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SGD Is Strong But Singaporeans Should Be Humble And Not Be A Dick In Malaysia

Ringgit falls to record Low. One SGD is now 3 RM.

There are just so many things going on that it really reflected quite badly on us Singaporeans as a group. A recent trip to JB was quite uneventful, thankfully. There was no traffic jams as it was a weekday, and the immigration officer (on both sides) were quite happy, yet bored, to just routinely scan and stamp our passports.

As we passed the checkpoints, our stomach growled and we had our breakfast at the R&R along the expressway. The tudung-ed makcik at the foodstall lost her smile as she spied us approaching. Her face changed to a “RBF” that supermodels would be proud to flaunt but was definitely out of place in a supposedly welcoming Malay society.
“Nasi Lemak Ayam: RM6”

You could see on the signboards peppered around the stall that prices have been adjusted abit too frequently. A faded RM3.50 shadowed a pink shade for RM4.50 before the current price of RM6. As she took the order, her hands moved with mechanical memory, taking the ikan bilis and chicken and the sambal to garnish the fragrant pandan rice. As we made our way to the table, I spied a smile on her face once more as she attended to a man in PLUS Ronda Overalls looking to purchase his own breakfast.
He didn’t buy it immediately like we did, he looked around and pondered the dishes, he glanced, twice, at the contents of his beaten and aged leather wallet.

I turned to purchase drinks.

As I made my payment for drinks, the stereotypical plea came.

“Bang, ada duit kecik?” (Bro, do you have small change?)

But it didn’t sound like he meant it tho’. It seemed like he already knew my negative answer, and this was just a formality to see if I actually did have change. I rummaged through my wallet and managed to at least get 20 cents, which would make the return change easier.

As I left the drinks stall, I looked at him once more.

Source: www.allsingaporestuff.com

September 1, 2015
Thousands Signs Petition To Help Sisters Sentenced To Gang Rape

Over 120,000 signatures have been collected for a petition to help two sisters from India who were sentenced to be gang raped by their village elders.

The sentence was handed down by a council of men in the village of Sankrot in Baghpat district, Uttar Pradesh, on July 30 after the girls’ brother eloped with a married woman from a higher caste.

According to The Telegraph, the man’s family is said to be from the “Dalit” caste, known as the “untouchables”, while the woman is from the “Jat caste”.

Meenakshi Kumari, 23, and her 15-year-old sister, who has not been named, had been sentenced to be raped and paraded naked with their faces blackened, for their brother’s crime, reportedTime.com.

They ran away to the capital and submitted a petition for protection to the Supreme Court, but face arrest if they return home, said Mail Online.

A petition to demand justice for the sisters was started by human rights group Amnesty International.

On its site, the group said: “Nothing could justify this abhorrent punishment. It’s not fair. It’s not right. And it’s against the law. Demand that the local authorities intervene immediately.”

Source: www.tnp.sg

August 31, 2015
Thai Bombing Suspect ‘Not Cooperative’

The foreigner arrested on suspicion of involvement in the deadly Aug 17 bombing is not cooperating with investigators, Thai police said.

As the 28-year-old is believed to be part of a network, the security agencies are expanding their hunt, based on mobile phone records, for others behind the blast that killed 20 people, 12 of them foreigners.

Yesterday, police searched another house in the Minburi district, close to where last Saturday’s arrest took place, and found more bomb- making materials.

Security agencies downplayed the view held by many analysts that the blast was an act of international terrorism, saying that while no motive is being ruled out, the man who was arrested could be part of a people-smuggling group, acting in a feud.

“Security forces have always been reluctant to define something as terrorism, for domestic and international political reasons,” said Professor Panitan Wattanayagorn, an adviser to the Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, General Prawit Wongsuwan. “But there is no reason really not to call this terrorism,” he acknowledged.

The suspect is being held for possessing illegal explosives. The haul found at his rented apartment was “staggering”, said a source familiar with the investigation.

It included bomb-making materials such as pipes and fuses, ball bearings of the type used in the Aug 17 bomb and, according to a picture released by police, at least one explosive belt of the kind used in suicide bomb attacks. Stacks of fake Turkish passports were also found.

The source said the area where the suspect stayed, in the eastern outskirts of Bangkok, is a “staging point for Uighurs going to Malaysia or Turkey”.

Of the foreigners killed on Aug 17, most were ethnic Chinese, though of different nationalities.

Security analysts speculate that the blast was a possible revenge attack by extremist Uighur elements in retaliation for Thailand’s deportation last month of more than 100 Uighurs to China, which drew widespread outrage. The Uighurs are a Turkic-speaking Muslim minority in China’s restive Xinjiang region.

At a press conference yesterday, a regime spokesman, Colonel Winthai Suvaree, made only a brief statement, then showed film clips of normal life and security officers checking people at border posts.

Analysts see the reluctance to use the “terrorism” label as aimed at protecting the local tourism sector.

China, too, is reluctant to link the blast to the Thai regime’s acquiescence to its deportation requests, said one analyst who spoke on condition of anonymity. That would be admitting the deportation triggered a deadly backlash.

Said the source familiar with the investigation: “The facts speak for themselves – the scale, venue, the identity of those killed, the ethnic origin of the suspect. You don’t have to be a terrorism expert to draw a conclusion.”

Denial would only mislead the international community as well as Thailand’s own security agencies, analysts warn.

“While Thailand should be commended for its initial breakthrough in the investigation, Bangkok must understand that the threat is persistent. No country, including Thailand, should deny the reality of the terrorist threat in South-east Asia,” Singapore-based security specialist Rohan Gunaratna said.

“The impact of the terrorist attack in Bangkok needs to be harnessed… to strengthen their counter-terrorism capabilities. Rather than denying (that it is terrorism), it is in the long-term interests of Thailand and the region for Bangkok to engage (with)… counter-terrorism partners and address gaps and loopholes.”

Deputy police chief Jakthip Chaijinda yesterday urged the media to “have confidence in the state officials, in the military, police”.

“We are not going to risk our team, our nation and our country to (find) a scapegoat to close this case. There are many parties, many organisations watching,” he said.

“Contrary to what critics say, the Thai police actually do a very good job; they are not flashy but they plod and prod,” the source told The Straits Times. “There may be little understanding of the broader picture, but it is robust police work.”

However, he warned that the bombing had changed the situation. “Now they must allow their professional, good officers – and there are many – to work free of any political interference. It is in the Thais’ own interests that there should be no political spin.”

Source: www.straitstimes.com

August 31, 2015
GE2015: Charting The Future of Politics Of The Malay-Muslim Community in Singapore

GE2011 was described as a watershed election for Singapore as the Opposition tsunami threatened to overcome PAP’s hegemony. We witnessed a greater diversity of opinions being amplified and disseminated at unprecedented speeds, facilitated by the Internet. However, there seem to be little change to the political landscape of the Malay-Muslim community (MMC) in Singapore, with only one other MM MP, Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap from the Workers’ Party (WP), making it to Parliament. Muhamad Faisal had little impact in Parliament. For one, he did not take a stand on the hijab issue. Sounding like a PAP MM MP, he urged that the issue not be politicised and opined that a workable consensus was best achieved through public dialogue.

Some would argue that this lack of good leadership in the MMC has been to the detriment of the MMC. Others contend that PAP MM MPs and organisations such as MUIS and Mendaki are doing a good job of not only protecting, but furthering the interest of the MMC. Perhaps, the truth is somewhere in between.

With Singaporeans going to the polls in a forthnight, it is therefore timely to take stock of the political landscape of the MMC and where the MMC is headed – how it has changed, how the roles of the incumbent and the Opposition have been transformed and the impact this wil have on the MMC in this GE and the near future. Can the MMC still play a role in helping to build a better future for Singapore, one that is based on the principles of race-blind, meritocracy? Of course. How and at what cost? That remains to be seen.

Diversity of Voices

The political landscape of the MMC today is starkly different from that pre-GE2011. It could be argued that despite the greater awareness of the MM identity, the MMC has become more fragmented, with more people and organisations representing a greater array of partisan and non-partisan interests.

Among the most prolific of MM commentators are Zulfikar Shariff, the editor of the now defunct Fateha.com and PAP member, Umar A H Marican.

Zulfikar Shariff

Zulfikar is presently a PhD candidate at La Trobe University based in Melbourne. Zulfikar went off the grid after leaving Singapore but the Internet has truly been a game changer in terms of affording him the ability to keep abreast of developments here in a timely manner. This has enabled Zulfikar to make timely comments and initiate thought provoking discourse on issues affecting the local MMC. Perhaps, the distance may have given Zulfikar a sense of security in expressing his views openly. It is thus not uncommon to see Zulfikar criticising the PAP for its policies that he deems discriminatory and oppressive to the MMC.

To be clear, Zulfikar does not only have an axe to grind with the PAP government. He truly believes that the MMC cannot subordinate their faith to the Westphalian notion of the nation-state. To Zulfikar, the state is a mere political construct, hence the rules, norms and mores do not apply. He believes in the idea of establishing a separate, independent leadership for the MMC. He is also of the conviction that the MMC should have an insular, separate existence – no state, no country, no democracy, no political parties. Why bother with those when it has only led to the regression of the MMC?

In one of his latest posts, Zulfikar highlighted Goh Chok Tong’s refusal to accede to the proposal to set up a Collective Leadership system which he claimed would have improved the lives of the MMC. Zulfikar asserted that the PAP’s disagreement was self-serving, meant to protct its MM MPs.

His agitations have not won him admirers from among the supporters of the incumbent. That is not to say that he has not attracted a following at all. Zulfikar’s discourse have often initiated discussions from his small but vocal group of followers, who are disenchanted and disillusioned with their current predicament. It helps that Zulfikar is blessed with a huge dose of wit.

But the more important question is, to what extent can Zulfikar achieve his objective of establishing a separate existence for the MMC? What would it take for that to happen? Realistically, it would take a total breakdown of the current nation-state system for that to happen. How does Zulfikar intend to overcome the nation-state? The UN will be made redundant. No ASEAN community to speak of. No SEA Games even. It is radical and there does not appear to be any way of doing so without burning bridges with people of other faiths and cultural backgrounds. Even providing more compelling, up-to-date, statistics which are grounded in context, may not faciltate Zulfikar’s course because it is that radical.

For Singapore to prosper, Zulfikar’s assertions have to be addressed and rebutted . There have not been a dearth of people who have done so, including Umar A H Marican.

Umar A H Marican

Umar is a PAP apologist and has come to the fore to defend PAP’s policies, especially those from MM critics like Zulfikar. In a riposte to Zulfikar, Umar questioned Zulfikar’s motivations and cautioned that Zulfikar’s arguments were “politically inclined but disguised with religious intonation”.

For Umar, Zulfikar’s posting is toxic and has the ability to encourage disunity and suspicions among Singaporeans. The caution is not without merit. Any race-based discourse permeating through the community has the ability to shape mindsets and further alienate the MMC from the Singapore community at large.

That said, it will also be in PAP’s best interest to rebut Zulfikar with statistics instead of mere rhetoric. This will serve to convince the MMC of the fallacies in Zulfikar’s arguments and preserve racial and religious harmony in Singapore.

That is not to say that dissenting voices like Zulfikar’s should be silenced. Umar’s response betrays the PAP’s marked disdain for freedom of speech. There is nothing stopping a Singaporean based overseas to comment on developments in Singapore. There are those who support and praise the government. Why not accept those who criticise and engage? Surely that is the best way to convince Singaporeans, especially the MMC of the PAP’s plans.

PAP MM Candidates

This brings us to the question of the capability of the new PAP candidates. As we have come to expect of PAP candidates (although admittedly, PAP does not have a monopoly over good candidates in Singapore), they have come with the requisite credentials. All are professionals with years of experience in the grassroots. But therein lies the danger of them having been brought up in the system for a long time. You cannot definitively exclude the possibility of groupthink.

What will they bring to the table? What kind of insights can they provide? Will they be afraid to speak up on MM issues? Will the fear of having to toe the party line overcome them? Will they be silenced by the Party whip?

Having the heart and appreciation for the MMC is not everything. You must have the gumption and conviction, almost like Zulfikar, to really protect the interests of the community. They cannot be “yes” men and be quick to subordinate the interest of the community to the (arguably at times) selfish interest of others.

The Opposition Slate

Over the past week, Opposition parties have also been busy introducing their MM candidates for this GE. It is heartening to see more capable MM leaders standing up, wanting to contribute to the betterment of the MMC and the Singapore community at large.

The aberration seems to be SDP candidate, Sidek Mallek. An auditor by profession, he was stumped by a simple question asked in Malay, by a reporter, at a press conference meant to showcase his credentials. Most excused his lack of fluency in the Malay language but many were appalled at the lack of direction by the party, in terms of the interests of the MMC that it wants to champion.

Maybe Sidek was too preoccupied with his hobby of playing online mahjong that he could not think clearly? He is a good example of the kind of “leadership” that the MMC can do without. Surely there are better candidates out there?

Conclusion

The MMC has become more diverse and we have also witnessed a greater diversity in the views that have been espoused by people with partisan or non-partisan interests. This though does not neccessarily translate into good leadership for the MMC. In determining its future and negotiating the changing global terrain, the community has a responsibility to choose the best to lead them. What the community needs are leaders who understand Singapore’s place in the world and the realities that it contends with, to ensure its relevance and prosperity. It needs leaders who have a vision for the MMC within the multi-racial Singapore community because the future of the community is inextricably intertwined with the future of Singapore. History will judge if the Singapore MMC made the right decisions in GE2015.

Anak Melayu Singapura

[Reader Contribution]

August 30, 2015
Lee Hsien Loong: Calon Baru Melayu PAP Wakili Generasi Baru Orang Melayu

Perdana Menteri Lee Hsien Loong berkata Pilihan Raya Umum akan datang adalah tentang masa depan Singapura dan warga negara ini, maka itu, beliau memerlukan mandat baru dan kukuh daripada warga Singapura.

Encik Lee yang juga Setiausaha Agung Parti Tindakan Rakyat (PAP) berkata demikian di pelancaran manifesto parti itu bagi pilihan raya umum bulan depan, hari ini.

Beliau berkata warga Singapura akan memilih pemerintah dan pemimpin Singapura akan datang, yang dapat berganding bahu bersama warga meniti hala tuju negara bagi tempoh 15 hingga 20 tahun akan datang.

Maka itu, Encik Lee menegaskan bahawa rakyat harus membuat pilihan yang tepat dan bijak. Malah katanya, PAP akan “berjuang untuk menang setiap undi” dalam pilihan raya SG50 ini.

“Masa depan anda sedang dipertaruhkan dan kami bertanggungjawab ke atas masa depan anda. Saya tidak akan abaikan tanggungjawab saya. Saya akan berhempas pulas untuk memenangi kepercayaan dan sokongan anda supaya kami dapat bekerjasama dengan anda untuk Singapura.

“Kami perlukan sokongan padu anda demi masa depan yang lebih cerah untuk kita semua,” kata Encik Lee. Ini soal masa depan anda, dan masa depan kami. Dan PAP memikul tanggungjawab yang berat untuk masa depan ini,” ujar Encik Lee.

Manifesto setebal 88 halaman yang dibentangkan PAP bertajuk “Bersama Anda, Untuk Anda, Demi Singapura”, dan diterbitkan dalam Bahasa Inggeris, Melayu, Mandarin dan Tamil di laman web PAP.

Ia meraikan kisah kejayaan Singapura yang dicapai bersama-sama dan mencerminkan rancangan PAP untuk membina masa depan yang cerah, dengan peluang-peluang terbentang luas bagi semua warga Singapura.

PM LEE: ANDA PILIH BARISAN CALON YANG BAKAL BENTUK PEMERINTAH BARU

Perdana Menteri menggariskan pentingnya pilihan yang dibuat para pengundi pada 11 September nanti. “Anda akan memilih barisan calon yang bakal membentuk pemerintah baru. Jika mereka berjaya, parti yang anda undi akan menjadi pemerintah,” ujarnya.

Encik Lee menambah bahawa Perdana Menteri seterusnya “besar kemungkinan” di kalangan anggota-anggota parlimen yang dilantik menyertai Parlimen seterusnya.

(Gambar: Fadli Idris)

Beliau juga berkata jika warga Singapura terpedaya dengan apa yang ditegaskan oleh pihak pembangkang tentang kebolehan mereka untuk mengendalikan sebuah pemerintah seperti mengendalikan sebuah majlis bandaran, Singapura akan musnah.

“Apakah kita mahu Singapura terkandas, prestasinya merosot atau menjadi biasa-biasa sahaja? Ataupun apakah kita mahu Singapura terus mendaki naik, menyerlah dan menjadi luar biasa malah lebih baik daripada SG50?” kata beliau.

‘JANGAN TERPEDAYA DENGAN PEMBANGKANG’

Encik Lee menambah: “Jika anda terpedaya dengan apa yang mereka katakan, dan mereka menang kawasan undi, sekurang-kurangnya mereka akan menyelia majlis bandaran anda. Dan jika mereka menguruskannya seperti (Majlis Bandaran Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East), saya tidak tahu ke mana wang bayaran perkhidmatan dan penyenggaraan (S&CC) anda akan pergi. Dan anda akan menghadapi pelbagai masalah pada tahun-tahun mendatang.”

Encik Lee menarik perhatian bahawa kesemua 89 kerusi parlimen dijangka akan dipertandingkan pihak pembangkang dalam pilihan raya kali ini.

Beliau memberi amaran bahawa rakyat Singapura yang mahu mengundi untuk pihak pembangkang, namun masih inginkan PAP membentuk pemerintah, hanya akan membahayakan masa depan mereka.

“Parti-parti pembangkang berkata mereka tidak mahu membentuk sebuah pemerintah baru. Ini semua satu muslihat. Mereka tahu mereka tidak boleh dipercayai. Jadi mereka kata ‘undilah saya, jangan khuatir, saya tidak akan membentuk pemerintah seterusnya’. Ia sesuatu yang menakjubkan,” kata beliau.

Maka itu, Encik Lee “meminta mandat baru dari semua rakyat, semua pengundi Singapura untuk memimpin Singapura seterusnya”.

“Ini kerana Singapura berada di satu titik tolak yang sangat penting. Masyarakat kita berubah dan dunia juga sudah berubah. Tetapi ada perkara yang masih sama iaitu kita memerlukan pemerintah yang baik, yang bijak dan akan berkhidmat sepenuh-penuhnya kepada Singapura,” ujar Encik Lee lagi.

CALON MELAYU BARU PAP WAKILI GENERASI BARU

Calon-calon PAP, kata Encik Lee, membawa perspektif yang berbeza dengan kemahiran yang berlainan.

Sambil merakamkankan penghargaannya kepada para Anggota Parlimen PAP yang akan bersara daripada politik, Encik Lee juga menyambut muka baru PAP yang akan bertanding, termasuk empat calon Melayu baru.

Encik Lee berkata Encik Amrin Amin, Cik Rahayu Mahzam, Encik Saktiandi Supaat dan Encik Shamsul Kamar mewakili generasi baru orang Melayu yang menyumbang kepada masyarakat.

Amrin Amin. (Gambar: Facebook/Amrin Amin)

Saktiandi Supaat.

Mereka didedahkan lebih awal bagi memberi peluang kepada penduduk untuk menilai kebolehan mereka.

“Untuk pastikan Singapura terus maju jaya, kita perlukan para pemimpin berbilang bangsa yang baik dan handal dan kita perlukan masa untuk mempersiapkan mereka.

“Saya ingin tekankan di sini bahawa kita memerlukan kepimpinan bermutu yang berbilang bangsa. Kita memerlukan calon-calon Melayu yang baik untuk menjadi Anggota Parlimen dan pemegang jawatan yang bersedia untuk mengambil alih tugas saya dan teman-teman saya,” kata Encik Lee.

‘KITA SEDANG MELANGKAH FASA TIDAK MENENTU’

Beliau menegaskan bahawa pilihan raya bulan depan akan dipantau dengan teliti daripada pihak perniagaan, kuasa-kuasa besar dan jiran-jiran Singapura.

“Kita sedang melangkah masuk ke satu fasa yang tidak menentu dengan pelbagai cabaran menanti kita.Misalnya, ekonomi sejagat kini tidak menentu. Pasaran saham sedunia sedang bergolak.

“Di Singapura, ekonomi kita kian lembab dilemahkan oleh ekonomi dunia. Jiran-jiran kita juga mengalami pergolakan politik dan ketidakstabilan. Keadaan ini sangat membimbangkan kerana ia akan menambah sentimen kurang yakin terhadap Malaysia. Dan ini akan menjejas Singapura,” ujar Encik Lee lagi.

Tambah Encik Lee, itulah intipati pilihan raya SG50, iaitu memilih pemerintah, kepimpinan dan hala tuju yang diinginkan untuk Singapura bagi 50 tahun akan datang.

Source: http://berita.mediacorp.sg

August 30, 2015