Singapore (February 25, 2014): An 82-year-old Sikh has been honoured for his outstanding volunteer service in Singapore. On February 21, Surjan Singh received the Ministry of Social and Family Development Volunteers Awards for helping some 60 boys, mostly involved in petty crimes such as theft.
He is a retired teacher, had one of the longest serving volunteer probation career. He served for 42 years.
“Trust is crucial. You cannot succeed as a probation officer if they (the boys) or their parents don’t trust you,” Singh was quoted as saying by The Straits Times.
“I stuck on with this (volunteering work) because I believe that human beings are basically good. This is one way I can help in society,” said the Malaysia-born Surjan Singh, whose parents arrived in Malaya in the early 1930s.
Surjan Singh has also authored two books on “Saluting Sikh Soldiers of World War I & II”, and “Mythological and other references in Gurbani”. Singapore is rated 64 out of the 135 countries in charitable giving, according to the Singapore daily.