Sikh youth breaks barriers with ‘Ganu' and Mandarin

The Star

02-05-2025

Proud of his roots: Gurdeep showing off his Terengganu football jersey. — Bernama
KUALA TERENGGANU: He is one of a handful of Sikhs living in Terengganu.
But Gurdeep Singh Gill has another claim to fame: besides being fluent in Mandarin, he speaks effortlessly in the state's distinctive Malay dialect.
Growing up as part of a minority community in a state famed for its beautiful beaches, Gurdeep's fluency in the Terengganu dialect has both impressed many and drawn curious stares.
The second of three siblings, Gurdeep, 21, said he has long been accustomed to such attention since childhood and never considered it an intrusion.
Instead, he sees it as a 'privilege' to be able to speak the rich local dialect of the east coast state.
Thanks to his fluency, the first-year business administration student at a private university said he has never felt left out, even though, to his knowledge, there are only two Sikh families living in Terengganu, including his own.
'Of course, with this ability, I feel I'm quite 'rare'. It's like I'm a minority within a minority – a Sikh who speaks the Terengganu dialect. This ability also helps me feel no different from the Malay majority in this state.
'When you can speak the Terengganu dialect fluently, it makes daily life here much easier, especially when dealing with the elderly who are very accustomed to the local dialect,' he told Bernama.
Gurdeep, who is fluent in Mandarin as well, said growing up in a Malay-majority neighbourhood and having close friends from various races, particularly Malays and Chinese, made it easy for him to pick up the Terengganu dialect.
At home, he said his family typi­cally speaks Punjabi, but they often mix in Terengganu Malay in certain situations – usually without even realising it.
'I'm actually more comfortable speaking in the Terengganu dialect. But with my Chinese friends, I sometimes speak Mandarin so I don't forget it. I used to study at SMK(C) Chung Hwa Wei Sin,' he said.