RM500,000 grant to promote Punjabi language
Generous amount: Tan (third from right) presenting the RM500,000 mock cheque to Bagh (third from left) while committee members and other guests look on. Also present was Mentri Besar's special advisor Datuk S. Veerasingam (centre, with red tie).
THE Sikh community has received a much-needed boost in their effort to promote the Punjabi language, thanks to a RM500,000 grant from the Federal Government.
A cheque for the amount was presented to the community through the Khalsa Diwan Malaysia by Ipoh Barat Barisan Nasional coordinator Datuk Tan Chin Meng.
Society president Bagh Singh Sandhu said the money would be channelled to its educational arm, the Punjabi Education Trust Malaysia.
"The money will be used to support the operations and development costs of 42 Punjabi language centres that we operate nationwide," he said last Friday after receiving the cheque from Tan, who represented the Government.
Bagh said although the cost to run the centres was about RM5mil annually, the grant received would go a long way to ease the community's financial burden.
"We rely on contributions from the community to operate the centre.
"As such, the grant from the Government is very much appreciated," he added.
In his speech, Tan said the grant was proof of the Government's concern in the development of the Punjabi language as well as its belief that every race should be treated equally.
"No race, including their respective languages, will be marginalised and the Government is doing its best to preserve the uniqueness of our multi-lingual society," said Tan.
-The Star-
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