No land allotment for Gurdwara in Bayan Baru Penang

Panthic Weekly News Bureau

PENANG, Malaysia (KP)—The Bayan Baru Sikh community's dream of having its own Gurdwara has been shattered as the Penang Development Corporation announced that it does not have any land to spare for the Sikh Committee. A plea was submitted with the Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi early last year to seek allotment of land in the Bayan Baru non-Islamic enclave for the Sikh Community.

Earlier, land was allotted to different communities, including the Christians, Hindus and Buddhists who have already constructed their places of worship; however other communities, including the Sikhs in Bayan Baru, have to share the common carpark with followers of other religious faiths.

Manjit Singh, an official of Bayan Baru Gurdwara Association, alleged that the Sikh Community has grown rapidly and greatly needed its own place of worship. He claimed that earlier, a 0.4 ha piece of land had been allotted to the Sikh Community but local Sikhs were never able to construct a Gurdwara building there. He asked the Prime Minister to re-allot the land bank to the Sikh Community.

Datuk Rosli Jafar of the Penang Development Corporation alleged that no such land was allotted for construction of a Gurdwara. He said that he respects the wishes of the Sikh Community but the question of returning the land to the Sikh Community was not feasible as the corporation does not have any spare land left for allotment purposes.

Mr. Jafar did say that he was open for a dialogue if the Sikh Community was keen at developing its own Gurdwara, however he suggested the use of the common carpark. Local Sikhs are expected to meet soon to discuss the possibility of raising a dialog with the Penang