President Tharman Shanmugaratnam joined the Sikh community on July 6 to commemorate the centennial celebration of the Silat Road Sikh Temple (SRST), highlighting its “special place” in Singapore’s history.
Mr Tharman unveiled a mural that depicts the history of the gurdwara (sikh temple) and the Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji Memorial over the years, capturing its links with the Straits Settlement Police Force.
The gurdwara, he said, was founded to serve the first wave of Sikhs who were brought to Singapore by the British colonial government – from the early 1880s – to serve as policemen.
“Since its founding a century ago, the temple has been a steadfast symbol of the Sikh faith and culture,” the president said in his speech.
“It has also long had special significance as home to the memorial for Bhai Maharaj Singh Ji, the revered Sikh freedom fighter against British colonialism in India who was exiled to Singapore as a prisoner and died in captivity here.
“Yet it is a matter of pride not just for Sikhs, but for all of us as Singaporeans, that the faith and culture of the Sikhs – a minority within the Indian minority – continues to thrive in our country.”
Mr Tharman added that the story of the Sikhs says much about Singapore.
“We are a place where people of all races and religions can practice what they hold dear, while interacting freely with each other and contributing to Singapore’s progress.
“Where the majority community does not seek to dominate over the minorities, or elbow them out of public life… where the minorities do not merely see themselves as minorities, or live in their own spheres, but seek to contribute to the broader Singapore community.”
The temple has a storied history. It officially opened in 1924, two years after the purchase of the land where it currently stands at Jalan Bukit Merah.
It was the first gurdwara in Singapore whose architecture included a traditional Sikh dome.
During World War II, SRST housed the widows and families of Sikh soldiers killed in action. After the war, while some of these families returned to India, the temple continued to provide accommodation to Sikhs in transit from India to Hong Kong and Shanghai, and to the newly migrated local Sikhs – a role it played until the 1990s.
Today, the temple continues to provide religious activities to the devotees and runs a significant community kitchen that operates seven days a week. It was particularly active during the Covid-19 lockdowns, serving thousands of meals a day to people of all races.
“Over the years, the temple has been instrumental in fostering understanding of the Sikh community and its traditions, promoting interfaith harmony and serving as a conduit between the Sikh community and the wider Singapore community, thereby making an indelible contribution to inter-religious harmony and nation-building,” said Mr Gurdip Singh Usma, president of the Central Sikh Gurdwara Board.
The event, which also comprised a bhangra performance before the mural unveiling, was attended by some 200 people, including Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah and Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh.
Ms Indranee lauded the temple’s dedication to serving society, emphasising its role as a symbol of Singapore’s harmonious blend of different races and religions.
“The fact that the temple has been here for (100 years) and still serving the community and having people of all races coming to visit is testimony to Singapore’s cultural, religious and multiracial diversity,” Ms Indranee said.
