Gobind Singh Deo, an Indian-origin Sikh politician in Malaysia, has become a Cabinet minister, the first member of the minority community in the country's history to be appointed as a minister.
Deo, 45, who has been given the communications and multimedia portfolio, is among the two politicians of Indian descent included in the Pakatan Harapan coalition's Cabinet.
Deo is also the first Sikh minister in an Asian country other than India, reported Asia Samachar. The only other countries with Sikhs ministers at the federal level are India and Canada.
The other Indian-origin lawmaker is M Kulasegaran from the Democratic Action Party, who has been made the human resource minister.
Deo represents Puchong constituency in the Malaysian Parliament and is the son of late Malaysian lawyer and politician Karpal Singh, who had a formidable reputation and was nicknamed “Tiger of Jelutong,” reported the Hindustan Times.
He was sworn in during a ceremony at the National Palace on Monday, 21 May, after Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad included him in the new Cabinet.
He was first elected as an MP in the 2008 general elections. Deo was re-elected to the Lower House, with an increased margin, in 2013, and he again won this year's election with a margin of 47,635 votes.
The Punjabi community in the country has hailed the appointment of Deo as the minister.
Karambir Singh, president of the Miri Indian Association, told Hindustan Times:
It is good to see Gobind Singh, a member of the Punjabi community, in the Cabinet. It is a proud and happy occasion for our community. Other than being a recognition of his abilities, it is also a recognition for the long established Punjabi community in Malaysia.
(With inputs from PTI and Hindustan Times)