Fluent in Terengganu dialect, Gurdeep feels accepted

KUALA TERENGGANU - When he speaks, 21-year-old Gurdeep Singh Gill sounds just like a Terengganu local-fluent and effortless in the state’s distinctive Malay dialect-despite being of Punjabi descent.

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 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 Bachelor of 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 said.

Gurdeep, who is also fluent in Mandarin, 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 Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan Chung Hwa Wei Sin,” he said.

Thanks to this linguistic ability, Gurdeep never expected to gain popularity on social media platform TikTok, where he has amassed over 46,000 followers and more than one million likes since August last year through his account @gudikganu.

It all started with a suggestion from his friends to make use of the uniqueness of a "Sikh who speaks Ganu" (Terengganu dialect). Gurdeep didn’t treat it merely as content, but rather as a platform to share knowledge about religion, culture, and to promote the beauty of Terengganu.

"At first, I got a funny question from a viewer asking if I shower wearing my turban. I replied in Terengganu dialect, joking, ‘Do you shower wearing a headscarf (tudung)?’” he said with a laugh, not realising that would be the starting point of his influencer journey.

However, even as he celebrates this "special" identity, Gurdeep also expressed concern - his family is the only one still residing in the state, after his great-grandfather, Chigara Singh, migrated from Punjab, India to Terengganu in 1954, while other relatives have moved abroad.

"Why is it sad? Because like in Kelantan, there used to be Sikh families, but now, I hear there are none left, even though a gurdwara (place of worship) still exists there.

"In Terengganu, there's no gurdwara. We usually go to Kuantan, Pahang, where there is a place of worship and a larger Sikh community. So, I’m not sure what the future holds for Sikhs in this state, since as far as I know, there are only two Sikh families here," he said.

At the same time, Gurdeep also encourages his non-Malay friends to learn their local dialects, and for Malays to learn the languages of other ethnic groups, as a symbol of true unity.

"Make friends with everyone, regardless of race. It’s comfortable staying in your own circle, but that doesn’t help you grow. My message is that we all need to come together to ensure our local dialects don't disappear - and no one should be saying only you can speak Ganu or Perak dialects," he said. - BERNAMA