Singapore PM lauds Sikh community for their services during COVID-19 pandemic

Singapore, Jul 03 (PTI):
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Saturday lauded the local Sikh community for providing support to people through various assistance programmes during the COVID-19 pandemic regardless of race, religion or background. Wearing a white Sikh turban, Prime Minister Lee, who attended the inauguration ceremony of Silat Road Sikh Temple which was renovated during the pandemic, greeted the community members with a “Sat Sri Akal”.
Prime Minister Lee said that places of worship, including the Silat Road temple and other Gurdwaras, have had to cope with disruptions brought about by the pandemic. “It has been a trying time for the worshippers,” he noted. Gurdwaras, along with other places of worship, have adapted to the various COVID-19 pandemic management measures such as by live-streaming services so that devotees can still be part of a congregation, he said. “I have been even more encouraged to see the Gurdwaras rally the Sikh community to pitch in and help out during this difficult period,” Lee said, noting that they organised charity drives, provided rations, and organised various assistance programmes.
Like other religious groups, Sikh leaders helped their worshippers adjust to disruptions caused by the pandemic. To address the stresses caused by the pandemic, the Coordinating Council of Sikh Institutions commissioned a taskforce called ‘Project Akaal’ to provide support for mental health within the Sikh community of about 13,000 Sikhs.