Story by Chan Lilian
Pix by Alissala Thian
KHALSA Dharmik School (KDS) has produced many towering Malaysians. Though the Punjabis are relatively small in numbers in Malaysia, their service and contribution to the country is immeasurable.
Today, they continue to serve the country.
“The success of the present Penang State Government is due to, in no small measure, to the fearless efforts of the Tiger of Jelutong, the late Karpal Singh,” Datuk Mahinder Singh Dulku, chairman of the Wadda Gudwara Management Committee and the Building Committee of the KDS, said in his speech at the opening of the new majestic building of the KDS on Jalan Gudwara on Aug 3.
“Karpal Singh grew up around the vicinity of the Gudwara and was a star pupil of the KDS. He was able to read and recite the Granth Sahib Ji like a priest. This is no mean feat!” he said.
The new building costing about RM3.8 million will now enable young Sikhs to be proficient in their mother tongue.
With the help from the Penang state government, the dream has become a reality.
The state government has the interest of all the people of Penang at heart, without regard to race, colour, religion or creed.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng who was invited to officiate the opening of the KDS said: “The Penang state government heard of the school’s plight, and unlike the previous administration which did not contribute any financial aid to the school, the Penang state government, since 2010, started to provide financial aid, not only to this Punjabi school but also to the other two Punjabi schools in the state, namely in Bayan Baru and in Butterworth.”
The contribution by the state government was RM40,000 to Penang (RM25,000 to Khalsa Dharmik School at the Wadda Gurdwara and RM15,000 for the branch in Bayan Baru) and a further RM25,000 to the school in Butterworth.
This contribution has been paid on a yearly basis until 2014 and will continue under this administration.
Lim continued: “As the population of the school expanded, whereby I understand that as of now there are 78 students in the Khalsa Dharmik School here and a further 38 at the Bayan Baru branch, the school had to be expanded whereby this new building was constructed.”
He remembered that on Vasakhi day in 2012, he had announced an initial donation of RM50,000 towards the new building fund.
That event was attended by the late Karpal, then the MP for Gelugor.
“I remember him speaking fondly of his memories of growing up in this vicinity and patronising this Gurdwara and his vision of seeing a new building constructed. In view of that, the Penang state government will further contribute a sum of RM180,000 towards the new building fund!”
After the official opening, Lim and the late Karpal’s sons, Jagdeep and Ramkarpal Singh, a grandson and Karpal’s wife, Gurmit Kaur, also witnessed the opening of the Karpal Singh Memorial Hall on the second floor of the building.
In a short speech, Mahinder recalled fondly how Karpal’s father and brother contributed and served the Gudwara in the early days.
“Karpal is known for fighting for the defenceless. His dream was to see that this KDS is equipped with a library and computer room. Today, that dream is a reality.”