Author: Rilek1Corner

Indonesia And Saudi Arabia Agreed To Promote A Moderate Version Of Islam

For decades Wahhabism, the strict strain of Islam that promotes a literal interpretation of the Quran, has been Saudi Arabia’s predominant faith, and since the 1970s the oil-rich kingdom has been generous in sending funds to other Muslim countries to promote this conservative version of Islam.

Now that Wahhabism has been linked with radicalism and even terrorism, the Saudi government has stepped up its campaign to counter that perception and the state visit of King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to Indonesia, where religious conservatism has gained ground alongside frequent terrorist attacks, was part of the public relations campaign. After dealing with business on the first day of his visit, King Salman on Thursday kicked off his charm offensive in a speech during a 30-minute special session at the House of Representatives, calling for a united front to deal with what he termed “a clash of civilizations” and terrorism.

“The challenges that the Muslim community and the world in general faces, like terrorism and the clash of civilizations and the lack of respect for a country’s sovereignty, require us to unite in dealing with these challenges,” the monarch said in his two-minute speech, which was interrupted by rounds of applause from members of the House and guests, including former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and former vice president Try Sutrisno.

Later in his meetings with leaders of the country’s major Islamic organizations, the octogenarian king promoted a tolerant version of Islam as the key in the fight against terrorism and radicalism.

Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifudin, who had organized the meeting, said Indonesia and Saudi Arabia agreed to promote a moderate version of Islam.

“The two countries have come to an understanding that we would prioritize the promotion of Islam as rahmatan lil alamin [blessing for the universe]. What is needed to maintain the stability of global civilization is the moderation of Islam,” said Lukman, who joined the 30-minute session at the State Palace on Wednesday. President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo attended.

During the session, three Muslim scholars were given the chance to speak directly to the monarch, including Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) chairman Maruf Amin, who issued an edict last year calling for the prosecution of Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahja Purnama for allegedly insulting the Quran.

Earlier on Wednesday, King Salman and President Jokowi witnessed the signing of 11 agreements, including one addressing the issue of transnational crimes and global extremism, radicalism and terrorism.

To further bolster its counterterrorism campaign, the Saudi government offered free haj trips for family members of personnel of the National Police’s counterterrorism squad Densus 88 who were killed while on duty.

To further burnish his credentials as a promoter of moderate Islam, King Salman is expected to hold an interfaith forum on Friday, shortly before departing for Brunei Darussalam.

Despite the visiting monarch’s pledge to join efforts to counter radicalism, the Saudi government continues to promote its conservative brand of Islam.

Saudi Arabia is likely to step up its campaign to spread its version of Islam as it plans to open new campuses of the Saudi-funded Islamic and Arabic College of Indonesia (LIPIA) in Makassar, Surabaya and Medan.

Currently, LIPIA only has a campus in Jakarta.

Students studying at LIPIA will pay no tuition fees, as they receive Saudi-funded scholarships. Students will also receive a monthly stipend while studying at the institute.

The college is known for graduating students ingrained with the conservative strain of Islam, including convicted terrorist Aman Abdurrahman, who has been known for his efforts to spread Islamic State (IS) movement propaganda.

Alongside the Indonesian Society for the Propagation of Islam (DDII), LIPIA has been the primary beneficiary of Saudi funding in the country.

Human rights groups have expressed concerns that conservative clerics in the country are promoting an agenda that conforms with the ideals of Wahabbism, including the call for the persecution of minority Muslim groups like Shiites and Ahmadiyah members.

In Malaysia, where the visiting Saudi monarch agreed to invest US$7 billion in an oil refinery, the daughter of former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, Marina Mohamad, lashed out against what she called Arab colonialism.

Source: JakartaPost

March 3, 2017
Penyanyi Pop Yeh Yeh M. Ishak Meninggal Dunia

Penyanyi pop yeh yeh era 60-an dan 70-an, M. Ishak, yang popular dengan lagu ‘Yale Yale’, meninggal dunia pada usia 72 tahun, 11.30 malam tadi (2 Feb).

Anak sulung beliau, Mohd Nazaruddin, 42 tahun, atau dikenali sebagai Zack, memberitahu BERITAMediacorp bahawa Allahyarham, yang nama sebenarnya ialah Mohamed Isahak Shaik Mohamed, menghembuskan nafas terakhir di Hospis Dover Park.

Allahyarham meninggal dunia setelah bertarung dengan penyakit barah tahap empat, yang disahkan dihidapinya sekitar sebulan lalu.

Encik Zack ketika dihubungi BERITAMediacorp berkata kali terakhir bapanya membuat persembahan ialah di Kuala Lumpur pada Januari lalu.

Ketika itu, katanya, Allahyarham kelihatan masih sihat dan mampu menyanyi seperti biasa, namun setelah pulang ke Singapura, beliau mengadu sakit tekak dan disahkan menghidapi barah tahap empat.

DIBERITAHU BAPA HANYA ADA 6 BULAN UNTUK HIDUP

“Penyakit ini datang mendadak. Doktor beritahu kami bapa hanya ada 6 bulan untuk hidup, namun barahnya cepat merebak,” kata Encik Zack, yang bekerja sendiri.

Kata Encik Zack, setelah itu Allahyarham dirawat di Hospital Tan Tock Seng selama lima hari sebelum dibenarkan pulang.

Namun akibat sudah tidak tahan sakit, Allahyarham kembali ke TTSH.

Keadaan beliau semakin tenat dan doktor mengesahkan penyakit barah yang dihidapinya sudah merebak ke bahagian leher dan otak, malah berat badannya susut, kata Encik Zack lagi.

Allahyarham dirawat di TTSH sekitar tiga minggu sebelum dipindahkan ke Hospis Dover Park, sekitar seminggu sebelum menghembuskan nafas terakhir, kata anak sulungnya itu.

Kata Encik Zack, kali terakhir beliau bercakap dengan bapanya itu adalah sekitar dua hari lalu.

“HANYA SEBUT IBU…IBU..”

“Arwah tak cakap banyak, hanya berulang kali sebut ibu, ibu… Selepas itu beliau tidak mampu menjawab kerana ulser dalam tekaknya. Beliau tak sempat beri sebarang pesanan,” ujarnya kepada BERITAMediacorp.

Encik Zack berkata mungkin bapanya sudah lama rasa sakit, cuma tidak memaklumkan anak-anaknya dan hanya menahan sakit hingga keadaannya semakin teruk.

Beliau berkata bapanya seorang yang murah hati dan menganggap menyanyi sebagai hobinya, hingga sering menerima tawaran menyanyi di majlis kahwin, konsert, Expo, dan lain lagi.

“Dia orangnya tak campur hal orang lain, hobinya hanya menyanyi. Dia tak berkira dan murah hati. Kalau dibayar nyanyi satu lagu, beliau akan nyanyi 2 hingga 3 lagu,” kata Encik Zack lagi.

Seorang lagi anaknya, Masjuri M. Ishak dalam Facebooknya menulis: “Halal kan makan minum beliau dan maafkan kesalahan beliau semasa hayatnya.”

Menurut Encik Zack, jenazah Allahyarham akan disolatkan di Masjid Khadijah tengah hari ini, sebelum dikebumikan selepas solat Jumaat.

Allahyarham meninggalkan seorang balu, empat anak dan 13 cucu.

Jatt Ali (Black Dog Bones) juga menulis di Facebooknya bahawa “sahabat seperjuangan penyanyi pop yeh yeh” itu sudah kembali ke Rahmatullah.

PERKAMUS dalam Facebooknya pada 3 Februari memuat naik gambar Yusnor Ef mengunjungi dan memberikan sedikit sumbangan kepada M. Ishak di TTSH yang terlantar sakit, sambil meminta orang ramai mendoakan agar beliau pulih.

Berita Harian Malaysia pada 1 Februari lalu, menukil kakak Allahyarham, Sadiah, 73 tahun, melaporkan barah paru-paru yang dihidapi Allahyarham sudah mula merebak ke bahagian leher, menyebabkannya hilang selera untuk makan.

“Lebih menyedihkan, doktor mengatakan jangkitan itu mungkin mula menyerang bahagian otak dan ia menyebabkannya kadang kala menjadi pelupa,” kata beliau kepada BHM ketika itu.

Menurut Cik Sadiah lagi, M. Ishak masih aktif menyanyi di Malaysia dan Singapura meskipun usianya sudah mencecah lebih tujuh dekad.

Allahyarham pernah menerbitkan dua album iaitu The Young Lovers (1967) dan Joget Si Hitam Manis (1970).

Source: BeritaMediacorp

March 3, 2017
Gay American Lecturer Jailed For Lying About HIV Status, Qualifications

He pretended to be a professor of child psychology and lied to the authorities about his HIV status to get jobs at local polytechnics.

He even used his lover’s blood for an HIV test so that it would test negative for the condition.

Over about eight years, American citizen Mikhy K. Farrera-Brochez, 32, committed offences including cheating, lying to a public servant, possessing drugs and using forged educational certificates.

Yesterday, he was sentenced to 28 months’ jail. He pleaded guilty to six charges, with 17 taken into consideration. Three other charges, which had been taken into consideration, were later stood down to be mentioned at a later date.

In 2008, Farrera-Brochez moved to Singapore, a year after he began a romantic relationship with a local doctor, general practitioner Ler Teck Siang, 35.

To apply for an Employment Pass (EP) to stay in the country with his lover, he submitted an HIV negative blood test result to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in March that year.

However, Farrera-Brochez, who is HIV positive, had used Dr Ler’s blood for the test by visiting a clinic in Commonwealth where Ler was on duty.

Ler had drawn the blood from his arm that day and labelled the test tube holding his blood with Farrera-Brochez’s particulars.

MOM then issued Farrera-Brochez with an EP, and he later worked as polytechnic lecturer teaching psychology and early childhood education.

He similarly duped the authorities in 2013 when he tried to apply for a Personalised Employment Pass (PEP), which would let him change employers without applying for a new EP.

He was also found guilty of possession and consumption of ketamine and amphetamine in May last year. Investigations further revealed his educational certificates, including a doctorate degree in psychology and education from the University of Paris, were forged.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Suhas Malhotra said he had conspired with Ler to falsify the test results.

“His conduct evinces a blatant disregard for the authority of our laws,” he said

Ler, who is also facing charges, has not been dealt with.

Source: www.tnp.sg

March 2, 2017
PRC GrabHitch Driver Pulled Down Lady’s Skirt After She Refused To Pay $2 ERP Charge

My nightmare with Grabhitch experience. Dear All, this post has been posted to warn the public of my upsetting experience with Grabhitch just yesterday evening. *This post is 100% true and has been written by my personal experience, If it has accounted to defame to any company/person, it has been done to warn of others danger.

I have been a passenger with Grab for at least 2 years and had at least 200 rides with them. But my experience yesterday might be a change to everything. Yesterday evening at 6.50pm, my Grabhitch arrived and picked me up at my designated venue. Below is an attached screenshot of my booking.

The whole ride was smooth until when I was about to alight, the china Grabhitch driver demanded for me to pay an additional $2 for the ERP incurred during the trip.

As i chose Grabpay, I told the driver to add into the payment and it will be deducted. He then told me that Grabhitch will not allow the deduction as:

1) the driver clearly knows he is NOT allowed to collect tolls from me
2) Grabhitch has made clear to all their Hitch drivers that tolls are to be beared by drivers
3) Which means the amount deducted from my credit card already INCLUDED the ERP.

So, when I told him that he can follow up the matter with Grab, he flared up. When i was alighting, he pulled my bandage skirt down with a huge force causing my skirt to reach my knees. With the force exerted, i returned into the car after my foot planted. (FYI, I was sitting on the passenger’s sit behind on the left) Being shocked and humiliated this way, I screamed at the china driver in mandarin

” How can you just pull someone’s skirt down? ” He did not release his hands from my skirt and still held on to them with force, and continued demanding for the $2 cash. I was totally fine about paying the additional $2 and did not argue about it with him.

But after what he did, pulling my skirt down to my panties and NOT even trying to get out of the car to settle peacefully… i really am lost of words. If some of you might think he was trying to grab hold of me and accidentally pulled my skirt down, NO.

He still continue pulling and holding firmly to my skirt which was already down to my knees while arguing! I just kept screaming at him to let go and when he finally did..

I was in shock and trembling and what i wanted was to just quickly alight that car and stop that guy from having any contact with me. So i quickly tried to step out of the car on the passenger door on the left.

When the driver saw me putting my leg out, he started moving the car! How dangerous is that? I was wearing heels and he just moved the car when my leg is already out of the car.

The whole situation happened at Hong Kong Street. At that moment being so flustered, i actually still left the car while the vehicle is still moving as i really cant imagine what would he do to me next.

I quickly regained my balance and pulled up my skirt and i saw some Valet nearby and shouted in mandarin for their help. “can u all come over n help me? he just pulled me skirt down!!”

but the valet just stood there and stared LOL. In the mean time, the china driver heard and he immediately drove the car away with the passenger door still open. The valet that stood there and NOT bothering to help, is from the company Valet Uncle.

SUPER dissapointed and shameful for them. After i got down the car, i was extremely emotionally unstable and broke down. I dialed for the police and they sent me down to cantonment immediately.

The driver tried calling me 5 times after he fled, my mom called back and he cursed our family with full of vulgarities and for my whole family to die. And said he would not be afraid for the police to catch him. Someone which is not remorseful and thinks that Singapore is like his homeland. As of now, Report has been done and authorities has been informed and to be followed up.

The driver has been banned, and i am really distressed by the situation. Is Grabhitch really that safe to use? You determine. I hope i put across a message that would help prevent future similar incidents.

Source: www.allsingaporestuff.com

March 2, 2017
American Sexual Predator Preyed On Young Teenage Girls In Singapore,

Harbouring a fetish for young girls, a 39-year-old man used social media platforms to lure victims, then secretly filmed them engaging in sexual acts with him to add to his stash of child pornography videos.

Joshua Robinson, who successfully preyed on two 15-year-olds between September 2013 and June 2015, was on Thursday (March 2) sentenced to four years’ jail, as the judge described him as a sexual predator.

When the law caught up with Robinson, officers who raided his apartment found 5,902 obscene films, of which 321 videos featured children between the ages of 2 and 16. This is believed to be the largest child pornography video collection seized from one person in Singapore.

Robinson, a mixed-martial arts instructor, faced 29 charges in total, ranging from sexual penetration of a minor to making an obscene film. The prosecution proceeded with nine of these charges, with the remaining taken into consideration during sentencing.

In March 2015, the American used the pseudonym “Tristan” to contact a 15-year-old girl on a social media website. He told her she looked good, and asked for more photographs of herself. The conversation ended after she declined his request.

Months later, she posted a drawing online, and he contacted her again to praise her artwork. They exchanged numbers thereafter.

He claimed that he was 27, and told the girl that he had a fetish for young girls in uniform.

“I have wanted to find as young as possible. I think 13 would be ultimate. But 15 is youngest,” he said in a text message to her.

When she said that she was insecure about her weight, he told her that he accepted the fact. “He took full advantage of her own insecurity about her body image … so that he would get emotionally closer to the victim,” said Deputy Public Prosecutor Nicholas Lai.

During the third week of June, Robinson said that there was no point in chatting online unless they met up. He instructed her to wear her school uniform without underwear and met her at Clarke Quay MRT Station on the morning of June 23, before they went to his apartment at Upper Circular Road. In the apartment, he filmed the sexual acts that he performed on her.

“As (she) was engaged in sexual activity with the accused, she noticed that he was using his handphone at all times. She was unaware of what he was doing at first and assumed he was just ‘multi-tasking’ on his handphone,” said DPP Lai.

After the meet-up, she had a mental breakdown and filed a police report.

During investigations, the police found 12 obscene videos of Robinson with another 15-year-old girl on his laptop. It turned out that he got to know her from a dating website in 2013.

They had at least three sexual encounters between September 2013 and September 2014.

While Robinson was on police bail, he showed a six-year-old girl an obscene video of himself at a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gym at Peace Centre. On July 27, 2015, the girl had accompanied her father to the gym, and as he trained, Robinson approached her to show her the obscene video.

DPP Lai described Robinson as a prowler on the internet who sexually groomed and morally corrupted his young victims.

“The victims were 15 years old when the accused, who was two-and-a-half times their age at the material time, coaxed them into performing sexual acts with him… From the get go, the accused had preyed on the victims’ youth, naivety and vulnerability to satiate his sexual lust,” said the prosecutor.

Agreeing with the prosecution, District Judge Crystal Ong said that Robinson demonstrated a propensity for committing sexual acts with young girls, although a psychiatrist ruled out any mental illness such as pedophilia.

Defence lawyer Mervyn Tan acknowledged that it was wrong to use social media to “lure and attract” victims. But he also argued that the films in Robinson’s possession were for private consumption, and not meant for circulation.

Source: www.todayonline.com

March 2, 2017