Past Projects 2023
Date: 8th July 2023
Time: 7.30 p.m.
Location: Dewan KIA, Jalan Gurdwara, Buntong Ipoh
Organised by: Persatuan India Muslim Perak (PRIM)
Sikhmai was invited by PRIM to celebrate Father’s and Mother’s Day with them. Therefore, Ranjit Kaur and Daljit Kaur represented Sikhmai at the event. The purpose of the function was to celebrate Father’s and Mother’s Day and to foster relationships between PRIM, other Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and government agencies.
As a token of appreciation, Sikhmai presented the PRIM President, En. Mohd. Arib bin Aliah with a hamper. Also present were YB Pn. Salbiah Mohamed, Chairman of the Perak State Women, Family, Social Welfare, Cooperative and Entrepreneur Development Committee, Pn. Kavaramma Subramaniyam, Director of the Perak Women’s Development Office and representatives from other NGOs.
The event started with speeches by various representatives of PRIM. The guest of honour, Datuk Shahul Dawood, Chief Executive, HRD Corp also gave a speech on parent’s contribution towards raising children and appreciating parents.
After dinner, Appreciation Awards ‘Tokoh Ibu’ were awarded to 4 mothers and ‘Tokoh Bapa’ to 5 fathers. This was followed by very entertaining games for fathers and mothers. Prizes were also given to best dressed children, men and ladies. The highlight of the night was the Lucky Draw, where the enthusiastic and excited guests waited eagerly for their numbers to be called.
During this event, the Sikhmai representatives took the opportunity to meet the guest of honour and briefed him about our organisation. Datuk Shahul Dawood indicated that funds could be approved if we could identify programs which would enrich and benefit our members.
The event ended at 11.30 p.m.
Date: 7th July 2023 (Friday)
Time: 2.45 p.m.
Location: PASAK Office
Organised by: Pusat Aspirasi Anak Perak (PASAK)
Sikhmai members together with various Perak Sikh Organisations visited PASAK. This visit was led by Mr. Suwaran Singh a/l Mangal Singh, Special Secretary to the Honourable Menteri Besar of Perak. The Perak Sikh Organisations consisted of:
- Sikhmai members – Amarjid Kaur, Ranjit Kaur, Daljit Kaur, Kuldip Kaur, Parmjit Kaur and Jesbeer Kaur.
- Milap Club members
- Sikh Naujawan Sabha Malaysia (Perak) members
- Khalsa Diwan Malaysia members
- Perak Sikh Education Aid Fund members
We were greeted by PASAK General Manager, Mr. Mohamad Fikri bin Mohd Junit. The purpose of this meeting was to introduce and share roles and programs conducted by PASAK. Among the programs highlighted were Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) courses. These programs will be able to help students especially Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) school leavers in choosing suitable courses for them to further their studies. Apart from this, a brief explanation was given on ‘Talent Perak’ application. It is a platform where various parties could register as employers and job seekers could search for suitable job opportunities.
The meeting ended with the hope of further collaboration that can be organised between Perak Sikh Organisations and PASAK. It is hoped that with everyone’s cooperation, these efforts could help give job opportunities to job seekers in our community and attract the interest of youths in the field of skills.
The meeting ended at 5.00 p.m.
World Sikh Chamber of Commerce Malaysia Chapter (WSCCM), held their first Perak Network Meet on the 1st of July 2023 in Tandoor Grill Ipoh. Sikhmai was honoured to be invited to this prestigious event. WSCCM was represented by its Executive Committee.
WSCCM President, Mr Jalbir Singh Riar, in his welcome speech explained how this dynamic young team came together with just one aim, to build camaraderie among Sikh businesses, entrepreneurs and the Sikh community, to share business related knowledge, commerce and job opportunities. Ms Suneeta Kaur, Vice President of WSCCM spoke on the objectives and vision of WSCCM.
It was indeed a meaningful session and Sikhmai, by using this platform can reach out to world Sikhs through fraternity and can explore avenues for its members. The ultimate aim is to self-earn rather than depend on hand-outs.
During the WSCCM meet up, we were also privileged to meet Ms Bhagwant Kaur, a teacher from the UK who is a committee member for setting up the Guru Nanak Eco Village in Pali, Maharashtra. This project is headed by Dr Karandeep Singh from the UK.
The Eco Village will comprise of:-
a) Gurdwara Guru Nanak Dwaar (World’s first 100% bamboo Gurdwara Sahib)
b) Nihal, Nihal, Nihal Production that aims at producing animated movies that will feature awesome characters from Sikh history.
c) Mehar School of Mathematics & Entrepreneurship
d) A Wellness Centre
Sikhmai wishes the organising committee and the building committee of Guru Nanak Eco Village all the best in the completion of their project. Dhan Guru Nanak.
The Sikh Single Mothers Association Ipoh, Perak organised a one day trip to Khalsa Land on 17th June 2023. The objective of the trip was to give opportunity to the members and their children to participate in this anniversary celebration. A total of 44 members and their children took part in this event.
A bus was arranged to accommodate the attendees. Ardas was done at 6.30 am to seek the blessings of Guruji for a safe journey. The bus then departed from Wadda Gurdwara Sahib Ipoh at 7.20 am. A minimum charge of RM 10 per person was collected from all passengers on board. A total of RM 500 including the bus fee was donated to Khalsa Land.
After a quick breakfast, some members attended the Health and Wellness session led by Dr. Salinder Kaur while the others attended the talk on Mental Health by Dr. Ajit Ludher. These sessions were organised by EKTA Club of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. The members of Sikhmai found the projects meaningful to empower the community.
After lunch, a trip was made to the Sikh Home in Ulu Yam. This visit was led by Veer Daljit Singh. A total of 7 committee members consisting of Phenji Pushpinder, Phenji Amarjid, Phenji Kuldip, Phenji Daljit, Phenji Dharmi, Phenji Manjit, and Phenji Sharanjit visited the residents. Sikhmai gave a donation of RM 400 to the Ulu Yam Home.
Later in the day, after some spiritual blessing and sewa, the members departed for Ipoh at 8.10 pm and arrived safely in Wadda Gurdwara Sahib Ipoh at 10.00 pm. Overall, this trip was a fun experience as our members got to attend the Anniversary prayers and participate in the Sewa.
Date: 15 June 2023 (Thursday)
Time: 2.30 pm
Venue: Ipoh Convention Centre
Attended by: Ranjit Kaur Mukhtiar Singh, Dharmi Kaur Amar Singh, Persan Kaur Teja Singh, Ninder Kaur Gurdit Singh and Amarjid Kaur Slakhan Singh
The registration of participants was carried out by scanning a QR Code. Government bodies, uniformed bodies, political parties, school children and NGOs attended the function. There were 2000 attendees. The event started at 3pm with the arrival of the Menteri Besar of Perak YAB Dato’ Seri Saarani bin Mohamad and his wife. It was followed by the singing of Negara Ku and the Perak State Anthem.
At 3.10 pm, a prayer was said for the goodwill of all. The climax of the program was the speech by the MB of Perak. He explained the reasons as to why the Perak Sejahtera 2030 program was planned and launched on 15 June 2022. The main aim of setting up this program was to improve the well – being of the people of Perak. He explained that there are 3 main target areas that need to be achieved mainly economic prosperity, social prosperity and political prosperity.
Among the achievements in this one-year implementation of the Perak Sejahtera 2030 Development Plan are:
a) Perak Sejahtera 2030 District Career Carnival Your through Perbadanan Aspirasi Anak Perak (PASAK).
b) Speeding up the National Digital Network Plan (Jendela).
c) Built 71 Digital Economic Centres (PED) to provide Internet access to rural residents.
d) Construction of Bagan Datuk – Sejagop Bridge connecting Manjung, Perak Tengah and Perak Hilir.
e) Tuisyen Cikgu Saarani (TCS), to increase the achievement of students who are sitting for the SPM examination.
f) Giving equal allocation to government and opposition representatives.
g) 294 investment projects in 2022 that brought in RM6. 6 billion offering 7,682 job opportunities.
h) Setting up the Lumut Maritime Industrial City (LuMic) in Manjung a partnership between Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Perak (PKNP) and Port of Antwerp Bruges.
There are many more projects that are being planned to be executed in this year.
The MB ended his speech by motivating all present not to give up in life. If we fall, we must always get up!
On May 14, Mother’s Day was celebrated at Wadda Gurdwara Sahib Ipoh. The event was co-organised by Sikh Single Mothers Association Ipoh, Perak, Istri Satsang Wadda Gurdwara Sahib Ipoh, and Sikh Naujawan Sabha Malaysia (Perak Branch). The aim was to unite all Sikh mothers and pamper them as they would always do for their children.
Upon arrival, all guests were told to register at the entrance and given door gifts. In the event hall, two other counters were set up for lucky draws and a guess-me game (naming the quantity of Badam and Chocolates in bottles) where they could make a bid to win amazing prizes.
The function began at 2 p.m. with the recitation of 5 Chaupai Sahib Path and Ardas. Following that, the audience was entertained with a sketch presented by Sikhmai members. The organisers then conducted several games for mothers of different age groups, like passing the bowl, pasting leaves on drawings, and twisted musical chairs. To build up the excitement, the lucky draw winners were announced from time to time in between the events.
Later, a tribute performance was given to the late Phenji Harjit Kaur in the presence of her family. She was a humble Sewadar of Wadda Gurdwara Sahib Ipoh who passed away in January this year. The tribute was presented by a group of Naujawans and friends who were always fond of her and her dedication towards Sewa.
At the end, everyone was served tea and lots of food before they could head back to their respective homes. Overall, the Mother’s Day celebration was a massive event filled with laughter, tears, and joyful memories for all to cherish.
The Sikhmai association organised a motivational and leadership camp in Langkawi from 7th to 9th April 2023. This camp was held for the committee and associate members of Sikhmai. A number of activities and talks were planned to motivate and instil leadership qualities among members so as to improve teamwork.
Our bus departed from Wadda Gurdwara Sahib Ipoh at 5:30 am. We commenced the journey with Japji Sahib prayer. Our first stop was at Juru for breakfast. Thereafter, we continued the journey to Kuala Perlis to board the ferry to Langkawi. Once we arrived there, we were taken for a quick lunch after which we proceeded to our hotel for check in and a short rest.
Our first activity was ice breaking and group activities at Penang beach with Phenji Sukhveer Kaur and Veer Daljit Singh. These activities continued till sunset. Then, we adjourned to the hotel to freshen up and headed for dinner. After dinner, more group activities and talks were conducted by the beach.
The next morning, a yoga session was held by the beach at 5.30 am. It was truly a relaxed and calming activity with kirtan playing in the background. After having breakfast at the hotel, the members went out for sightseeing and other activities. Two groups were formed to go for Island hopping and Cable car. In the evening, we had a group dinner at a Thai Restaurant. The food and company was great. Later at night, we had a closed session with the Sikhmai President, Pushpinder Kaur. She highlighted her clear vision of what she wanted to achieve in the coming year. Here, some of the important attributes that go into being good leaders and members were highlighted such as understanding that each team is different and to look at every case differently.
On our final day, we had another round of yoga by the beach before sunrise. After breakfast, we checked out of the hotel. We were then taken to a couple of duty free malls for shopping and finally to Kuala Kuah for lunch. Some of the members went to Dataran Lang for a quick photoshoot.
At 3.00 pm, we boarded our ferry for the onward journey back home. After a quick stop for dinner at Alor Setar, Rehraas Sahib and Kirtan Sohila were recited on the bus. We reached Wadda Gurdwara Sahib Ipoh close to midnight.
Sikhmai wants to thank their advisors for their invaluable support, guidance and sponsorship of the program. We would like to express our appreciation to all people involved in planning, organising, and participating in this trip.
On February 19, Sikhmai carried out an annual programme of giving out uniform vouchers to Sikhmai members’ children. A simple ceremony was held at Wadda Gurdwara Sahib Ipoh (WGSI). This initiative has been carried out over the years to provide uniform aid to the underprivileged children of our members who need it the most.
The ceremony was attended by 47 Sikhmai members, including 9 committee members who organised the function efficiently. In total, the uniform vouchers were presented to 65 students. The voucher would allow them to collect a bag, 2 sets of uniforms, and a packet of stockings from a designated uniform store. This time, they were also given cash aid to purchase a pair of school shoes from any place.
The ceremony began at 1.30 p.m. with registration, followed by the recitation of Ardas by Phenji Manjit Kaur and a welcome speech by Sikhmai President, Phenji Pushpinder Kaur. Next, Madam Preethi Bhardwaj, the guest speaker who’s also a Sikhmai member, gave an interesting talk on ‘Unplugging from Social Media’. After that, the uniform vouchers were presented to the children and their mothers by Pushpinder Kaur (Sikhmai President), Veer Rajinder Singh (WGSI President), and Veer Manjit Singh (WGSI Secretary). Later, a photography session was held for all the attendees to mark the special day.
With God’s grace, everything went smoothly. The event ended with everyone enjoying their evening Cha with Mee Goreng and Kuih-Muih. We thank our donor for his contribution, support, and generosity. We are also grateful to the President and Committee of Wadda Gurdwara Sahib Ipoh for allowing us to use their premises, cooperating fully with us, and preparing a scrumptious meal.