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Govt approves RM4m allocation for Sikh community, 24 April 2010
IPOH, April 23 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak today announced a RM4 million allocation for the Sikh community in Malaysia.
The announcement was made in conjunction with the 1Malaysia Vaisakhi celebration open house at the grounds of the Indera Mulia Stadium, here, tonight.
The prime minister said RM2 million was for upgrading and maintaining the Sikh community's 118 houses of worship or Gurdwara, RM1 million for teaching of the Sikh language to the young and RM1 million for Sikh cultural programmes.
"In 2008, (then Prime Minister) Tun Abdullah (Ahmad Badawi) approved a RM2 million allocation for Sikh non-governmental organisations to hold Sikh language classes...tonight I continue the agenda," he said to a multiracial crowd of over 30,000 at the celebration.
He said the Sikh community's contribution to the nation since before Independence was big although it was a small minority group.
"The sacrifices of Sikh soldiers during World War II and then in fighting communist insurgency in the country will always be etched in gold in the nation's history," he said.
The prime minister also described the holding of the Vaisakhi open house under the 1Malaysia concept for the first time as very successful because over 30,000 people attended the celebration, more than the 20,000 expected by the organisers.
He congratulated the Perak governent and the Association of Sikh Organisations in Perak as the organisers of the event.
The crowd was served Punjabi delicacies among the delicious spread and entertained by cultural performances.
The Sikh community celebrated Vaisakhi on April 13 to commemorate the birth of the Khalsa and it is the most important day for the community.
Also present at the Vaisakhi open house were the prime minister's wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir.
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