The Singapore Pages:

Exploring the island, past and present

According to the census of 2010, Singapore has more than 12,000 Sikhs. If you’re keen to find out about this community, “Sikhs in Singapore – A Story Untold” is an exhibition running until 30 September at the Indian Heritage Centre.

About Sikhism

• Sikhism or Sikhi, is the fifth largest organised religion, and one of the youngest major religions in the world; it originated in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent in the 15th century.

• There are thought to be around 25 to 30 million Sikhs in the world.

• The word Sikh is perhaps derived from the Pali word “sikkha” or the Sanskrit word “shishya”, meaning disciple.

• Sikhs consider themselves disciples of the ten Gurus, or spiritual guides of the faith.

Most of the first Sikhs who came to Singapore were employed in police and security work. In 1879, a Sikh Contingent was formed within the Straits Settlements Police. Recruitment was strictly controlled: only Khalsa Sikhs from the Punjab region could be considered; they had to be under 25, with a minimum height of 1.68 metres and minimum chest measurement of 84cm.

By the first few decades of the 20th century, the Sikh community had grown beyond just their martial role. Successful Sikh businesspeople were trading textiles, food, electronics, sports goods and more.

Did you know?

Sport is an integral part of Sikh culture, and tournaments set up for hockey, cricket and football in the 1940s still continue to this day. For example, the Gurdwara Cup is an inter-state league of multisport teams from Malaysia and Singapore – this year’s edition is the 69th.

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