By Nigel Edgar
KUCHING, Aug 3: The Sarawak Sikh Temple Association can now proceed with its proposed temple extension project, thanks to the direct contribution from Sarawak government.
The cheque worth RM3.5 million from the state government was presented by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg himself to the association’s president Dr Kalwinder Singh Khaira this morning during the ‘Get Together With The Sikh Community and Vaisakhi Celebration 2019’ at the Kuching Sikh Temple near Jalan Masjid here.
“Of course we want to build extension with all the facilities, and Dr Khaira has met me, I said ‘boleh lah saya tolong sikit-sikit, tidak banyak lah, sikit-sikit’ for the extension project of this temple.
“It is RM3.5 million, so we are giving you RM3.5 million just like what we have done for other religions through Unit for Other Religion (Unifor). I’m sure with the contribution from the government, you can proceed with your project and your vision for the future, particularly for the young Sikh community,” he said in his speech.
On top of that, Abang Johari also revealed that the state government has also alienated a plot of land next to where the former Information Department office building was located for the temple’s extension project.
Additionally, he acknowledged the contribution of the Sikh community in the development of the state as well as the community’s high religious tolerance.
He emphasised that this is something unique to Sarawak, hence the state government in 2017 set up Unifor for the purpose of preserving that uniqueness.
“The reason why we formed Unifor is because we believe the peaceful coexistence among the various religions in the state will definitely be a platform for us to unite our people, and for us to move forward together. In Sarawak, it’s unique in itself because of the high degree of tolerance that we have,” he said.
“For the Sikh community, this is not new to me because I also (used to) live in the kampung nearby. I saw the photograph of your first temple with the veranda, I used to pass through this road (back in the days) looking at the veranda and today we have this new – the present building, and Dr Khaira wants to improve it with the new extension.
“We have alienated the land (which was) formerly the Information Department to the Sikh community to extend your building and provide all the facilities for the Sikh community, which according to Dr Khaira, include education, library and so on,” he added.
Abang Johari pointed out that this was the right approach for the state as it would definitely give positive benefits to the Sarawak society at large.
“The surroundings will definitely change within the next five to 10 years because of the fact that we want Kuching to be environmentally friendly. That’s why we are starting with the hydrogen buses here – the first in this region.
“These buses definitely will contribute to a better environment in Kuching,” he reiterated.
Meanwhile, Dr Khaira extended his gratitude to Abang Johari for the contribution from the state government.
“We have done all the drawings and planning for the new building, and it encompasses a floor for the Punjabi school, a multipurpose hall, library, residential rooms and other amenities for the congregation and community. This new block will be joined to the existing block by bridges,” he highlighted.
The Gurdwara Sahib building which lies in the centre of the city and in the old heritage area, Dr Khaira informed that they have also requested for assistance in the new construction and some land realignment to be done.
“We hope that our request will be met with approval by the Chief Minister. Once all plans are approved, we hope the construction can start as soon as possible and expected to be completed within 15 to 18 months time,” he added.— DayakDaily
