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Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong pays tribute to the Sikh community, which he said has made significant contributions in many fields since the early days. These include important contributions in academia, business, civil service, judiciary and politics. Speaking at the Sikh Community Dinner, Mr Lee said the Government has and will continue to support the […]

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong pays tribute to the Sikh community, which he said has made significant contributions in many fields since the early days.

These include important contributions in academia, business, civil service, judiciary and politics.

Speaking at the Sikh Community Dinner, Mr Lee said the Government has and will continue to support the Sikh community in many ways. For example, Punjabi and four other minority Indian languages are officially recognised as a second language in schools.

The Government also supported the formation of the Singapore Sikh Foundation through the Education Ministry, to facilitate the teaching of Punjabi. It enacted the Central Sikh Gurdwara Board Act to form the Central Sikh Gurdwara Board to look after the community’s needs, and granted the Sikh Welfare Council the Institution of Public Character status to support fund-raising.

Said Mr Lee: “I’m very glad to see that the demand for these activities is also growing. I know you have some space constraints. In line with our consistent support for the community, we will look positively at the Sikh community’s growing needs to see how we can be helpful.”

At the dinner, Mr Lee also launched a milestone book published by the Young Sikh Association in conjunction with SG50. The book “Singapore at 50 – 50 Sikhs and Their Contributions” honours 50 notable Sikhs who have contributed to Singapore’s development.

Mr Lee hopes the book will inspire the next generation of Sikhs to excel and serve Singapore. The 50 Sikhs were selected from about 250 nominations by an independent panel chaired by Prof Tan Tai Yong, Executive Vice President (Academic Affairs) at the Yale-NUS College.

In conjunction with the launch, the Singapore Sikh Education Foundation (SSEF) – which administrates Punjabi as a second language in Singapore – also celebrated its 25th anniversary by honouring teachers and staff who have been with the organisation since its inception.

~ Source: www.channelnewsasia.com