KUALA LUMPUR: For the first time in the Malaysian history, a Sikh has become a federal minister.
Puchong Member of Parliament Gobind Singh Deo was named as the Communications and Multimedia Minister and was sworn in at the National Palace earlier tonight.
Gobind, 45, the son of the late Karpal Singh, made history after Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad included his name in the list of the new Cabinet.
Karpal is a household name in the country. His reputation as a lawyer and opposition politician gave him the nickname "the Tiger of Jelutong". He unfortunately died in a car accident in 2014.
According to website Asia Samachar, Gobind is also the first Sikh minister in Asia outside India, and that the only other nations that have Sikhs as ministers at the national level were India and Canada.
Gobind was elected as a MP after the 2008 general election, unseating the Barisan Nasional incumbent Lau Yeng Peng.
He was re-elected into the Lower House, with an increased margin, during the 2013 general election and he again won big in the recent 2018 polls with 47,635 majority.