ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>KH&#256LS&#256 D&#298W&#256N MALAYA</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279<u>KH</u>&#256LS&#256 D&#298W&#256N MALAYA, a religious organization of Sikhs in Malaysia, was established on 27 December 1903 at Taiping (4º-51'N, 100º-44'E) at a <i>d&#299v&#257n</i> at the <i>gurdw&#257r&#257</i> of the Malaya State Guides celebrating the birth anniversary of Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh. The <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 D&#299w&#257n was assigned to promoting Sikh religion, managing Sikh temples or <i>gurdw&#257r&#257s</i> in Malaya, securing the educational advancement of the Sikh youth and to providing facilities for the teaching of Punjabi language. An executive committee consisting of 21 members from different towns from Alor Star (6º-07'N, 100º-22'E) in the north to Kuala Lumpur (3º-09'N, 101- 43'E) in the south was elected. The members of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 D&#299w&#257n were expected to be <i>amritdh&#257r&#299</i> Sikhs maintaining the five symbols of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 and subscribing to the tenets of the faith. A missionary fund was opened to provide for a cadre of preachers and scripture-readers. Sikh scholars and lecturers were invited from India to address the religious <i>d&#299v&#257ns</i> and a series of tracts and pamphlets on Sikhism was launched. In 1925, the D&#299w&#257n obtained legal recognition for Sikh marriages solemnized under the Indian Anand Marriage Act. In 1933 was convened a Sikh women's conference which led to the establishment of the Malaya Istri Satsa&#7749g. On 24 September 1950, Gur&#363 N&#257nak Institution, a regular school with admission open to all communities, was started in Ipoh. The <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 D&#299w&#257n Malaya was affiliated to the Chief <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 Diw&#257n of Amritsar. It also retained its interest in the religious and political developments in the Punjab, which were often discussed at its periodical conferences. Differences of opinion on the questions of affiliation with the moderate Chief <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 D&#299w&#257n and the lukewarm attitude of the executive of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 D&#299w&#257n Malaya towards the <i>Kamagata Maru</i> sufferers led to the establishment of a separate <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 D&#299w&#257n at Selangor in January 1918. The rift was complete during the annual Sikh conference held jointly by the two D&#299w&#257ns in 1919 at Penang. The dissident groups strongly disapproved of the Chief <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 D&#299w&#257n's pro-government views on the Jalli&#257&#7749v&#257l&#257 B&#257<u>gh</u> massacre and opposed the executive's proposal to remit its surplus funds to that D&#299w&#257n. Kalg&#299dhar D&#299w&#257n Malaya as a parallel central body was established in place of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 D&#299w&#257n Selangor. Annual conferences continued to be held jointly till 1927, but repeated efforts to reunite the two D&#299w&#257ns proved abortive.</p> </ol><p class="CONT">Meherv&#257n Si&#7749gh Singapore<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>