Sant Sohan Singh Ji Melaka Memorial Society Malaysia (SSSJMMSM) today (19 Jan 2019) received a ‘generous’ donation from a family that had a close relationship with the former Malacca granthi in whose memory the society was formed.

Reshminder Singh, a former vice president of the 47 year old organisation, made the donation on behalf of his family as per the wishes of his late parents.

“My late mother had willed it that should the siblings sell the family home, one portion would go to the Vidyala. She had also expressed the wish that the donation be channeled towards education,” he told Asia Samachar when contacted.

SSSJMMSM, popularly known as the Vidyala, was established in 1972 in the memory of Baba Sohan Singh, the renowned granthi of Gurdwara Sahib Malacca and a respected Sikh preacher in Southeast Asia in the 1960s and 1970s.

Reshminder, who is involved in the recycling business in Texas, and all his siblings have migrated to the United States and are settled there.

What is the back story to the donation? In 1968, Reshminder’s dad Ranjit Singh, then a police clerk based in Ipoh, Perak, had showed Baba Sohan a house in Sibilin, Ipoh, that he wanted to purchase. Baba Sohan did an ardas and told him to proceed with the purchase.

In her will, the late Pajan Kaur had stated that should her children decide to sell the house, one portion of the sale should go to the Vidyala.

The donation was received by SSSJMMSM president Rejinder Singh Dhaliwal, vice presidents S S Muker and Tarlochan Singh Dhaliwal and secretary Daljit Singh.

In expressing thanks to Reshminder and family, Rejinder hoped the generous donation would inspire other members to make similar generous donations to the society to carry out its duties and obligations for the betterment of the Sikh community.

“Aside from organising the annual programme in the memory of Baba Sohan Singh, the Vidyala has also join hands with other Sikh societies to promote Sikhi in Malaysia. We are also in the process of reviving the granthi training programme,” Rejinder told Asia Samachar.