Pacific Sikh Boy Can Switch Camp: M'sia NS Chief

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Sikh boy can switch camp: M'sia NS chief

TAPAH - THE Sikh boy who claimed his hair was cut off while he was asleep at a National Service (NS) training camp has been given the option to shift to another camp.

NS Training Department director-general Datuk Abdul Hadi Awang Kechil said Basant Singh, 17, need not report back at Kem Sri Impian in Sungai Bakap, Penang, on Sunday.

Basant's family, he said, had been given two options.

'The first option is to transfer Basant to another camp to continue his training.

'The other option is for him to postpone his training.

'The department has no problem granting this if the family thinks it is the best option for their son,' he said during a visit to the Sentosa camp in Chenderiang near here on Friday. -- THE STAR/ANN

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_627167.html

 

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Related Story

Sikh youth in Malaysia given option to shift to another camp

Jaishree Balasubramanian
Kuala Lumpur, Jan 22 (PTI) A Sikh youth who claimed his hair was snipped off while he was asleep at a National Service training programme in Malaysia has been given the option to shift to another unit.

A top official of the Training department, which organises the camp to encourage friendship between youths of different ethnic groups, said initial investigations conducted by the department found no malicious act by the camp''s administration or trainees in the incident.

"The report, however, is not final. We will wait for the police to complete their investigations," NS Training Department director-general Abdul Hadi Awang Kechil said.

He said the youth Basant Singh, 17, need not report back at Kem Sri Impian camp in Penang, tomorrow.

Last Sunday Basant Singh claimed that when he woke up in the morning he had found that his 50cms of his hair had been snipped off by some unknown person.

Basant Singh''s family, he said, had been given two options. Either to transfer Basant to another camp to continue his training or to postpone his training.

"The department has no problem granting this if the family thinks it is the best option for their son," he said.

Abdul Hadi reiterated that initial investigations conducted by the department found no malicious act by the camp''s administration or trainees.

"The report, however, is not final. We will wait for the police to complete their investigations," he added.

Abdul Hadi said he would meet Union of Perak Sikh Organisations chairman Dheer Singh on Monday to discuss the issue. Meanwhile, the Malaysian National Sikhs Movement (GerakSikh) has called on the community to remain calm and let the authorities carry out a thorough investigation into the case.

Movement president Darshan Singh Gill said: "Although the incident had created unpleasantness among the Sikh community, we must not allow it to undermine the efforts of the Government to promote harmony and goodwill among the races." PTI JB

http://news.in.msn.com/international/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4829979

 

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Sikh teen to continue army training in another camp


The family of the Sikh national service trainee whose hair was snipped off as he slept at the Sungai Bakap camp has given their consent for their son to return for training at another camp soon.

The decision was made during a closed door meeting between Basant Singh's father Surinderpal Singh and the Sungai Bakap camp commandant Mej Samsudin Abdul Aziz at his home here yesterday. Both Surinderpal and Samsudin declined to talk to reporters.

It is, however, learnt that Basant will continue his training at a camp in Sungkai, Perak, starting February 6, The Star reports.

Union of Perak Sikh Organisations (Upso) media liaison officer Jaspal Singh, when contacted, said he believed the issue could be resolved amicably. (ANI)


http://www.sify.com/news/sikh-teen-...ther-camp-news-international-lb1qufghech.html