Bishan Singh s/o Ram Singh ( pa, ਬਿਸ਼ਨ ਸਿੰਘ, Biśana sigha; May 31, 1944 - November 29, 2006) was a

Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...

n social activist and

environmentalist An environmentalist is a person who is concerned with and/or advocates for the protection of the environment. An environmentalist can be considered a supporter of the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that se ...

Background

Born in

Nibong Tebal Nibong Tebal ( Jawi: نيبوڠ تبل) is one of the major towns of the city of Seberang Perai, Penang, Malaysia. Located at the northern bank of the Kerian River in South Seberang Perai District, it is the southernmost populated place of Pena ...

Penang Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...

, Bishan Singh had a Masters in Development Management from the Asian Institute of Management,

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

. He graduated as a Dean Scholar. His journey had been meaningful as he did not have a bachelor's degree. Bishan Singh spearheaded a campaign to save

Tasik Chini Chini Lake, better known locally as Tasik Chini, is a lake in Pekan District, Pahang, Malaysia. The lake shores are inhabited by the Jakun branch of the Orang Asli. The Tasik Chini is the second largest fresh water lake in Peninsular Malaysia an ...

, a famous lake in

Pahang Pahang (;Jawi alphabet, Jawi: , Pahang Hulu Malay: ''Paha'', Pahang Hilir Malay: ''Pahaeng'', Ulu Tembeling Malay: ''Pahaq)'' officially Pahang Darul Makmur with the Arabic honorific ''Darul Makmur'' (Jawi: , "The Abode of Tranquility") is a ...

which is also Malaysia's largest freshwater lake, and received strong support from the private sector. To him, the lake was special in many ways and had been in love with the lake since his secondary school days and wanted it to be revived. Bishan Singh was president of Fomca and the Pahang Consumers Association. He also served as a Kuantan municipal councillor for a few terms. During his presidency of the Pahang Consumers Association, he and his team build it to be the largest consumer association in the World. He held the presidency of the Sustainable Development Network and was a board member of the Pesticide Action Network, Asia Pacific. He had offered his services in consultancy for more than 20 years in 22 countries. His efforts did not go unnoticed and he was the first recipient of the Consumer Advocate Award, and most recently was named the recipient of Langkawi Award by the

Yang di-Pertuan Agong The Yang di-Pertuan Agong (, Jawi: ), also known as the Supreme Head of the Federation, the Paramount Ruler or simply as the Agong, and unofficially as the King of Malaysia, is the constitutional monarch and head of state of Malaysia. The of ...

Death

Bishan Singh died at 6.43am at the Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital on November 29, 2006, aged 62; the cause of death was listed as

pulmonary embolism Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a blockage of an pulmonary artery, artery in the lungs by a substance that has moved from elsewhere in the body through the bloodstream (embolism). Symptoms of a PE may include dyspnea, shortness of breath, chest pain p ...

. His wife Mary Wai, 66, and children Sunitha, 35, and Jeevan Ram, 33, were by his side. Fomca secretary-general Muhammad Sha'ani Abdullah described Singh's death as a “great loss to the nation and NGO community”.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Bishan 1944 births 2006 deaths Malaysian environmentalists Malaysian people of Indian descent Malaysian people of Punjabi descent Malaysian Sikhs People from Penang Deaths from pulmonary embolism Asian Institute of Management alumni