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Don’t Discriminate Filipinos, We Are Malays Too

Maria Menado

I’m getting frustrated being labeled as non-Malay. Why? Here’s my story.

My mom is a Filipino Catholic and my dad is a Malay Muslim. None of my parents convert, and so I was brought up going to church several times a year. Never been to a mosque because my dad has never cultivate any Islamic values in me or in our family. At this age, I still don’t know what is my religion, and I like it that way. But this topic is not about my religion. Being brought up speaking both Malay and Tagalog, and having experience both cultures, I do have a valid testimony to this confusion. Today I want to share my story about being a Filipino-Malay.

But first, I think the term Filipino Malay is oxymoronic.

Filipinos are of Malay stock. I know because I study SEA’s history in uni and this is my area of research.

People of ASEAN mostly they came from Malay stock that is why our face and skin complexion looks very much the same. Although there are many mixed marriage it didn’t only happen in the Philippines.

In the Philippines they call it mestizo while in other countries they have their own abbreviation. Please don’t think that Malay people in the Philippines are the only Malay who practice inter-racial marriages. There are many others in Indonesia (Dutch), Malaysia & Singapore (Chinese, Indian, British, Portuguese), Brunei etc.

Because of different religious background people may forget that Filipinos are actually Malay because predominantly Malays in ASEAN are Muslim while in the Philippines almost all of them are Catholic.

You don’t lump the race Malay as people who subscribe to the religion Islam, and therefore they are Muslims. Neither do you claim all Filipinos are Catholics.

Language is a little bit different but they derived from the ancient Malay language. While Indonesians, Malaysians, and Bruneians can understand each other, many find it hard to understand Tagalog because it is completely different language BUT there are words that are similar or sounded similar. I don’t think there is any problem if people from these countries want to learn Tagalog/Bahasa Melayu/Indonesia.

Tagalog is partly influenced by Spanish language, Malay, Chinese and local language like kapampangan, waray, cebuano.

Spanish = trabajo is trabaho in tagalog
Malay = kerbau is carabao in tagalog, mata is same in both language, as of kanan, kambing, anak etc.

If asked about their race, most Filipinos would identify as being Malay. Filipinos are taught in schools to be proud of their Malay heritage and encouraged to strengthen their ties with other Malays in Southeast Asia.

But Filipinos wishing to migrate in Singapore have to deny this fundamental identification because the Singapore government rejects the classification of Filipinos as Malay. But if Filipinos are not Malay, what ethnicity are they? Officially, Singapore recognizes immigrants from the neighboring Philippines as part of the racial category referred to as “Other.”

Singapore’s Immigration and Checkpoints Authority have clarified that new Singapore citizens of Filipino origin are not classified as Malays. They are typically classified as ‘Others’ under the race category. Indeed, this was affirmed by Communications and Information Minister Yaacob Ibrahim who wrote on Facebook that Filipinos are classified as “Others” and not as Malays.

But why refuse the Malay background of Filipinos in the first place? Perhaps it has something to do with the special privileges accorded to the Malay minority in Singapore. Article 152 of the Constitution of Singapore states that the government “shall recognize the special position of the Malays, who are the indigenous people of Singapore, and accordingly it shall be the responsibility of the Government to protect, safeguard, support, foster and promote their political, educational, religious, economic, social and cultural interests and the Malay language.”

For Filipino immigrants, it must come as a shock for them to be told by Singaporean authorities that they are not Malays. To avoid immigration troubles, perhaps it is more convenient for Filipino workers to shade the “Others” category when filing paperwork than to insist that they are Malays.

Source: Marie Joy Talib

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July 9, 2014
Never Reject Yourself, You Are Born This Way

Muhammad Khairul Ikhwan

Muhammad Khairul Ikhwan

Yes there are these bunch of people whom always get treated badly because of their appearance / attitude / behaviours , because they are DIFFERENT. Yes , they are loud and party people and fun to hangout with . Yes , they SEEM to not know anything about stuff where the ” REAL ” Couple go through. Yes , they seem to go to a path differently from the “origins” path WHICH doesnt even EXIST cause really , the path that each of us are walking will always be the true one. Many people say , you are confused thats why you are like this , whereas we are’nt . We are the LBGT Community. IN FACT , I dun even wish to categories.We are the normal human beings that you also see everyday in your lives. We are the human being with feelings too , we are NEVER A TOY to PLAY. We Get Criticize Alot Thats True but we really don’t care about the things that they THE IGNORANCE were saying. We just play along with the words they say and act as if it never happened. Though sometimes it kills to hear those harsh words from them.

DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHATS DISGUSTING?!! Seriously. The way we walk , talk , dress and our lifestyle are DIFFERENT. Yes it is different. When we walk outside , dressing up as a Metrosexual , putting on Makeups to boost our confidence , there you go EYES STARES everywhere , and then came gossips here and there . The malay aunties will go preech the OMG , the uncles will just shaked their heads . The normal aunties will just brag about the way we dress and stuff. And the teens , they will just look at us as if we are some kind of FREAK. The friends that you are not close to / expose to , will give weird comments and even questions that you don’t even wish to hear. Will just have to pull it off and make fake smiles to them or in other words SLY. This is roughly the daily basis of our lifestyle which applies to those who aren’t comfortable with us or still not accepting us.

WHATS THERE TO ACCEPT OR NOT TO ?!? IS THERE EVEN A CHOICE WHEN COMES TO ACCEPTING ANOTHER BEING? You ask yourselves that , in terms of LBGT , you can ask them why they become like this , or what made them like that , but really there is never a fixed answer to that , NEVER , cause they themselves are not sure of what to reply back to you cause really , they are born that way or the lifestyle around them which helps them to shape up to what they have become now , and they have NEVER taken it for granted , they only can accept the fact of what they have done and accepting the reality and goes on in life to what they are. Yes we do have choices in LIFE that you can’t deny , but if we are comfortable with who we are and that people around us or our loved ones accepts the way we are , we will never hesitate to be more passionable and more fruitful in life than ever.

Muhammad Khairul Ikhwan

Muhammad Khairul Ikhwan

THE FAMILY , its a tough tough situation when comes to this , and it will take years to get accepted or will NEVER be accepted. Its hard for people in LBGT to get accepted and love from families due to the status that they are in, even I myself am still stuggling to get my family accept the way I am. They would always ask why you have chose to be this way or that way and that the fact is we don’t choose , we just feel ourselves when we are that and GOD loves each and every one of us.Though there are some parents whom still accepts their child for who they are and supported them. My mum supports for what I’m doing and stuff , but still there is always a nudge sometimes .. I really hope she does. They were many obstacles that people like us have to think of besides thinking of how to feel or be accepted in the public.

ASIAN OR AMERICANS , IT DOES NOT MATTER WHERE YOU ARE OR RELIGION YOU ARE?! Its the same everywhere or anyone, you will just feel disconnected from the society or sometimes feel not being socialize to your family members due to some circumstances. Firstly , you do not want to have an impression where they will just like hates the way you are , and being in that situation , you try to avoid them and spend more time with your friends . Secondly, sometimes going to your own worship places , you will feel uncomfortable due to stares received , and people whom are Homophobic / or people whom are noble . Though there will be some of the nobles that will come and talk to you and try to be understanding yet very rare to find those noble people these days. Which is why sometimes , its hard for us to go there .

THE SOCIETY . Teachers , friends family members ,SAID JUST BE YOURSELVES AND NEVER LIE TO IT , I’m not sure whether the things they say the MEAN IT. When we be ourselves , we get criticised , we get bad comments , we get haters , we get stares , we get teased , we get DEHUMANISED to the extend , some of us Commited Suicide due to overly depressed about not being able to get accepted for being themselves. Should we Discreet and LIE to ourselves the whole LIFE we live. Should we do dirty stuff and things that we should not do and make ourselves uncomfortable and “GET USED TO IT ” to the situation or the appearance of the people . Should “FIT IN ” to please or respect others people demand whereas they dont even respect and disgusted towards us? Should we?? Should we live a life with 2 faces ? or even deny the things that we like and rejects everything we love to and passionate about?

THERE GOES , they will then say , not that we don’t accept you or whatever you are doing BUT…BUT….BUT.. There will always be a BUT , …just stop SLY~ing we had enough of it. Appreciate us. We are Nevertheless The Same As You. If you think that we are that disgusting , think again , the worst and sick people are out there somewhere , you shall know when time comes…

Lastly for the last part of this note , this goes to all those people whom you think you are having a hard time getting accepted just because you are Different . This note Is Especially For You Isaac Hasan<3 .

NEVER REJECT YOURSELF, I WANT YOU TO REJECT ANYONE OR ANYTHING THAT EVER MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE AN OUTCAST OR MAKE YOU FEEL THAT YOU WILL NEVER BE GREAT OR YOU ARE NOT FIT ENOUGH , YOU ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH OR YOU CANT SING WELL ENOUGH OR YOU CANT DANCE WELL ENOUGH OR YOU WILL NEVER BE A STAR YOU JUST REMEMBER THAT YOU’RE GOD DAMN SUPERSTAR AND YOU WERE BORN THIS WAY – LADY GAGA – MY INSPIRATION.

PLEASE SPREAD THIS NOTE

Authored by Muhammad Khairul Ikhwan

Contribution from Hj Ali Kassim

Muhammad Khairul Ikhwan

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July 5, 2014
The ‘Fundamentalists’ and the ‘Progressives’

Of late, the Muslim ‘Progressives’ in Singapore have been more vocal and assertive; and I welcome this. Previously, they worked behind the scenes and used to detest being labeled as ‘liberal Muslims’ and the like. It is high time they ‘came out of the closet’ and clearly spell out their beliefs and agenda, so that the Muslim community can assess them properly.

(note: we must exercise caution in using the ‘liberal’ or ‘progressive’ label against Muslims we disagree with. I am just appropriating the term that some of them have preferred to use to describe themselves).So the narrative being espoused now is that there are some ‘fundamentalists’ within the Muslim community, and, in my opinion quite humourously, they look to the state to ensure that these ‘fundamentalists’ do not threaten the ‘secular’ nature of the state. The #wearwhite campaign is the ‘poster boy’ for what they would term as rising Islamic religious assertiveness.

Firstly let us not obfuscate the facts: the #wearwhite campaign was a call for the Muslim community, to return to fitrah, or the state of purity. It was a peaceful campaign, done in the spirit of compassion and love, and intended to include and not alienate any Muslim, however far from the faith they may be. The campaign was not motivated by events in neighbouring countries, it was not meant to interfere in the political or public policy realm, it was not meant to discriminate against anyone: it was a call to return to purity, i reiterate. This is quite a simple point that i think has either been genuinely misunderstood or adroitly manipulated by the ‘progressive Muslims’. Does not matter; i hope this clarifies it.

Rather than get into a definitional debate about the problematic terms (‘fundamentalist’, ‘progressive’ etc) that have been thrown about recklessly in mainstream and social media, i have a few questions for these self-proclaimed Muslim progressives.

1) What is your agenda or end-goal? Please spell it out properly.

2) What is your position on issues such as homosexual acts and the hijab in Islamic jurisprudence? Please be straightforward and do not skirt the issue. Your positions seem to be ever-changing on these, so it would help to clarify.

3) Do you believe that anyone can interpret the Quran, even those whose knowledge of the Arabic language can fit comfortably at the back of a stamp?

4) What other laws/legal rulings do you seek to ‘reinterpret’?

5) Do you accept the authority of the ulama’, local and foreign ones? If so to what extent? If not why and whose authority then do you accept? Who are the ulama’?

6) What do you guys believe is the position of ‘rationality’ in Islam? Are there limits to rationality? If so where?

7) I constantly hear you guys singing the tune ‘oh we do not reject the Quran, we just reject the interpretations of classical scholars that are not relevant.’

What is the arbiter/criterion by which you judge what is relevant or not?

8 ) What is your methodology in ‘re-interpreting’ the Quran?

9) What is your methodology for accepting or rejecting the hadiths of the Prophet, if you accept them at all?

10) Do you accept that as Muslims, we have to worship Allah the way He wants us to, and not the way we want to?

These are just some of the questions that i believe should be answered, in order for the community to truly assess the ‘progressives’. Be open about your agenda and aspirations, and let the community decide whether they are worth the community’s time and efforts.

And the answers to these questions are also needed if a genuine dialogue is to be started, and to avoid hollow calls for discussion.

Authored by Walid J. Abdullah

READ Ex-MUIS Staff Say SG Muslim Fundamentalists Felt Threatened By LGBT

READ related Articles on PinkDot, LGBT & Islam Here

Read on Liberal Islam/Progressive Muslims Here

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July 2, 2014
SG Gay Chinese Who Say “F**king Muslim Terrorist” Now Claims FB Account Was “Hacked”

https://www.facebook.com/thepeterhu

And the mystery unfolds.

Peter Hu emerged at Rilek1Corner’s Facebook Page to defend himself against allegations on him calling “f**king muslim terrorist“.

For those who did not catch the drama earlier today, Rilek1Corner was informed that Peter Hu who is openly gay, an avid PinkDot SG supporter and an LGBT activist, had previously argued with several anti-PinkDot activists in a Facebook group called ‘We are against PinkDot’. FYI, Peter Hu is also a member of ‘We are against PinkDot’ Facebook group.

Peter Hu had engaged in a sparring with several activists who had supported a pro-family movement led by Pastor Lawrence Khong, and the #wearwhite movement which is an informal grassroots group that encourages Muslims to ‘return to the natural state’.

In his defense, Peter Hu claimed he was unaware of the offensive posting calling our community “f**king muslim terrorist“.

Peter Hu claimed the posting was first sighted in a local HardwareZone Forum and ‘We are against PinkDot’ Facebook group.

In both online platforms, Peter Hu claimed he was unaware of the offensive posting existence until his friends had informed him about it.

Peter Hu blamed the incident on two Facebook personas ‘Panglima Hitam’ and ‘Alfian Lidia Lothbrok’, whom he suspects either one of them Facebook had “hacked” into his account.

UPDATED INFO & CLARIFICATION

Our Muslim brother Alfian Lidia Lothbrok has come clean and cleared the air that he did not “hacked” into Peter Hu’s Facebook account.

In the police report lodged earlier this evening, Peter Hu had earlier mentioned to the police that he suspected ‘Alfian Lidia Lothbrok’ is one of the two suspects who “hacked”into his Facebook account.

https://www.facebook.com/alfian.lidia

Like previous cases such as the recent one on SG Chinese woman @kimmeeoow who called Muslims “terrorists“, “Malays are liability to society” and “scumbags”, Peter Hu also informed the public that his Facebook account was hacked and pleaded to the Muslims that he “will never ever say” such offensive remarks to Muslims after such comments were exposed in public and drew criticisms from the Muslim community.

However, a mismatch in his story unfolds when in his other posting, Peter Hu defended the Chinese for being racist:

“The majority of Chinese Singaporeans are racist. And for that the Chinese community owes a deep apology to the Muslim community. But I too am a minority, & I have never been prejudiced against muslims, who are my friends & brothers. Someone had hacked into my Facebook account. Gays are human too. Live & let live. Peace out.”

Peter Hu also defended the LGBT Muslims and took the opportunity to speak up against #wearwhite movement led by Ustaz Noor Deros:

“I can understand where the #wearwhite campaign is coming from. But what about your Muslim brothers who attended Pink Dot? How do you think they would feel?”

Peter Hu also claimed he had lodged a police complaint to say that he did not post the offensive comment. Peter Hu also claimed that the circulated image was doctored.

Peter Hu is the Director at Amino Bar. Previously, he studied at Yale University and he is an alumni member of Anglo-Chinese Independent.

He is a well-known PinkDot SG fanboy.

https://www.facebook.com/theaminoamigos, Peter Hu is the Director of Amino Bar

SG Chinese woman who said offensive remarks on Muslims and Malays. She claimed her Instagram account was hacked.

SG Chinese woman who said offensive remarks on Muslims and Malays. She claimed her Instagram account was hacked.

READ PREVIOUS POSTING BY PETER HU WHO CALLS COMMUNITY “F**KING MUSLIM TERRORIST”

READ MORE ON RACIST COMMENTS BY KIMMEEOOW, AMY CHEONG, JASON NEO HERE

READ MORE ON WEAR WHITE & PINKDOT SG HERE

EDITOR’S NOTE

We are worried at the increasing number of non-Muslims who say offensive remarks openly and frivolously about both the Malay and Muslim community on social media.

Several people conveniently used the word “hacked” as opposed to unauthorised access.

We also aware that everything has a trace and we wonder what the police forensics team and IT experts are doing about these cases.

Under Singapore law, comments made with the “deliberate intention of wounding the religious or racial feelings of any person” can result in a jail term of up to three years and a fine.

Singapore is predominantly Chinese, but also has large Malay and Indian communities. For historical reasons, the government is generally quick to clamp down on public comments that might create tension between the country’s different ethnic groups.

In 1964, tensions between the Chinese and Malay communities in Singapore twice erupted into riots that killed 36 and left hundreds wounded. Riots again broke out between the two communities in 1969, sparked by violence between Malays and Chinese in Malaysia.

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June 28, 2014
Chinese Gay Call Community “F***ing Muslim Terrorist”

Like nobody bother to learn any life lessons from @kimmeeoow, Jason Neo and Amy Cheong, another Singaporean gay Chinese male who openly supports PinkDot SG has gained instant fame from his baseless, racist remark.

Angry at anti-pinkdot movement known as the #wearwhite led by Ust Noor Deros, a Singapore gay Chinese who is a PinkDot supporter and an LGBT activist, has again called our community “f***ing Muslim Terrorist”.

It was clear as day that Peter Hu was emotionally affected by the actions coordinated by a small group of people within Muslim community.

Peter Hu is a Director at Amino Bar, studied at Yale University, and an alumni member of Anglo Chinese Independent.

https://www.facebook.com/thepeterhu

https://www.facebook.com/thepeterhu

https://www.facebook.com/theaminoamigos

https://www.facebook.com/theaminobar

READ MORE ON RACIST COMMENTS BY KIMMEEOOW, AMY CHEONG, JASON NEO HERE

READ MORE ON WEAR WHITE & PINKDOT SG HERE

EDITOR’S NOTE

Fanaticism gone overboard. Such baseless remark from @kimmeeoow, Jason Neo, Amy Cheong and Peter Hu clearly illustrate how immature, warped and racist they can be when nudged.

Let’s save all those angry comments and just proceed with the police report, shall we? Let the police handle this.

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June 28, 2014