Vaisakhi celebration 'scaled down' in Malaysia

Vaisakhi celebration 'scaled down' in Malaysia

IPOH - Over 200 Sikhs from Gurdwara Sahib Tanjung Rambutan celebrated Vaisakhi with a high tea for the second consecutive year recently.

Tambun Sikh Community Affairs chairman Jageer Singh said this year's celebration was scaled down in view of the missing flight MH370. "We are thankful to be able to gather as a community to mark this important religious festival," he said.

The function was also graced by Hulu Kinta assemblyman Datuk Aminuddin Md Hanafiah, who represented Second Finance Minister and Tambun MP Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah.

Aminuddin said that Vaisakhi was a tradition that needed to be preserved for the good of the Sikh community.

"It is an essential part of maintaining strong ties within the community. Much like Hari Raya Aidilfitri for the Muslims, Deepavali for the Hindus and the Lunar New Year for the Chinese, Vaisakhi is a time when Sikhs return to their hometowns to be with their families.

"This helps to unite the community and I hope the younger generation will honour this festival by observing and celebrating it for years to come," he said.

After enjoying the delectable mixture of Punjabi and Malaysian cuisine, Aminuddin also handed out pocket money to the children at the function.

Vaisakhi, the most significant religious festival in the Sikh calendar, was celebrated on Monday. It marks the culmination of the saint-soldier concept in the Sikh religion through the "Khalsa" order in 1699 by Guru Gobind Singh, the 10th Sikh guru.

Celebration began with the raising of the Nishaan Sahib last Saturday, before the temple congregation recited the 1,430-page Sikh holy scripture, known as Guru Granth Sahib which ended on Monday at 9am, a period of 48 hours.

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