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  • Dear Heartbroken One

    Dear Heartbroken One

    Bismillahirahmanirrahim.

    Let’s just put it out there – I’m a hopeless romantic. When I was in kindergarten, an adorable boy told his mother that he wanted to marry me. From then on, I introduced him to everyone as my boyfriend. I love romantic movies so much that I’ve watched ‘A Walk to Remember’ more than 15 times. By the time I was 13, I had named all my 6 children. Pablo Neruda’s poems make me smile and cry. I used to joke with my best friends that I had my classy, white wedding with crystal chandeliers and chiavari chairs all planned out. All I needed was to plant a groom beside me. Then, we would live happily ever after.

    And so I searched for my other half, the person who would complete me, the one who would make me whole.

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    Instead of finding ‘the one’, I went from one failed relationship to another. I wanted so much to be part of a magical couple that I started to lose myself. I allowed people to treat me like a mere option when they were my priority. I moulded myself to be more like what others wanted me to be. When someone commented, “Alia, you would be so pretty if only you were skinnier”, I ate almost nothing and ran up my 13-storey flat 10 times a day. As I lost weight, I started being showed off like a trophy girlfriend. I was never really happy. In fact, I felt lost and incomplete.

    Then I realised that I had gotten it all wrong! Yes, marriage is wonderful and encouraged in Islam. However, when the same test (read: guys who were bad for me) keeps being given, it may be that I had not learnt the lesson I am supposed to learn. Allah is giving me a chance to make things right! In order to do that I needed to figure out how to improve myself for the sake of Allah. I had to ask myself some really tough questions. Did I want to get married for the sake of Allah or to gain acceptance and love from my partner? Had I prepared myself not only to bear children but to be the first madrasah to them? Was I knowledgeable enough to guide them to be khalifahs of Allah? Is marriage the only means to complete my faith?

    Let’s take the example of Sayyidatina Maryam (‘alayhissalam), also known as Mary. Before Sayyidatina Maryam was even born, her purpose had been set. Her ageing mother had vowed that if her prayer to have a child was accepted, she would ensure that her child would be dedicated to serving Allah. Fulfil her promise, she did. Sayyidatina Maryam wasn’t left to grow up on her own; she was placed under the care of Prophet Zakariya (‘alayhissalam), also known as Zechariah. She was raised in a room in a mosque. She was religious, chaste and modest. She did not mix freely with the opposite sex and confined herself within her prayer chamber. Whenever Prophet Zakariya entered Sayyidatina Maryam’s room to check if she was alright, he would be surprised to find that food had already been served. During winter, there were summer fruits. During summer, he saw winter fruits.

    “Where is the food from, Maryam?”

    “Allah provides to whom He wills.”

    Sayyidatina Maryam was so pure that she was picked to bear Prophet Isa (‘alayhissalaam), also known as Jesus, without being touched by any men. The angels reassured her that Allah had chosen her and purified her and selected her above the women of the worlds. Fearing the reaction of people around her, she fleed to deliver on her own in the middle of a scorching hot desert. Throughout her whole ordeal, she relied on no one other than Allah. She didn’t need anyone, not a husband or even her guardian, to be around.

    Imagine how the people around you would react if you suddenly turned up with a newborn, without being married? Sayyidatina Maryam was given the difficult task of keeping quiet when she returned to her village. Naturally, everyone started criticising and cursing her. If you were in her position, would have remained speechless through the injustice that was being done?

    Sayyidatina Maryam endured patiently and pointed to her baby. Then, Baby Isa stood up for his mother and informed the crowd that he was a Prophet. Subhanallah!

    Without getting married, Sayyidatina Maryam was able to reach the pinnacle of piety. Her status was so high that she has a chapter in the Quran named after her. She showed us that she did not need a man; Allah Himself could defend her honour through His miracle.

    How about me?

    The purpose of my existence is to know, love and worship Allah. Every action, every step, every thought needs to be focused on Allah. To solve my problem, I had to go to the very root of it – my ever-widening distance from Allah. Am I looking for love because I am ready or because I am lonely?  Am I praying on time? Am I conscious of Allah in everything that I do? Am I reading the Quran consistently? Do I perform taubah and istighfar constantly? What have I been doing to strengthen my relationship with Him? With each answer, it became more and more obvious that my Imaan was on the decline.

    Through the awful scrapes and burns and agonizing heartbreaks, I was moved to comprehend that, like Sayyidatina Maryam,  I had to turn to none except Allah. I came to realise that my relationship with Him is the most important relationship of all. Only Allah can grant me strength, courage, love, guidance, protection and patience. Only Allah is capable of making me whole. When I feel whole, I won’t rush to find a partner to complete me. When I feel whole, with Allah by my side, I would be able to bravely walk away from those who try to pry me away from Him. When I am whole, I would be better able to choose someone to share my completeness with and whom can accompany me on my path to Allah.

    I’m not saying that I am perfect and that my level of Imaan is anywhere near Sayyidatina Maryam’s. However, things have picked up for me, alhamdulillah. This year, I got married to a man, whom I trust, is able to guide me to be a better Muslim. A man who was brave enough to walk up to my parents and ask for my hand in marriage. A man who made me realize why it never worked out with anyone else. Only when I was brave enough to let go and be the best version of me did Allah grant me someone so gentlemanly that part of me still can’t believe that he exists.

    So don’t you worry, my fellow seeker. Allah knows when you’re hurt. Allah knows when you are bereaved. Allah knows when you struggle to get up because all you want to do is curl up in bed and hide from the world. Be sure, that when Allah takes away something from you, He’s only making space for something better. We just have to keep striving…

    “Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him in front of you. Recognize and acknowledge Allah in times of ease and prosperity, and He will remember you in times of adversity. And know that what has passed you by [and you have failed to attain] was not going to befall you, and what has befallen you was not going to pass you by. And know that victory comes with patience, relief with affliction, and ease with hardship.”

    Wallahu a’lam.

     

    Source: http://aliaabdullah.com

  • 786 Halal Char Kway Teow Is Halal, Managed By Chinese-Muslim Convert

    786 Halal Char Kway Teow Is Halal, Managed By Chinese-Muslim Convert

    Just to share..

    A lot have been said about e talked about 786 CKT at Bukit Merah managed by our bro Anis Ang..

    There are members here who mocked our bro if he is a true Muslim. Some even asked for his Identity Cards.. MUIS Conversion Papers.. Asked him to recite e Al Fatehah.. Saying tt e stall is not fully cleansed .. Questioned him why he don’t hv a Halal Certificate from MUIS.. etc..

    786 Halal Cert

    Tday I wuld like to clarify e situation of his predicament as a Convert Muslim trying to make a living and survive (though he felt like he is being treated as a second class Muslim) in and by e Muslim Community here in Singapore.

    The stall have been fully cleansed in accordance to Islamic way.. All equipments are new since he started e bisnes. He has been a Muslim Convert since 21 June 2011. All ingredients tt he ordered are fm a Muslim Supplier..

    I hope this answers to some queries tt some members here in HCR have about him and his Bisnes…

    Dear All.. I apologise if I cannot reply to Ur queries earlier and thank U all for your overwhelming support on this.. As requested by all I will have to remove his I.C that he is a Muslim cos due to security reasons.. Thanks and Wasallam..

     

     

    Source: Hady Jay in Halal Cafe & Restaurants in Singapore

  • Is PAP Still Relevant Today?

    Is PAP Still Relevant Today?

    Dear Editors,

    Last time PAP members fought for Singaporeans’ rights. Dr. Tan Cheng Bock push for us to be able to use our CPF to fund higher education because it was good investment for the future. It was small things like that which cause us to improve our lives. Let’s think about it really.

    At that time, parents won’t be financially strained from university fees and the result of having a better educated workforce also helped boost Singapore’s knowledge-based transformation in that era. People are thankful and voted for Dr. Tan for 5 terms with average 77%. Now people are angry!
    Today, PAP has changed and now spend more than $240 million a year of taxpayer’s money on scholarships and tuition grants to foreign student. Locals have to suffer from the opportunity costs of a 2-year NS and they are burdened with loans long after graduation.

    Look at all these millionaire ministers who don’t even talk sense because they are too disconnected with the ground thanks to their million dollar salaries. How will they add value to the policy making processes as compared to those people in parliament in the 1980s who are so much more hands on?

    Some netizen said that opposition movement was censored by PAP and LKY so badly that no one had the balls to act as a check on their “20/20” lack of foresight. Even as PAP try to make changes after GE2011, BTO is still not affordable and country still have infrastructural strain like crowded MRT.

    PAP government and their supporters have also start to act arrogant and self-entitled. They have spoken on high grounds and as can be seen in their “words of wisdom” like Tin Pei Ling and Koh Poh Koon. If you are paying top dollar for such quality of people then it really becomes a cruel joke!

    Nicholas-Seth Leong who himself is no big deal degrade MRT commuters as “common people” and “peasants” just because he had to take the MRT. Later he was so embarrassed that he had to deactivate his FB after people found out that he drove and old Honda Civic anyway.

    It’s like choosing to work for a company which not only the bosses are incompetent, damn show off but also push all the work and blame to you, talk down on you all the time and then when things go well they enjoy the rewards themselves, receive high bonus while they don’t care about you at all!

    Why do we need such people? If PAP cannot improve our lives then maybe time to vote them out.

    Joseph
    A.S.S. Contributor


    Source: www.allsingaporestuff.com

  • Ismail Kassim: A Tribute To Iskandar Jalil

    Ismail Kassim: A Tribute To Iskandar Jalil

    From the Land of the Rising Sun, a fitting recognition of Iskandar’s contribution to the world of pottery. Congratulations. Two nights ago he received the Order of the Rising Sun Gold Rays with Rosette by the Japanese Ambassador to Singapore.

    Although the potter lives practically a stone’s throw from my sister’s place in Kembangan where my father also lives and I know his younger brother, Rahim, we never met until I joined a 12 day tour of Iran organized by friends from campus days.

    It was on the long dusty bus ride from Tehran to Kermanshah that I finally came face to face with the potter in the flesh – Iskandar Jalil, small-built, short, wiry and tanned, but warm and down-to-earth.

    Early next morning I saw him standing by the bus, dressed in a thin cotton T-shirt, track pants, sneakers, while others were holding tight to their jackets, as the cold spring winds swirled around us.

    ‘’Doesn’t he feel the cold?’’ I casually asked his wife, Saleha. She replied: ‘’He is always like that, quite immune to the cold.’’ I told myself that this potter might have been an Eskimo in his previous life.

    A few days later, while touring the ruins of Persepolis – once the capital of the mighty Persian Empire – I noticed the care that he took taking shots from his small but upmarket Sony digital camera, often giving instructions to Saleha on how to pose or how to take shots of him.

    I asked him on his photography and he let me view images from his camera; I would see the touch of professionalism reflected in the tightness of the composition and the attention given to perspective. In Malay, you say: ‘’ada standard lah.’’ (high standard )

    Next, I noticed he always had a tightly packed haversack on his back from which he often drew out a big, thick, black dairy-like notebook, to write. I was curious and on one occasion peeped over his shoulder; in big bold letters he was writing down the name of the place in addition to sketching the entrance. They took up almost the entire page.

    I told myself these are signs of ‘’a big heart and a bold spirit.’’

    On the second last day as the bus was taking us back to Tehran from Isfahan, except for the potter, the rest of us were slumped against our seat, a little weary and possibly a little home-sick.

    Iskandar, born in 1940 and could be considered as our ‘’abang ’’ (elder brother) was going round tirelessly from seat to seat with his big black notebook.

    Finally, he came to me and handing over his book, said: ‘’Ismail, can I have your name, address, e-mail and phone numbers.’’

    He was the only one in our party who did it.

    Toward the end of Iran tour, I told Saleha that I had heard much talk about their newly renovated home. The result was an open invitation for tea.

    After much procrastination, I finally asked Jailani who was also on the tour to arrange. He too needed a little prodding, before he rang up and that was how he and I, and his wife, Aminahton, ended up being graciously treated to a tour of the house.

    All I could remember is the minimalist-style, hardly any furniture except for basic wooden stuff and lots of artefacts from his travels and pots, big and small, in varying patterns, scattered all over.

    When it was time to say good-bye, the potter took out two small bowls from the cupboard – one dark black, the other light tan – and placed them on the table before us. He then took one in each hand, raised it to eye level and then threw them on the floor with some force.

    They landed with a loud thud, rolled a little and then remained still, intact. He picked them up and placed them on the table and asked us to examine the bowls.

    We were stunned, speechless. Incredible, there was not even a whiff of a hairline crack. ‘’They are almost unbreakable – a matter of heating technique,’’ he said.

    Added the potter: ‘’Take one each. Decide who wants what.’’

    I gestured to Jailani and he slowly reached out for the light one. I was happy to take the dark one. So unexpected, so generous, and I felt a little overwhelmed.

    Today, the bowl is prominently displayed in my study, perched securely on the topmost shelf above my writing table, flanked by a Sufi book and a Qigong book.

    Note: This is an extract from a longer piece, titled – My friend, Iskandar the great potter – that I wrote in 2011 and posted on my now defunct Nohardfeelings blog at WordPress..
    A gift from Iskandar

    A gift from Iskandar

     

     

    Source: Ismail Kassim

  • Sylvia Lim’s Open Letter To The Residents

    Sylvia Lim’s Open Letter To The Residents

    Dear Residents,

    There has been Parliamentary debate and many adverse media reports on the issue of Managing Agent contract of the Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council (AHPETC). I am writing to you to clarify any misconceptions that may have arisen. I also wish to update you on a few matters concerning the management of AHPETC.

    Public Tenders for AHPETC Contracts

    Has AHPETC given contracts to “friends”?

    It has not.

    The fact is that in 2012, public tenders were called and advertised in the Straits Times newspaper for the contracts for Managing Agent (MA) and Essential Maintenance and Services Unit (EMSU) services. In 2014 and 2015, public tenders were also called for the MA and EMSU contracts respectively. Anyone can submit a bid for a public tender. AHPETC does not and cannot reserve contracts for friends in a public tender.

    A tender was not called for MA services only for the one year period from July 2011 to July 2012 when urgent taking over work was needed. The elected Members of Parliaments (MPs) decided to award the newly formed FM Solutions & Services Pte Ltd (FMSS), consisting primarily of managers and staff from the former Hougang Town Council, a one-year provisional contract to take over the initial management of the Town Council, without calling a public tender. This was in order to ensure a smooth takeover of town management in view of the short time on hand to do so and to avoid any disruption in services to the residents.

    Not calling a public tender for an MA contract is allowed under Para 76 of the Town Councils Financial Rules. However, the Town Councillors did not award a standard three-year MA contract to FMSS at this point, as the Town Council intended to call for a public tender for MA services as soon as possible after takeover of town management has been completed and operations have been stabilised.

    Managing Agent Rates & “Overpayment”

    You may have seen and read reports that AHPETC “overpaid” FMSS by an estimated $1.6 million a year and therefore supposedly estimated as $6.4 million over four years.

    To support this allegation a table showing 2014 Managing Agent (MA) rates of Town Councils was distributed during the parliamentary debate on 12 Feb 2015 and the Law Minister said that “FMSS charges the Town Council $14.92 for each commercial unit compared with between $4.80 and $6.65 for all other Town Councils.”, and that “FMSS charged the Town Council $7.43 for every residential unit. Others charge between $4.80 and $6.65”. He used these as the basis to derive at the above estimated overpayments, comparing FMSS’ rates with a “weighted average” of MA rates in other TCs in 2014.

    We were puzzled by the MA rates used by the Minister and hence I filed questions in Parliament to ask the Minister for National Development for more information. On 5 March 2015, the Minister provided Parliament with the tables which I will reproduce here to clarify the matter.

    Table 1 – MA Rates Per Residential Unit by Town Council (2011-2014)

    Town Council 2011 2012 2013 2014
    AHPE $7.87** $7.87** $7.01 $7.43
    Ang Mo Kio $5.08 $5.08 $5.08 $5.33
    Choa Chu Kang $5.13 $5.13 $5.06* $5.06
    East Coast $6.10 $6.20 $6.30 $5.10
    Holland-Bukit Panjang $5.95 $6.10 $6.20 $6.30
    Jurong $5.35 $5.45 $5.55 $5.55
    Marine Parade $5.13 $5.13 $5.13 $5.13
    Moulmein-Kallang $6.63 $6.63 $6.63 $5.80
    Nee Soon $6.05 $6.20 $6.30 $6.40
    Pasir Ris-Punggol $6.11 $6.20 $6.25 $5.50
    Potong Pasir $6.63 $7.80 $7.80 $5.80
    Sembawang $6.05 $6.20 $6.30 $6.40
    Tampines $5.00 $5.00 $4.79* $4.79
    Tanjong Pagar $6.22 $6.25 $6.45 $6.65
    West Coast $6.01 $6.01 $6.10 $6.21

    Note:
    * Indicates there was a change in MA during the period of the predominant rate.
    ** Derived by MND using total MA fees paid, which includes for managing parking lots, and making no distinction between residential and commercial rates.

    We make the following observation from Table 1 on MA rates for residential units:

    1) MA rates of PAP Town Councils in 2014 were lower compared to preceding years for six TCs. In 2011, there were eight PAP TCs with MA rates per residential unit over $6, and nine in 2012 and 2013. In 2014, the number dropped to five and the “weighted average” MA rate in PAP TCs was the lowest.

    2) Compared to 2013, MA rates per residential unit dropped drastically in 2014 for four PAP TCs even though the MA did not change: East Coast from $6.30 to $5.10, Moulmein-Kallang from $6.63 to $5.80, Pasir Ris-Punggol from $6.25 to $5.50, and Potong Pasir from a high of $7.80 to $5.80.

    Next, we look at the data on MA rates for commercial units:

    Table 2 – MA Rates Per Commercial Unit by Town Council (2011-2014)

    Town Council 2011 2012 2013 2014
    AHPE $7.87** $7.87** $14.08 $14.92
    Ang Mo Kio $5.08 $5.08 $5.08 $5.33
    Choa Chu Kang $5.13 $5.13 $5.06* $5.06
    East Coast $11.50 $11.50 $11.50 $5.10
    Hollang-Bukit Panjang $5.95 $6.10 $6.20 $6.30
    Jurong $5.35 $5.45 $5.55 $5.55
    Marine Parade $5.13 $5.13 $5.13 $5.13
    Moulmein-Kallang $6.63 $6.63 $6.63 $5.80
    Nee Soon $6.05 $6.20 $6.30 $6.40
    Pasir Ris-Punggol $11.50 $11.50 $11.50 $5.50
    Potong Pasir $6.63 $7.80 $7.80 $5.80
    Sembawang $6.05 $6.20 $6.30 $6.40
    Tampines $5.00 $5.00 $4.79* $4.79
    Tanjong Pagar $6.22 $6.25 $6.45 $6.65
    West Coast $6.01 $6.01 $6.10 $6.21

    Notes: * and ** as noted for Table 1 above.

    We noted from Table 2 that prior to 2014, some MAs of PAP TCs practiced charging a higher rate for managing commercial property compared to residential property. For example, the MA rate for commercial units at East Coast and Pasir Ris Punggol TCs were $11.50 when their residential rates were in the range of $6. The former MA managing of Aljunied TC, CPG Facilities Management (“CPG”), also had the same practice and hence the former Aljunied TC had a differential MA rate for residential and commercial units (see Table 3).

    In 2014, as seen from the tables, all MAs managing PAP TCs adopted the practice of charging a flat rate for MA fee for both commercial and residential units. Hence, by taking the 2014 rates only, the commercial rate of $14.92 for AHPETC stood out compared with the flat rates of PAP TCs.

    In any case, if we use the same logic of the ministers to derive at “overpayment” estimates, PAP TCs such as Tanjong Pagar (77,300 units), Nee Soon (65,000 units) and Sembawang (67,000 units) are also overpaying their MAs by around $860,000, $530,000 and $550,000 a year respectively. I am not alleging Tanjong Pagar, Nee Soon and Sembawang TCs are overpaying their MAs. My point is that comparing the MA rates of a TC to the “weighted average” of MA rates for all TCs is not a good way to judge the fairness of the rates charged by the MA. As you can see in Table 1 & 2 above, there is a lot of variation in MA rates among TCs, which reflect the different geography and requirements of each town.

    Fair-Pricing the MA Contract in an Uncompetitive Situation

    During the parliamentary debate, the Law Minister also brought up Tampines and Choa Chu Kang TCs because these towns are supposedly comparable to or host a similar number of units as AHPETC. Incidentally, these two PAP TCs also charged the lowest MA rates in 2014 (see Table 1). The contrast is there, but Tampines and Choa Chu Kang are not easily comparable to AHPETC because all towns are different in terms of geography and other town characteristics that affect how they are managed.

    As stated earlier, we decided to award FMSS a one-year provisional contract to ensure a smooth transition to avoid any disruption in services to the residents before calling for a public tender in 2012. The question was how to fairly price the one-year MA contract.

    Reasonably, we used the contractual MA rates agreed to between the former Aljunied Town Council and their MA, CPG, as our reference point for fair-pricing the MA contract (Table 3). There was no reason to doubt the professionalism of the former Aljunied Town Council in contracting the following MA rates with CPG. More importantly, we believed, as evidenced by the varying MA rates in Table 1 & 2, the contractual MA rates with CPG reflected the cost of managing the bulk of the town in terms of its unique geography and town characteristics.

    Table 3. CPG’s contractual MA rates for Aljunied TC

    Period Residential Commercial
    1 August 2010 – 31 July 2011 $6.03 $12.80
    1 August 2011 – 31 July 2012 $6.37 $12.80
    1 August 2012 – 31 July 2013 $6.73 $12.80

    Hence, when Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) appointed FMSS as MA for one year, the contract provided for the taking over of the management of the former Aljunied TC at the same MA rate agreed between the former Aljunied TC and CPG for that year (1 August 2011 – 31 July 2012). In other words, our contract with FMSS was substantially the same as CPG’s contractual MA rates for the second year, $6.37 for residential unit and $12.80 for commercial unit (highlighted in Table 3). This was the first cost component for the one year transitional contract. However, there was a second cost component that covered the taking over of the existing staff of the former Hougang Town Council at their existing salary, and also some additional staff who had to come in to prepare for the handover before the actual handover date.

    In its tenders for MA services in 2012 and 2014, AHPETC did not receive competing bids. Only FMSS submitted a bid for our public tender for MA in 2012. In the absence of a competing bid, we again returned to the CPG contractual rates and used the third year rate (2012) as the reference point (Table 3).

    We awarded FMSS the MA contract at the contractual rate for residential units of $7.01 for 2012/13. This rate represented a premium of approximately 4% compared to the third-year CPG residential rate of $6.73 for 2012. We also assessed the increase in the MA fees to be reasonable for several reasons, including the need to operate an additional TC office in Kaki Bukit and the lower economies of scale enjoyed by FMSS as a smaller operator compared to CPG. We were also aware of the MA rates in several PAP TCs being in the range of $6 to $7 at the time of the tender i.e. in 2012.

    The subsequent rise in FMSS’ contractual MA rate from $7.01 in 2012/2013 to $7.43 for 2013/14 for residential units mirrors the annual 6% rise in the CPG contractual MA rates for residential units.

    To summarise, our contractual commitments with FMSS have been based on strict reasoning using available market information in 2012 when tender was called in the absence of competing bids, while placing residents’ interests in undisrupted services at the forefront.

    Follow-ups on the Report by the Auditor-General’s Office

    AHPETC underwent a rigorous 10-month audit by the Auditor-General’s Office (AGO) in 2014. The AGO found some areas where there had been lapses in financial management and weaknesses in controls. AHPETC has made some improvements and has also acted promptly to hire external accountants to assist to clean up its accounts and to further strengthen its processes and controls. The work is making progress and certain financial issues will take time to resolve. AHPETC is also working towards filing its audited accounts by the deadlines set by the Ministry of National Development.

    Transition to Direct Management

    Come July 2015, we will be embarking on direct management of the TC, as no MA has submitted a bid to work for AHPETC. We will do our best to keep costs down and protect AHPETC’s long-term financial interests. On behalf of my fellow MPs and Town Councillors, I would like to thank you for your concern and support. Despite the challenging political climate, we will continue to serve you to the best of our ability.

    SYLVIA LIM
    CHAIRMAN
    ALJUNIED-HOUGANG-PUNGGOL EAST TOWN COUNCIL

    June 2015

    This letter was extracted from the June 2015 edition of Good Neighbours newsletter.

    Click here for the Open letter in Chinese

    Click here for the Open letter in Malay

    Click here for the Open letter in Tamil

     

    Source: www.ahpetc.sg

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