Friday, April 9, 2010

GERAKSIKH requests Government to declare Vaisakhi a National Holiday


PETALING JAYA: Two prominent Sikhs have asked that Vaisakhi Day be made a national holiday.

Malaysia National Sikhs Movement president (GERAKSIKH) Tan Sri Dato' Seri Darshan Singh and DAP chairman Karpal Singh said such a move would reflect the government’s commitment to recognise all communities equally. This year, Sikhs will celebrate Vaisakhi on Wednesday which coincides with the Tamil new year.

“The Sikhs who arrived earlier in this country served in the security forces and have contributed towards the economic development of Malaysia,” Darshan said in a statement.

Karpal said Vai-sakhi was of considerable significance to Sikhs and the event should be given due consideration by the government.

“Various calls have been made in the past for the government to declare the Hindu and Vaisakhi as national holiday but there has yet to be any positive response,” he said.

He added that if the Government would not declare the Tamil New Year and Vaisakhi a national holiday, he planned to call upon the Pakatan-ruled Penang and Selangor State governments to do so
- STAR, 8/4/2010

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