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Another lesson for the new Perak Menteri Besar. He is sure to have his hands full for next 5 years as many quarters are just waiting for gaffes or mistakes like these to happen. Anyway, at least he had the courtesy to admit his mistake. Next step should be to publish the apology in the media.

Now, how many of us know the difference between Sikhs and Bengalis? Easy to blame the MB, but I wonder how many would have made the same mistake if was in the same situation.

Sikhs upset over MB’s gaffe
By : Jaspal Singh
source

IPOH: For generations, Sikhs have bit their lips when mistakenly referred to as Bengalis.  Many usually excuse the gaffe by ordinary folk who do not know any better. Yesterday proved an exception when Menteri Besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin himself referred to Sikhs as Bengalis when wishing them a happy Vasakhi at a Pas function here.

His comment about the Sikh and Tamil new year celebrations raised eyebrows as the Sikhs gathered there had expected the head of the state government to know the difference between Sikhs and Bengalis.Some Sikhs immediately left the function as they felt it was an affront to the community.
Nizar, via an SMS to the New Straits Times, later admitted he had made a mistake in referring to Sikhs as Bengalis.

Sikhs are Punjabis who share few, if any, similarities with Bengalis who are mostly Hindu.  The two communities are separated by more than 1,500km in India. In Malaysia, Sikhs have been mistakenly referred to as Bengalis for decades.

Narinder Singh, 38, who came to shake hands with Nizar and congratulate him on heading the state government, left shortly after the comment. He was disappointed with Nizar for not knowing the difference between Sikhs and Bengalis.

“Sikhs are the ones who celebrate Vasakhi, not Bengalis.  “Can’t he (Nizar) get that fact right? I am terribly disappointed with him,” he said.

Harbhajan Singh, 32, said Malaysians, especially political leaders, should know the difference between Bengalis and Sikhs. He added that this was the first time he had heard a politician refer to Sikhs as Bengalis at a public event.   “Sikhs do not like it when they are referred to as Bengalis.  “What more when the person saying it is the menteri besar.”

In his speech at the luncheon, Nizar wished the Tamil community Puthandu Vazth-ukal or Happy New Year followed by “Happy Vasakhi to the Bengali community”.

Dheer Singh, chairman of the United Perak Sikhs Organisation, a consultative umbrella body representing nine Sikh-based voluntary organisations in the state, is upset with Nizar.  “Today we can learn about anything and everything from the Internet.  “There are many websites on the Sikh religion and the Sikh people.  “I feel sad that even though Sikhs have been in this country for close to 150 years, Malaysians still think we are Bengalis.”

Dheer said while many Malaysians may trivialise such references, the fact remained that the two communities were totally different in terms of religion, culture, and language.  He said Vasakhi, a religious festival dating back to 1699 and celebrated on April 14, was observed by the Sikhs.

KitMan says:

I think this is over reaction a bit. I’m quite sure majority of non-Indians Malaysian thought it’s the same. Heck, i didn’t know either until now.(Although i do know that Sikh is a religion, not a race, i thnk many Malaysian dun even realized this).

Who’s fault it is? Well, for a start, maybe it’s because our BN Tourism and Culture ministers didn’t promote this information to all the Malaysian properly during the last 50 years? All i saw on RTM and TV3 were only Malay, Chinese and Indian during those feel-good-but-fake-as-hell “racial harmony” promo…..hardly ever a Sikh or a Bengali. Yep. The BN(more specifically UMNO) dun give a shit to others coz they think their votes are insignificant.

Anyway, i won’t be offended if someone mistake me for a Hakka or Hokkien or mistake me for a Christian. What’s the big deal? I’ll just tell them I’m not any of those and proudly tell them I’m Cantonese and a Buddhist.

I think the Sikh community should have taken the chance to correct the MB in good spirits. We’ve just knocked out BN in Perak by a slim margin. Do not waste this golden opportunity and bicker among ourselves over small resolvable matters!!!!

Posted on April 15th, 2008

Harjeet Singh says:

That’s a rather biased statement passed by you, Mr.Kitman. Bigotism is running in your blood and may be absence of respect towards others too!

Chinese – may it be Hakka or Hokkien or even Cantonese – they all share the same written language. Chinese’s King had standardized the whole language into a common written script. Not in India. Sikh is a religion and Bengali is a race. The Sikhs have a unique written language that differs from all other Indian language. India is a nation and comprised of numerous of languages and cultures that sometimes are totally strange to even their neigbouring states. Unlike Malaysia, where we learn the common language Malay. You are simply an ignorant sciolist that refuse to learn about anyone else or improve your General Knowledge. Read up more my fellow citizen.

Sikhism is now ranked 5th universal religion in the world. It is funny that you don’t even know that Sikh is a religion. Check your IQ please.

For hundred of years, the SIKHS have been inspiring the world with numerous inventions, discoveries, legacies, morale values and many other actions that are to be proud of and still remained incognitos. The backbone of the whole communication of the world – the FIBER OPTICS were founded and developed by Dr. Narinder Singh Kapany. I am not bragging but showing you an example of ‘wasting the golden opportunity’ as mentioned by you.

Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth because of the Blacks freedom. They both had different views – but let’s see now in the United States whereby a Black candidate is now running for the presidency. Do you want to call him a NIGGER??? I don’t think so.

Government has incorporated a few awareness on Sikhism in the Morale studies. So if you are a Chinese, then shame on you for not paying attention in your Morale class.

For an example, do you know the difference between laptop and a PC? Did government promulgated you this in the school for the past 50 years? You learnt it by yourself right? So why blame the tools when you should be the one to be blamed!

It’s easy to condemn than to understand and learn!

The Sikhs have an identity -and it must be respected as we respect all. Calling other people names or slurs are just act of malevolent. Benggali, Kelling, Nigger, Ginger or etc. hurts the feeling of the listener and MUST be avoided at all circumstances. These is not an anachronism.

If the country can only be developed by jokes and slurs (as you have mentioned not to waste this golden opportunity and bicker among small resolvable matters), then you in dire state of Morale values improvement. Learn from the Japanese! You have been living in a shell for too long – jump out to the developing world pro bono publico.

Posted on April 16th, 2008

Kalvin says:

Yes, Sikh is a religion, and a Sikh’s race would be Punjabi. KitMan not everything is about getting BN out of the state. If people like the MB and yourself were less ignorant, Sikh’s would not be up-in-arms about such a statement. They have an identity of their own and are very proud of their heritage. I personally feel the blame should be put on all the ignorant people out there instead of finding a scapegoat, the Tourism Ministry. If non-Sikh’s know how to differentiate the two, why can’t the rest? And all this on their New Year. Go figure!

Posted on April 16th, 2008

Gurcharan Singh Kulim says:

Kitman, it may sound trivial, but for some who is alledgely “educated “at ASTON university– should have known it better.Or was it that he was one of those that scored strait 5 Cs and got promoted in by MARA ?

In that case we simply cannot have a MB who is so ignorant and uneducated.
I dont think..my infernace to a maly with a tttered sarong would beaceptbale,now would it ..after all it is trivial matter.

For someone who does not know simple thing as Sikhism ranks as the fifth largest religion,that it is a religion as well as a RACE defined uniquely by the law of GB I believe the depths of this subject may simply be too deep for you to be giving views here, or understand the implications of this gaffing kampung boy!

Posted on April 17th, 2008

Empangan Emas says:

Actually, it’s a common mistake even among Malays in Singapore who always called the Sikhs with the term ‘Bengali Singh’.

I think the misidentification sought of goes down the generations. Ignorance is no excuse but I also think that the Sikh community should have been more accomodating and they should have sent a representative to the MB, either during or after the speech, to correct him so that he could immediately redress the situation.

Walking out does not solve the problem. After all, it was not done in malice.

Posted on July 10th, 2008

Killer says:

Empangan

I don’t agree…

Just because some people call indians “keling” that doesn’t mean some govt leader address us as kelings right ?

The Sikhs have a separate and unique cultural identities and they are rightly proud of it. This is also true in India, not just in Malaysia.

What’s the point of having Civic / Moral and other subjects in school but one can’t even differentiate Sikhs from the Bengalis ? This is Malaysia in 2008 and not 1908.

Posted on July 10th, 2008

Empangan Emas says:

Oh no, I’m not saying that it’s okay for the Perak MB to CONTINUE calling the Sikhs with the misnomer “Bengalis”.

The two points which I sought to emphasize are these –

* that it was a mistake, one which is rooted in Malay lingo. It was not done in malice.

* that the Sikhs should have corrected him there and there. Walking out and complaining afterwards was not the way to do it.

Besides, being called “Bengali” is not exactly an insult similar to calling Tamils with the term “keling”, is it ?

As a matter of fact, Bengalis might take great offence at the Sikhs taking such great offence at being mistaken for Bengalis.

The whole point of my previous post was not to excuse the MB Perak. The whole point of my post was that both were wrong – the MB was wrong in his misidentification of the unique community which is the Sikhs, and the Sikhs who were present were wrong to have just walked out without attempting to correct him.

Posted on August 28th, 2008

Sikh Singh says:

There are a few well known Sikh people in Ipoh, some Datuks … I’m sure they were there at the event. But I’ve never seen any comments they made. I suppose they were quiet about the episode as they dont want to go against the bureaucracy and risk losing they datukships.

Shame on you Datuks!

Posted on May 30th, 2009