The Beginning
Gurdwara Sahib Yishun was built in Yishun New Town in 1995. Unlike the other Gurdwaras in Singapore, it sits on state land with a 30 year lease commencing from 1992, and now awaiting extension for another 30 years commencing from 2023 onwards.
While to many it may appear to be the youngest and newest compared to the 6 other Gurdwaras in Singapore, its history is as old as any of them. Its origins go back to the colonial interwar years, where 3 Gurdwaras existed in Northern Singapore during the British days, and over time got merged into one.
The origins of Gurdwara Sahib Yishun can be traced to British policy after the First World War, when Britain became rather concerned over the safety of its numerous territories in Asia, including India, Burma, Malaya and Hong Kong, as well as Australia and New Zealand, all of which Britain wanted to protect from any Japanese threat in the Pacific.
In 1919 Singapore, which is strategically located in the Strait of Malacca between the Pacific and Indian oceans, was chosen as the site of a major British naval base and an air base close by, both of which were located in Northern Singapore. The construction of the Naval Base in Sembawang began in 1923 and that of the Seletar Air Base in Jalan Kayu area shortly later.
The security of the two bases was initially undertaken by Sikh watchmen (later converted into Policemen) and it was only natural that the first thing that the Sikhs would do was to build their Gurdwaras in these places to meet their spiritual needs, where they could gather to hear the spiritual discourse and sing religious hymns in the praise of Waheguru.
Naval Base Sikh Temple
The origins of Naval Police Force Gurdwara can be traced to 1925 when Sikh security guards, employed by the British contractor, M/s Topham Jones and John Jackson, involved in building the Naval Base at Sembawang, decided to establish a small Gurdwara within its precincts. It was essentially a large room in their wooden block living quarters with an attap roof. Following an increase in the security workforce (known as Additional Police Constables), the Gurdwara subsequently shifted to and occupied an entire wooden block at 14 milestone Sembawang Road, still within the Naval Base precincts, and became known as the Police Gurdwara. It was to have an eventful history of several moves as the police force expanded in size over time.
By the 1930s the newly formed Naval Police Force comprised of over 100 policemen, who were all Sikhs, and this was to increase over time to over 500 when more Sikhs joined the force. When proper concrete blocks of living quarters were built, the Police Gurdwara shifted to Block 88 in Canberra Road. This Gurdwara closed when the Base was evacuated on 31 January 1942 and reopened in 1945 when the Naval Police Force was reorganised.
In 1950, it again temporarily relocated to a wooden block near the Royal Naval Armament Depot (RNAD) close to the accommodation quarters of most of the Sikh staff. Three years later it moved to Khalsa Crescent where an accommodation complex was built specially for the Sikh Policemen, and the ground floor of one of the blocks specially reserved to serve as a Gurdwara. Not long after that, parallel with Sikh Police accommodation shifting to a new building in View Road in 1960, the Gurdwara was again relocated to View Road, where it was officially registered as “Naval Police Sikh Temple” with the Singapore Government. It was to remain in this location until its closure in 1971 when the Naval Police Force was disbanded following the British pull-out from Singapore. The Gurdwara’s effects were then handed over to the Gurdwara Sahib Guru Khalsa Sabha in Sembawang, which also became the place of worship of the remnants of the Naval Base Police staff and their families.
The President of the Naval Police Sikh Temple used to be the most senior Sikh Police Officer. Inspector Jangir Singh Pemay (later promoted to Assistant Superintendent), the most senior Sikh officer of the Naval Base Police Force in the early days, served as President of the Police Gurdwara, succeeded later by Inspector Angad Singh Pemay. The last serving President of the Police Gurdwara was Inspector Bhagat Singh Chola Sahib.
After the withdrawal of the British in 1971, only two Gurdwaras remained operational in northern Singapore, namely Sembawang Sikh Temple and Jalan Kayu Sikh Temple.
Sembawang Sikh Temple
In addition to the uniformed Sikh policemen, there were also many civilians employed in both the bases. Because of tight security and access difficulties within the Naval Base area, civilian Sikh employees led by pioneers Hira Singh, Kishan Singh, Kajan Singh, Santa Singh and Tara Singh, decided to establish their own Gurdwara outside the Naval Base in Sembawang Road in 1936 and called it Guru Khalsa Sabha. This Gurdwara continued to function from an attap house in Sum Wah Chee Drive off Sembawang Road during the Japanese Occupation.
This Gurdwara was enlarged in 1947 and rebuilt in 1953 with plank walls sitting on a 3 feet concrete wall with a zinc roof, and able to accommodate a sangat of 200 persons.
Following approval from the Registrar of Societies, it was renamed Gurdwara Sahib in 1973 and later in April 1984 renamed as Sembawang Sikh Temple. Being the only Gurdwara in the North, it not only served the Sikhs in Sembawang, but also the Sikhs who moved into the newly built towns of Ang Mo Kio, Marsiling and Yishun.
Among the early Presidents of the Gurdwara were Sardar Hira Singh who served till 1940, Sardar Kishan Singh till 1943, and Sardar Santa Singh till 1946. Among the later Presidents were Tara Singh, Satwant Singh, Darshan Singh, Captain (Retired) Jageer Singh, Sukhdew Singh Bhaloor and LTC (Retd) Mejar Singh Gill, who was the last serving President of Sembawang Sikh Temple.
Jalan Kayu Sikh Temple
The Gurdwara Sahib Jalan Kayu traces its origins to the Sikh community which came to the area to serve in the RAF Seletar Police Force. Just as in the case of the Naval Police Sikhs, the Seletar Sikhs “Additional Police” force also set up a Police Gurdwara in their barracks in the 1930s. The Sikh civilians who worked in the Air Base also worshipped here. It functioned for about 12 years till the Japanese occupation. In 1947, after the end of the Japanese occupation, the Sikh Police Force at the RAF Base was disbanded to make way for the RAF Police to take over the duties.
The Gurdwara Sahib Jalan Kayu was then set up by Hari Singh, Puren Singh and Bood Singh in the village just outside the Air Base after the war in 1947 when the Police Force was disbanded. It was a house located at Lorong Ranting (off Jalan Kayu) which was refurbished and converted into a Gurdwara and officially registered on 10 September 1958. As in the case of Sembawang Sikh Temple, it continued to function till the early 90s when the land was acquired by the Government.
In addition to the founder members serving as the earlier Presidents, others served in that position in later years, including Inspectors Hardial Singh and Ranjit Singh who had moved into Jalan Kayu/Yio Chu Kang areas in later years. The last serving President was Mah Singh.
Amalgamation of Jalan Kayu Gurdwara and Sembawang Sikh Temple
As both temples sat on state land, it was inevitable that the time would come for them to make way for redevelopment taking place throughout Singapore. As early as the late 1970s, Sembawang Sikh Temple was granted a Temporary Occupation Licence (TOP) pending resettlement elsewhere with similar notice served on Jalan Kaya Sikh Temple not long after. In Dec 1985 Sembawang Sikh Temple was served a “Quit Notice” followed by Jalan Kayu Sikh Temple being served with a similar notice in May 1987. Both temples were, however, allowed to function from their existing sites until a new Gurdwara was ready.
The committees of the two temples got together, and after much negotiations, in May 1990, accepted the Government’s resettlement offer of a joint relocation to the site at Yishun Ring Road with a land area of approximately 1300 square metres with a title of a 30 year lease. Both the Gurdwara Sahibs were then merged leading to the establishment of the new Gurdwara Sahib Yishun.
Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee, Parliamentary Secretary for Law and Home Affairs and Member of Parliament for Sembawang laid the foundation stone of the new temple on 17 October 1993.
Construction of the $2.5 million building began in 1993 and was completed in 1995. Sardar Kartar Singh Thakral officiated at the opening ceremony of the Gurdwara Sahib on 27 August 1995.
The Gurdwara comprises a modest yet functional and economically planned two-storey building. The ground floor comprises the Langgar Hall, kitchen, and accommodation facilities for the granthis (priests). The Darbar Sahib (prayer hall), library-cum-meeting room and an office are on the first floor.
For a detailed historical account please click…
Mission
Our Gurdwara exists to propagate and inculcate Sikh teachings and values so as to lead the Sangat into a strong relationship with Waheguru (God) as well as raise awareness of Sikhism to others.
Vision
To contribute towards achieving a vibrant and inclusive Sikh Community practising the Sikh Chardi Kala way of life.
Values
To uphold the values of honesty, compassion, generosity, humility, integrity, service and spirituality on a daily basis, as propagated by our Gurus.
