NS director-general Datuk Abdul Hadi Awang Kechil said today there should be at least one Sikh trainer in every camp.
“We have agreed that a Sikh representative will meet with trainees from each camp.
“I have also asked for the Sikh associations to find a Sikh NS trainee representative, with no conditions,” Hadi told reporters after meeting representatives from three Sikh non-governmental organisations — the Union of Perak Sikh Organisations, the Malaysian Sikh Union and the Sikh Welfare Society Malaysia.
But Hadi did not disclose when it will be implemented.
The NS training programme, which started in 2004, is attended by 18 year olds who are randomly drafted into 79 camps all over the country.
There are three intakes every year, and while deferments are allowed, failure to report to the training programme without valid reasons could result in a fine of no more than RM3,000, or no more than six months’ jail, or both.
Basant Singh, 18, said on January 18, that his metre-long hair, which has not been cut since birth, had been snipped by about 60cm while he and 10 other trainees were asleep at the camp dormitory in the Seri Impian Training Camp at Sungai Bakap, Penang.
His father, Surinderpal Singh, a priest attached to the Gurdwara Sahib in front of the Sungai Pari flats in Ipoh, had told The Malaysian Insider that the incident was serious as it showed a lack of understanding among youths as to the significance of unshorn hair in Sikhism.
In Sikhism, men keep their hair uncut and do not shave their facial hair in a practice known as “kesh”.
Hadi told reporters today that Basant can choose to be sent to another camp, or request to be recruited in the second or third intake, but he would not be exempted from the programme.
Hadi was reported as saying on January 19 that the NS internal investigation found that there had been “no malice” involved in the cutting of Basant’s hair.
He said the investigation team formed to look into Basant’s complaint reached the conclusion after calling 16 witnesses, including trainees, trainers, staff and the commandant of the training camp.
The panel comprised the department’s director of operations, Colonel Sanusi Hashim, Commander Wan Zarihan Wan Ismail and Lieutenant Thomas Anak Aungoom of the Royal Malaysian Navy.
Hadi said the panel’s report was tabled at the post-Cabinet meeting of the Defence Ministry.
It was reported two days later that the case had been handed over to the police for a thorough investigation.
Basant made a police report on January 16 and has refused to return to training, which began on January 4 and ends on March 13.
Hadi also said former NS Sikh trainees had agreed to meet with him to discuss if there was any need for follow-up action, to uphold the 1 Malaysia spirit that the programme was designed to ingrain into its trainees.
“We need to continue with this programme and to encourage the integration efforts between the different races in Malaysia,” he said.
Union of Perak Sikh Organisations media liaison Jaspal Singh stressed that the matter should not be sensationalised as it was sensitive.
“It is unnecessary to amplify this issue. We understand that this is a sensitive issue and it is important that I ask the co-operation from Sikhs all over the country to be patient and wait for the outcome of the police investigation,” he said.
He added the decision for a Sikh representative to meet with trainees was to receive feedback from them.
“We have decided that a representative from the Malaysian Sikh Union will visit, get feedback from the trainees,” Jaspal said.
“This is the first case of its type that has been made public. That’s why we need to contain this case.
“There is no guarantee that this won’t happen again, but we will discuss with Datuk on how to avoid future incidents,” Jaspal said.
MIC president Datuk G. Palanivel had called on NS officials to apologise to the Sikh community for allowing the Sikh trainee’s hair to be cut under their watch.
Although he dismissed the idea that the incident would cause social tension, the former Hulu Selangor MP stressed that an apology was needed to keep the situation from deteriorating.
He called for “serious action” to be taken to find the culprits as unshorn hair was a “very sacred symbol” for Sikhs, saying that the Sikh community was likely very unhappy about the incident.
There are an estimated 130,000 Sikhs out of 27 million people in Malaysia.
