Karamjit Singh – The Flying Sikh Malaysia Forgot
Karamjit Singh – The Flying Sikh Malaysia Forgot
The only World Champion Malaysia ever produced in motorsports… yet we let him drive Grab to survive.
By: Amarjeet Singh @ AJ
There are some Malaysian names that should live forever. Names that should be written in gold, taught in schools, and carved into our national memory — not because they were lucky, but because they fought the entire world and won.
One of those names is Karamjit Singh.
A boy who watched Ari Vatanen rally on a grainy cassette tape and told himself silently:
“One day, I want to be like that.”
No sponsors. No fancy cars. No government programs. Just a dream, a father’s old Peugeot, and a hunger that burned like fire.
A Malaysian who literally outran the world
While most of us watched racing only on TV, Karamjit was out there beating Subaru, Mitsubishi, Toyota and the world’s biggest rally teams.
And in 2002, something Malaysia should have celebrated forever happened:
He became World Champion.
Not Asia. Not Southeast Asia. World. Champion.
Production World Rally Championship (PWRC). The only Asian in history to ever do it.
And that year in Monte Carlo, the whole world watched Michael Schumacher walk up on stage as F1 World Champion.
Right after him — Karamjit Singh walked the same stage, as Asia Pacific Rally Champion and PWRC World Champion.
Just imagine that.
A Malaysian boy from Prang Besar, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the greatest racing names on earth.
But when his career was burning at its brightest… his country went dark.
Sponsors disappeared. Funding dried up. Regulations changed. His race car was even left stranded overseas because he couldn’t afford to ship it home.
And when the media asked if he would quit, he said something that should have shaken the whole nation:
“If Malaysia doesn’t want me, its ok, i need to seek job's elesewhere to support myself & my passion.”
Instead of honouring him, we made him pay FIA penalties out of his own pocket.
We watched him sell his home. Sell his car. Empty his savings. All so he could continue racing with the Malaysian flag on his chest.
He refused charity. He refused pity. He refused to beg.
What more do we want from a patriot?
Then came the ultimate humiliation.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, with no races, no sponsorships, no income and no real support, our World Champion — the same man who once made Malaysia famous globally — had to drive Grab just to survive.
Let that sink in.
The Flying Sikh. World Champion. Grab driver.
If that doesn’t cut deep into our national conscience, what will?
And yet… he never stopped fighting
At 60 years old, he still wins. He still competes. He still trains younger drivers for free. He still believes Malaysia can rise again. He still dreams of bringing big rally championships back to our soil.
But his one hope is simple:
“I want the next generation to fly higher than me.”
And once again, he gives everything, while Malaysia gives almost nothing.
Karamjit Singh is not just a rally driver.
He is proof of something bigger: that Malaysia could have been a motorsport powerhouse if we believed in our own people.
He showed the world what we could become — but instead of backing him, we turned away.
Countries like Japan, China, Finland, the UK and Australia celebrate their champions forever.
We make ours struggle just to survive.
Why?
Terbang (The Flying Sikh) – when cinema reminds us what reality chose to forget
Come Merdeka 2026, Malaysians will watch his story on the big screen. A film titled “Terbang”, directed by Chiu Keng Guan (of Ola Bola fame) and produced by Astro Shaw and Woohoo Pictures, will retell the journey of this extraordinary son of Malaysia. The role of Karamjit will be played by Irfan Zaini, known for his character Malik in Blood Brothers.
I applied for the role, they said i was to cute for the role... he he he...In the cinema, we will clap, cheer, maybe even wipe tears.
But here is the honest, painful question:
Will we only honour him after he’s gone?
Do we really need a movie to remind us of our own hero? Is a film the only way we remember? Why aren’t we doing something while he is still here?
He could rebuild more than just his own legacy – he could rebuild ours
Karamjit Singh is no ordinary ex-athlete. He is a walking library of world-class experience, data, reflex mastery, mechanical understanding, race strategy, precision, mental endurance and real-world survival at international level.
At 60+, he is still beating younger drivers.
Read that again.
What does that tell us?
That talent never expired. Commitment never expired. Skill never expired. Malaysia just stopped supporting him.
And here comes the part people don’t realise:
Karamjit would be an asset to any serious team or organisation.
He would be a priceless asset to any team or company involved in:
- Developing future drivers
- Running motorsport academies
- Building youth development programs
- Automotive testing and R&D
- Driver safety and advanced driving courses
- Corporate performance, resilience and mindset training
He is not just a “retired racer”. He is a mentor, a technical brain, a race strategist, a teacher of mental toughness and a man who has seen up close how champions are actually made.
At this age, he can still sit in your car, guide your drivers, shape your race team, talk to your engineers, inspire your staff, and walk into any training room as a brother-figure who has been there, done that, and survived it all.
He is the kind of person who can be:
- A mentor and “big brother” to young drivers
- A performance coach for motorsport programs
- A national team advisor
- A corporate ambassador for automotive brands
- A real-life example in leadership and high-performance training
Imagine what he could build if companies, GLCs, or ministries truly backed him:
- A Malaysian rally school
- A national motorsport academy
- A proper youth-to-pro driver development pathway
- Corporate driver training & safety programs
- A structured national rally team program
- Bringing back the Asia Pacific Rally Championship to Malaysia
He has already been training young drivers for free — without salary, without corporate sponsorship, without government allocation — because belief is stronger than money.
Now imagine what he could do with support.
Why would any serious Malaysian organisation ignore him?
We literally have the ONLY Malaysian who:
- became World Champion
- competed against the best in the world
- beat factory teams
- mastered international rally terrains
- survived extreme racing conditions
- still maintains physical fitness
- still wins rallies
- still cares about Malaysia
And instead of placing him at the centre of our national motorsport development…
We let him drive Grab.
If you are a company, a motorsport organisation, a youth development agency, a GLC, an automotive manufacturer, a state government, or a national ministry reading this:
You don’t need to hire a foreign name. The Champion you need is already Malaysian.
But do we recognise him? Or do we wait until another country does?
This is bigger than just one man
If a world champion can be forgotten, what does that say about our values?
If excellence is ignored, how do we tell our children to chase greatness?
If Karamjit Singh remains unsupported, why should any young Malaysian ever dream big again?
Because when a nation fails its own heroes, it doesn’t just lose a champion. It loses belief in itself.
He is a national treasure
A true Malaysian. A true champion. A true patriot. And yes — an unsung hero.
But heroes don’t need medals. Heroes need recognition. Heroes need respect. Heroes need a nation that stands behind them.
The question is…
Will Malaysia finally stand with him?
Tribute by: Amarjeet Singh @ AJ
For every Malaysian child who dares to dream.
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