & Sciences (BSMS) - 5
(iii) Bachelor of Unani Medicine & Surgery (BUMS) - 2
(iv) Bachelor of Homeopathy Medicine & Surgery (BHMS)- 2

Names of Colleges for BAMS:

(1)Rajiv Gandhi, PG Govt. College, Paprola, Himachal Pradesh - 1 seat
(2)Government Ayurved College, Raipur, Chhatisgarh - 1 seat
(3)Government Ayurved College, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh - 1 seat
(4)Tilak Ayurved Mahavidyala, Pune, Maharashtra - 1seat
(5)Government Ayurved College, Patna, Orissa - 1seat
(6)Government Ayurved College, Tripunithura, Kerala - 1seat
(7)Shri Dharmashala Ayurvedic College, Udupi, Karnataka - 1seat
(8)Government Ayurved College, Tiruananthapuram, Kerala - 1seat
(9)Choudhary Braham Prakash Ayurvedic College Delhi - 2 seats
(10)Rajiv Gandhi Ayurvedic Medical College & Hospital
Mahe, Puduchery, Tamil Nadu - 1seat

Names of Colleges for BSMS:

(1)Government Siddha Medical College, Chennai, Tamil Nadu - 3 seats
(2) Government Siddha Medical College, Palayamkottai, Tamil Nadu - 2 seats

Names of College for BUMS:

(1) Aligarh Muslim University (AMU),Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh - 2 seats

Names of College for BHMS:

(1) National Institute of Homeopathy, Kolkata, West Bengal – 2seats


3. The application forms for this Scholarships are available with the Education Section at the High Commission of India, Kuala Lumpur (Telexfax: 03 2092 2339, Tel:03 2093 3510 ext 410, Email: edu@indianhighcommission.com.my). The ICCR application form can also be downloaded from the Mission’s website (www.indianhighcommission.com.my).

4. The candidates should meet the following selection criteria: (i) the candidate should have the eligibility to apply for the course (ii) should be proficient in English and (iii) should not have any serious health problems.

5. Please also note that no airfare will be provided under this scheme. The scholarship provides for Tuition fee, Living Allowance, Contingent Grant, House rent Allowance and Medical benefits.

6. Interested candidates may fill in the prescribed proforma and forward to Education Section, High Commission of India, No.2, Jalan Taman Duta, Off Jalan Duta, 50480 Kuala Lumpur. The last date of receipt of application by the High Commission of India, Kuala Lumpur is 21 February 2011.

Sent by Indian High Commission, Kuala Lumpur on 17/1/2011
Posted by GERAKSIKH

GERAKSIKH urge Sikh Students who are interested to kindly apply. After filling up of the neccessary forms and submission, do let us have a copy so that GERAKSIKH can on its end follow up with the Indian High Commission, KL. Kindly contact via info@geraksikh.org.my