Malaysian Sikh community is known to be the fourth largest Malaysian Indian ethnic group. It is estimated that there are around 100,000 Sikhs in

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

Early Sikh pioneers

Sikhs were initially sent to British Malaya as political prisoners. The first few Sikhs to set foot in Malaya were Nihal Singh (better known as Bhai Maharaj Singh) and Kharak Singh, who were deported from India due to anti-British involvement in 1849. These prisoners were sent to the Outram Road prison in what is now Singapore. In 1865, Sikhs were sent to Malaysia again as recruits in the armed forces in the British Empire mainly as police, military and guards.

Sikh Community and migration

Regular Sikh migration to Malaya (Malaysia) started here in 1873. The Sikh community is the largest here among Southeast and East Asia. The earliest Sikhs settlers were Policemen. The first Sikh Gurdwara was set up in Cornwallis in 1873 inside police Lines. The first public Sikh Gurdwara was set up in 1903 in Penang. Sikhs occupied top positions in Military and Police during the British rule of Malaysia. There are as many as 15 Sikh Gurdwaras in

Kuala Lumpur , anthem = ''Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , sub ...

alone more than the number of mosques there, despite Muslims being the dominant demographic in Kuala Lumpur. Malaysian Sikhs are deep-rooted in Sikh culture more than

Sikh diaspora The Sikh diaspora is the modern Sikh migration from the traditional area of the Punjab region of India. Sikhism is a religion, the Punjab region of India being the historic homeland of Sikhism. The Sikh diaspora is largely a subset of the Pu ...

anywhere in the world and are assimilated in mainstream keeping their identity intact. A group of Sikh businessmen in Malaysia has set up a network of International Sikh Entrepreneurs (NISE) to promote their products and services and generate opportunities among members.

Gurdwaras in Malaysia

There are a total of 119

gurdwara A gurdwara (sometimes written as gurudwara) (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ ''guradu'ārā'', meaning "Door to the Guru") is a place of assembly and worship for Sikhs. Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as ''Gurdwara Sahib''. People from all faiths ...

s throughout Malaysia. 42 of them are situated in the state of Perak, where the majority of Sikhs in Malaysia resides. *Johor **Gurdwara Sahib Muar, Johor **Gurdwara Sahib Batu Pahat, Johor **Gurdwara Sahib Segamat, Johor **Gurdwara Sahib Babe ke Guru Ram Das World, Machap, Johor **Gurdwara Sahib Kluang, Johor **Gurdwara Sahib Pontian, Johor **Gurdwara Sahib Johor Bahru, Johor *Kuala Lumpur **Gurdwara Sahib Dharamsala, Kuala Lumpur **Wadda Gurdwara Sahib Jalan Kampung, Kuala Lumpur **Gurdwara Sahib Jalan Sungai Besi, Kuala Lumpur **Gurdwara Sahib Jinjang, Kuala Lumpur **Gurdwara Sahib Kampung Pandan Settlement, Kuala Lumpur **Gurdwara Sahib Kuyow, Kuala Lumpur **Gurdwara Sahib Mainduab, Kuala Lumpur **Gurdwara Sahib Police, Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur Gurdwara Sahib Police

**Gurdwara Sahib Police Depot, Kuala Lumpur **Gurdwara Sahib Police Jalan Parliament, Kuala Lumpur **Gurdwara Sahib Central Workshops Sentul, Kuala Lumpur **Gurdwara Nanak Darbar Tatt Khalsa, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia **Gurdwara Sahib, Titiwangsa Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia **Gurdwara Sahib Majha Diwan Malaya *Labuan **Gurdwara Sahib Labuan *Kedah **Gurdwara Sahib Kulim,Kedah **Gurdwara Sahib Sungei Petani, Kedah **Gurdwara Sahib Alor Star, Kedah *Kelantan **Gurdwara Sahib Tumpat, Kelantan **Gurdwara Sahib Kota Bahru, Kelantan **Gurdwara Sahib Kuala Krai, Kelantan *Malacca **Gurdwara Sahib Malacca *Negeri Sembilan **Gurdwara Sahib Mantin, Negeri Sembilan **Gurdwara Sahib Kuala Klavang, Jelebu, Negeri Sembilan **Gurdwara Sahib Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan **Gurdwara Sahib Seremban, Negeri Sembilan **Gurdwara Sahib Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan **Gurdwara Sahib Tampin, Negeri Sembilan *Pahang **Gurdwara Sahib Brinchang, Cameron Highlands, Pahang **Gurdwara Sahib Bentong, Pahang **Gurdwara Sahib Kuala Lipis, Pahang **Gurdwara Sahib Tanah Rata, Pahang **Gurdwara Sahib Raub, Pahang **Gurdwara Sahib Mentakab, Pahang **Gurdwara Sahib (Sikh Temple), Kuantan *Penang **Gurdwara Sahib Khalsa Dharmak Jatha, Penang **Gurdwara Sahib Sikh Police, Penang **Wadda Gurdwara Sahib, Penang **Gurdwara Sahib Perai, Penang **Gurdwara Sahib Butterworth, Penang **Gurdwara Sahib Bukit Mertajam, Penang *Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Khalsa Dharmik Sabha, Parit Buntar, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Pokok Assam, Taiping, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Taiping, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Sitiawan, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Sungei Siput Utara, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Chemor, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Kampong Kepayang, Ipoh, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Tanjong Rambutan, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Kuala Kangsar, Perak **Gurdwara Shaheed Ganj Sahib, Kaniunting, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Bruas, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Bagan Serai, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Jelapang, Ipoh, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Sikh Dharmak Sabha, Ipoh, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Gunong Rapat, Ipoh, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Buntong, Ipoh, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Tambun, Ipoh, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Menglembu Regrouping Area, Ipoh, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Lahat, Ipoh, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Gopeng, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Malim Nawar, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Tanjong Tuallang, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Changkat Tin, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Ayer Papan, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Tronoh, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Pusing, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Siputeh, Ipoh, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Menglembu, Jalan Lahat, Ipoh, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Bercham, Ipoh, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Greentown, Ipoh, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Kampar, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Teluk Intan, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Slim River, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Changkat, Batu Gajah, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Batu Gujah, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Sri Guru Singh Sabha, Gopeng, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Malay States Guide, Taiping, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Police, Ipoh, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Tanjong Malim, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Bidor, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Tapah, Perak **Gurdwara Sahib Tronoh Mines, Kampar, Perak *Perlis **Gurdwara Sahib Kangar, Perlis *Sabah **Gurdwara Sahib Singh Sabha, Lahad Datu, Sabah **Gurdwara Sahib Tawau, Sabah **Gurdwara Sahib Kota Kinabalu, Sabah **Gurdwara Sahib Sandakan, Sabah *Sarawak **Gurdwara Sahib Kuching, Sarawak **Gurdwara Sahib Sibu, Sarawak **Gurdwara Sahib Bau, Sarawak **Gurdwara Sahib Miri, Sarawak *Selangor ** Gurdwara Sahib Puchong, Selangor **

Gurdwara Sahib Klang Gurdwara Sahib Klang is a Sikh gurdwara located in the town of Klang in Selangor, Malaysia. It was constructed between November 1993 and late 1995. The total cost of the building was nearly RM 2,000,000 and out of which RM 100,000 was donated b ...

**Gurdwara Sahib Kalumpang, Selangor **Gurdwara Sahib Kuala Kubu Baru, Selangor **Gurdwara Sahib Berjuntai Tin, Selangor **Gurdwara Sahib Klang, Selangor **Gurdwara Sahib Shah Alam, Selangor **Gurdwara Sahib Lembah Jaya, Ampang, Selangor **Gurdwara Sahib Kajang, Selangor **Gurdwara Sahib Batu Arang, Selangor **Gurdwara Sahib Ampang, Selangor **Gurdwara Sahib Guru Ram Das, Banting, Selangor **Gurdwara Sahib Bukit Beruntung, Selangor ** Gurdwara Sahib Petaling Jaya ** Gurdwara Sahib Rawang ** Gurdwara Sahib Bandar Sunway ** Gurdwara Sahib Nanaksar, Serendah

Controversy

In 2017, a teaching module published by a leading Malaysian university (

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia , image_name = UTM-LOGO.png , image_size = , caption = Seal , latin_name = , motto = Kerana Tuhan Untuk Manusia , mottoeng = In the Name of God for Mankind , established = , closed = , type = Public research university , affiliatio ...

, UTM) depicted Hindus in India as unclean and dirty in a slide. Another slide aimed at teaching the origins of Sikhism claimed that founder

Guru Nanak Gurū Nānak (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539; Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ; pronunciation: , ), also referred to as ('father Nānak'), was the founder of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. His birth is celebrated w ...

had a poor understanding of Islam and had combined it with his surrounding Hindu lifestyle in forming the early foundation of the Sikh faith. A police report was lodged by the chairman of the Hindu Dharma Association of Malaysia in Sungai Petani district against UTM. Malaysia's Minister of Health, Deputy Minister of Education and others had condemned this incident. Due to these condemnations, UTM was forced to apologize.

References

External links