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Category: Politik

  • Osman Sulaiman: PAP Must Stop Using Malay Community As Political Pawn, Cease Affirmative Actions

    Osman Sulaiman: PAP Must Stop Using Malay Community As Political Pawn, Cease Affirmative Actions

    If the PAP thinks that a Malay president is important periodically, and has always been confident of its party’s credibility and branding, then it should support a Malay candidate to contest in the coming presidential election as how it supported Tony Tan in the last election.

    Often times, the ones who made the Malays feel that they are of sub-par quality is the PAP itself. Creating GRCs and justifying it that without GRCs, a Malay candidate cannot stand on its own worthiness.

    GRCs were introduced in 1988. It was the last election that a Malay candidate stands in an SMC under the PAP banner. Mr Abdullah Tarmugi contested in Siglap SMC and garnered 73.7% of the popular votes. One of the highest achievers among the slates of candidates being fielded by PAP. It definitely showed no signs that a non-Chinese candidate cannot stand on its own merits.

    After the 1988 general election, no other PAP Malay candidates contested in an SMC. Between then and now, the PAP continues with its narrative that a Malay candidate cannot win an election in a Chinese majority electorate.

    I remembered when Masagos was promoted to a ministerial position, the PAP highlighted that the promotion reflected the progress of the Malays. It simply meant that the promotion was given on account that the community now deserves to have a minister while previously it didn’t as we are considered second best as compared to the non-Malays.

    Today, the PAP again uses the Malay community as a pawn for its political agenda. Knowing how close the results of the last presidential election between its endorsed candidate and the independent candidate Dr Tan Cheng Bock (TCB), the PAP is playing the racial cards again by tugging at the heart strings of the Malay community.

    It seems that it now wants a Malay figurehead to counter the possibility of Dr TCB winning the presidential election. And rules have to be tweaked to accommodate this.

    I will be elated if ever we were to have a Malay president again after Yusof Ishak. But there will be no honour in winning a contest when the favours are heavily tilted for a certain individual/race to win it. And when indeed a Malay president is elected under those conditions, then it will further affirm the unfounded theory that the Malay community cannot stand on its own calibre.

    I would rather we secure the presidential role fair and square. The PAP will need to walk the talk rather than just paying lip service. If it values the contribution of the Malay community and treats everyone as equal, show it by supporting a Malay candidate without tinkering with the system. The Malay community doesn’t need charity of this kind.

    The principle that all citizens are equal, regardless of race or religion, means we have to do away with affirmative actions.

     

    Source: Khan Osman Sulaiman

  • S R Nathan Banyak Sokong Usaha Masyarakat Melayu

    S R Nathan Banyak Sokong Usaha Masyarakat Melayu

    MUIS mengirim surat takziah kepada isteri dan keluarga mendiang Encik Nathan.

    MUIS melahirkan rasa “kesedihan yang mendalam di atas pemergian seorang pemimpin yang sangat dihormati”.

    Ia juga menganggap Encik Nathan sebagai “Presiden berjiwa rakyat” dan pemergian beliau merupakan satu kehilangan besar kepada negara.

    Menurut MUIS, mendiang Encik Nathan menghadiri banyak acara yang dianjurkan masyarakat Islam.

    Ini termasuklah inisiatif Cabaran Presiden Beriani Amal yang dipeloporinya.

    Dalam laporan berikut, Pengerusi Masjid Khalid, Encik Allaudin Mohamed berkongsi pengalamannya dalam menyediakan beriani amal itu.

    “Encik Nathan kalau pasal beriani, cakap di mana ada jual beriani, kata orang sedap sahaja, dia hendak cuba.Kalau dia makan beriani ada sistem dia sendiri, rasa nasinya dulu, apabila sudah hidu aromanya, letak masala, lepas tu campur daging. Apabila semua sudah cukup, baru makan dengan acarnya. Selagi ada beriani di rumah dia, di peti sejuk, nanti dia akan minta ‘Ada lagi beriani Allaudin?’,” Encik Allaudin memberitahu BERITAMediacorp.

    Selama 16 tahun, Encik Allaudin adalah ‘orang kuat dapur’ yang memasak beriani untuk acara tahunan Beriani Amal.

    Walaupun Encik Nathan tidak lagi menjadi Presiden, Pengerusi Masjid Khalid ini pastikan setiap bulan beliau akan menghantar sebungkus makanan kegemaran Encik Nathan itu ke rumahnya.

    Di sebalik hidangan istimewa ini, sebenarnya tersirat satu lambang.

    Lambang Beriani Amal Cabaran Presiden ini, beliau membuka satu ruang untuk masyarakat kita. Masjid ini bukan satu tempat untuk orang Islam sahaja.

    Selama berinteraksi dengan mendiang Encik Nathan, Encik Allaudin menyifatkannya sebagai seorang yang peramah, mempunyai budi pekerti yang tinggi dan sentiasa prihatin terhadap setiap lapisan masyarakat.

    “Selalu pesanan beliau adalah untuk masyarakat kita dan agama. Akhir-akhir ini berapa kali beliau bercakap mengenai agama sebab terdapat pergolakan Islam di dunia sekarang, beliau banyak prihatin dalam masyarakat Islam Singapura. Satu cerita yang beliau bilang dengan saya, “Allaudin, orang Melayu ini orang paling baik dan mereka senang. Mereka orangnya ‘simple’, tapi orang Melayu ini ada kekuatannya yang kita tidak nampak, cuma mereka terlampau baik jadi mereka tidak menggunakan kekuatan yang ada pada mereka itu untuk mempertengahkan kemahuan mereka.

    “Mereka lebih berkompromi. Mereka selalu mengalah, dan cari jalan yang lebih baik. Itu satu budi pekerti pada orang-orang Melayu yang lain masyarakat tidak ada. Pesanan beliau dengan saya, dan keluarga saya, bila saya bawa anak-anak saya, dia akan bicara tentang persekolahan. Tiap kali. Mesti mahu belajar pandai-pandai, kita dulu mak bapak tidak pergi sekolah, sekarang mesti pergi sekolah pandai-pandai. Jangan malas. Pendidikan adalah jalan menuju kejayaan dan menaik taraf masyarakat,” tambah Encik Allaudin.

    Tambah Encik Allaudin, kehadiran mendiang Encik Nathan dalam acara-acara kemasyarakatan seperti acara Beriani Amal menunjukkan komitmen dan penghargaan beliau kepada masyarakat Islam Singapura, sekali gus membina sebuah masyarakat penyayang.

    Source: http://berita.mediacorp.sg

  • Philippines Drug War Deaths Climb To 1,800; US ‘Deeply Concerned’

    Philippines Drug War Deaths Climb To 1,800; US ‘Deeply Concerned’

    The Philippines has recorded about 1,800 drug-related killings since President Rodrigo Duterte took office seven weeks ago and launched a war on narcotics, far higher than previously believed, according to police figures.

    Philippine National Police Chief Ronald Dela Rosa told a Senate committee on Monday that 712 drug traffickers and users had been killed in police operations since July 1.

    Police were also investigating 1,067 other drug-related killings, Dela Rosa said, without giving details. On Sunday, Duterte railed against the United Nations for criticising the wave of deaths.

    The United States, a close ally of the Philippines, said it was “deeply concerned” by the reports, and U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner urged Duterte’s government to ensure that law-enforcement authorities abided by human rights norms.

    The drug trafficking crackdown and some strongly worded criticisms Duterte has made of the United States since coming to power present a dilemma for Washington, which has been seeking to forge unity among allies and partners in Asia in the face of an increasingly assertive China, especially in the strategic South China Sea.

    Toner made the dilemma clear in responses to questions at a regular State Department briefing in Washington, in which he referred to Duterte as “a plain-speaking politician.”

    “We continue to make clear to the Philippines government … our concern about human rights, extrajudicial killings, but we are also committed to our bilateral relationship and strengthening that bilateral relationship,” he said.

    Toner said there was no question of the United States turning a blind eye to rights abuses and that the relationship with Manila, while good, was “frank and candid.”

    As recently as Sunday, the number of suspected drug traffickers killed in Duterte’s war on drugs had been put at about 900 by Philippine officials. But this number included people who died since Duterte won the May 9 presidential election.

    Duterte said in a strongly worded late-night news conference on Sunday the Philippines might leave the United Nations and invite China and others to form a new global forum, accusing it of failing to fulfil its mandate.

    His foreign minister, Perfecto Yasay, said on Monday the Philippines would remain a U.N. member and described the president’s comments as expressions of “profound disappointment and frustration”.

    “We are committed to the U.N. despite our numerous frustrations and disappointments with the international agency,” Yasay told a news conference. U.S. officials declined comment on Duterte’s U.N. remarks.

    Last week, two U.N. human rights experts urged Manila to stop the extra-judicial executions and killings.

    Yasay said Duterte has promised to uphold human rights in the fight against drugs and has ordered the police to investigate and prosecute offenders. He criticised the U.N. rapporteurs for “jumping to an arbitrary conclusion that we have violated human rights of people”.

    “It is highly irresponsible on their part to solely rely on such allegations based on information from unnamed sources without proper substantiation,” he said of the United Nations.

    Senator Leila de Lima, a staunch critic of the president, started a two-day congressional inquiry into the killings on Monday, questioning top police and anti-narcotics officials to explain the “unprecedented” rise in killings.

    “I am disturbed that we have killings left and right as breakfast every morning,” she said.

    “My concern does not only revolve around the growing tally of killings reported by the police. What is particularly worrisome is that the campaign against drugs seems to be an excuse for some law enforcers and other elements like vigilantes to commit murder with impunity,” De Lima said.

     

    Source: ChannelNewsAsia

  • Protest Outside Singapore Embassy In Jakarta During Nathan Condolence Signing

    Protest Outside Singapore Embassy In Jakarta During Nathan Condolence Signing

    Just as the Singapore Embassy in Jakarta opened its doors on Tuesday (Aug 23) for well-wishers to sign a condolence book after Mr SR Nathan’s passing, a small protest was held over the alleged mistreatment of a retired Indonesian senior general in Changi Airport.

    Demonstrators from Pemuda Panca Marga (PPM), an organisation linked to the military, showed up to protest the alleged mistreatment of Lieutenant General (retired) Suryo Prabowo at Singapore’s airport last week, the Singapore embassy wrote on its Facebook page.

    It is believed that around 30 people participated in the protest, though the embassy did not give a figure.

    The embassy added that the demonstration proceeded outside without interrupting the signing of the condolence book inside. “We would like to extend our thanks to the Jakarta police for ensuring law and order, as well as the safety of the Embassy during this period,” it said.

    Mr Prabowo had arrived in Singapore on August 17 from Fiji on a Fiji Airways plane when he was denied entry to Singapore while he was transiting through Changi Airport. He was interviewed by checkpoint officers, a practice in accordance with screening procedures for border security, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said in a statement Saturday.

    “After completing the interview, he was allowed to board his flight,” the ICA statement continued.

    “As part of the immigration clearance process, travellers to Singapore may be subjected to additional interview and/or screening. These procedures are conducted at all of Singapore’s checkpoints,” ICA added.

    The incident reverberated to Jakarta. Indonesian media reported that the Indonesian Military (TNI) Chief, General Gatot Nurmantyo, wrote a note to Singapore to protest the treatment of Mr Prabowo.

    Some even suggested that Mr Prabowo has been blacklisted by Singaporean authorities.

    However, Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arrmanatha Nasir later clarified that Mr Prabowo has not been blacklisted, adding that a similar name may have been the cause behind the unexpected delay. The spokesperson also gave no indication that the Indonesian Foreign Ministry would file a note of protest.

    In its Facebook post on Tuesday, the Singapore Embassy in Jakarta took the opportunity to recount one of Mr Nathan’s sayings in relation to the incident.“This was a suitable moment to recall what Mr S R Nathan had once said about the qualities needed to be a successful Foreign Service Officer of Singapore: patience, calmness, modesty, empathy and good humour,” it said.

    “More importantly, he had also reminded us that Singapore Foreign Service Officers must have patriotism and a sense of mission; integrity and honesty; and the ability to carry on with our work, even under pressure. Timeless advice.”

     

    Source: TODAY Online

  • Mohamed Jufrie Mahmood: Malays Want True Equality, Will Choose Tan Cheng Bock Over Malay PAP Puppet

    Mohamed Jufrie Mahmood: Malays Want True Equality, Will Choose Tan Cheng Bock Over Malay PAP Puppet

    Many Singaporeans may not be aware of the main reason for the hype on the need to allow a candidate among the minorities (in this instance the Malays because the Indians have had 2 of their own already) to be elected as Singapore’s President.

    I fully share the views expressed by Alfian Sa’at in a recent post.

    I am basically colour blind when it concerns this. To blazes with symbolism/tokenism. What we Malays want are fair and equal treatment. We want to be treated not as second class citizens. We want to be represented in all aspects of the Singapore socio political and commercial landscape. We want to play a real and meaningful role in the defence of our nation. We want to be allowed to freely practise our culture and religion without intruding into those of the other communities or reducing the common space, like the donning of the tudung. We want an end to all forms of discrimination in all sectors, especially in the NS and immigration policies which are so blatantly to our disadvantage. We want to be truly united with the other communities as one people.

    We want a president who can unify us all, irrespective his race. We say a big NO to a puppet president even if he is a Malay.

    If asked to choose between an ex Malay PAP minister (because under the proposed new criteria only such persons would qualify, I suppose) and Dr Tan Cheng Bock, for instance, I would gladly choose Dr. Tan even though he is not a Malay.

     

    Source: Mohamed Jufrie Bin Mahmood

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