Rilek1Corner

Category: Politik

  • Lack Of Credible, Capable Candidates In Presidential Race A Worrying Sign

    Lack Of Credible, Capable Candidates In Presidential Race A Worrying Sign

    The Malay community in Singapore should stop bickering about the “Malayness” of the three potential candidates for September’s presidential election.

    What is of greater concern is that despite the election being reserved for Malay candidates, only two – Salleh Marican and Farid Khan – have stepped forward to announce their intentions to run. The third, Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob, has only hinted that she is looking to run for the nation’s highest office.

    The fact that only two individuals from the private sector have announced their intentions is indeed worrying for the Malay community. Could this be seen as the Malay community being incapable of producing enough potential leaders to serve our country?

    To be fair, the requirement for private-sector candidates to have been heads of companies with paid-up capitals of $500 million in shareholders’ equity on average over three years immediately disqualifies most Singaporeans, regardless of their race.

    This issue aside, I have been talking to community leaders to better understand if there really is a dearth in potential Malay leaders here. Most of them pointed out that there are successful individuals who are more than capable of performing the duties of a president.

    Names such as Shafie Shamsuddin, CEO of PT Trans Retail, which operates the Carrefour supermarket in Indonesia, and Bahren Shaari, CEO of the Bank of Singapore, were brought up. Former Members of Parliament such as Zainul Abidin Rasheed and Abdullah Tarmugi were also mentioned.

    To date, however, none of these individuals has stepped forward to announce an interest to contest the election.
     
    Community showing signs of progress

    But are they the only Malay candidates capable of competing in the election?

    The Malay community has made tremendous progress since independence. There are more Malays now holding important roles in the Singapore Armed Forces. We have successful Malay businessmen and scientists. The number of Malay graduates has been increasing throughout the years. We even have two full ministers in the Cabinet heading important ministries.

    But despite all these achievements, I think it is a shame that, thus far, only two members of the community have stepped forward to throw their hats into the ring.

    It is like looking for a top striker to play in our national football team. Despite all the efforts made, the team have been unable to find someone capable of filling Fandi Ahmad’s boots.

    I have heard of complaints from the community that Singapore should have a Malay president again.

    “It is time. I think a Malay president should be elected as it is a symbol of our community’s success throughout the years,” said a friend of mine a few years ago.

    She pointed out that it is only fair that a Malay is given a chance to head the republic, pointing out that since the country’s first president Yusof Ishak, there have been three Chinese, two Indians and an Eurasian holding the post.

    Then again, do we elect a candidate into the Istana just because he or she is Malay? Or are voters going to choose the best person for the job?

    Potential Malay leaders out there but…

    I recently had a discussion with a community leader on Malay leadership in Singapore. He pointed out that there are potential leaders out there who have been identified for future roles in shaping the country.

    However, he also noted that these people may be contented with their jobs and are therefore reluctant to step forward to serve the nation.

    “There are Malays out there who can (do the job as president) but they are unwilling to do so. They have their reasons. Privacy is one of them and you have to understand this is not any job. This is the presidency we are talking about,” he said.

    Another veteran community leader whom I met said that the times have changed and that the younger generation of Malays are driven more by personal success in the private sector. Hence, there is a lack of interest in community service or public service at the highest levels among them, he added.

    “Do you think that they have time to give back to the community? I don’t think so!” he said.

    He has a point. Personally, I have friends who have successful careers in the private sector and are unwilling to give back to the community.

    “I contribute to Mendaki every month. That should be enough,” is the common answer I get whenever I ask them about serving the community.

     

    Source: https://sg.news.yahoo.com

  • Dr Tan Cheng Bock’s EP Appeal To Be Heard On 31 July

    Dr Tan Cheng Bock’s EP Appeal To Be Heard On 31 July

    Former presidential candidate Tan Cheng Bock’s appeal against the High Court’s decision to dismiss his legal challenge on the timing for the reserved presidential election will be heard on July 31.

    In a Facebook post on Sunday (July 23), Dr Tan wrote that the hearing in the Court of Appeal will also be open for members of the public to attend.

    “I look forward to a final judicial clarification on whether the Government had correctly picked President Wee (Kim Wee) as the first of five presidencies to trigger a Reserved Election for 2017,” he said.

    After his legal challenge was dismissed on July 7, Dr Tan said his lawyers have advised that “the judge may have misconstrued the relevant constitutional provisions”, and proceeded to file an appeal to the apex court.

    Dr Tan had earlier challenged the Attorney-General’s Chambers’ (AGC) findings that Dr Wee was Singapore’s first elected President, which formed the basis for the Government to trigger a reserved election for Malay candidates for the coming polls in September.

    After changes to the Elected Presidency scheme were passed, a reserved election will be triggered for a particular race that has not seen an elected representative for five consecutive terms.

    The Government, on the advice of AGC, started counting the five terms from Dr Wee’s presidency. The late Dr Wee was the first President to exercise powers under the EP scheme, after it was introduced in 1991 while he was in office.

    But Dr Tan said it was unconstitutional to start counting from Dr Wee’s term, and the Government should have started counting from the popularly-elected Mr Ong Teng Cheong instead, who succeeded Dr Wee. This would make it four terms since the Republic has had an elected Malay President.

    Earlier this month, Justice Quentin Loh dismissed the appeal. He ruled that after amendments to the EP scheme were passed, Parliament was “entitled… to specify President Wee’s last term in office as the first term” of office of the President to be counted under the relevant article for a reserved election.

    He found that “on a plain reading” of Article 164, Parliament is not limited to choosing a particular term of office of the President as the “first term”. There was also nothing in the text or textual context of Article 19B that limits Parliament’s power by requiring it to start the count from the term of office of a popularly-elected President, said the judge.

    Dr Tan said on his Facebook page on Sunday that the legal case has allowed him “to express a different legal view”, adding:  “The case will end on 31 July 2017. But it is good to let our conversation on these national issues continue.”

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com

  • Halimah Yacob: Racial Harmony In Singapore Should Be Celebrated

    Halimah Yacob: Racial Harmony In Singapore Should Be Celebrated

    A wushu group and a silat group performed together on stage at a cultural event in Eunos attended by Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob last night.

    The wushu performance was by the Wudang Sheng Hong Health Preservation Centre from the nearby Lorong Koo Chye Sheng Hong Temple.

    The silat performance was by the Si Rumpun Padi group from the Alkaff Kampung Melayu Mosque.

    Such racial harmony would be unthinkable in some other countries and should be celebrated, Madam Halimah said at the event organised by the People’s Association grassroots groups in Aljunied GRC.

     

    Source: www.tnp.sg

     

  • Presidential Candidates Must Have Clear Conscience Declaring Themselves “Malay” When Even Other “Half-Malays” Are Not Considered As One

    Presidential Candidates Must Have Clear Conscience Declaring Themselves “Malay” When Even Other “Half-Malays” Are Not Considered As One

    Assalaamu’alaikom, semua. Actually, I have a real-life personal story to tell.

    My younger sister is married to a Singaporean Arab (not the rich one, mind you). His son, that is my nephew, was accepted into NTU about 10 years ago. He applied for Mendaki Scholarship but was rejected because he is considered NOT a Malay by Mendaki. My nephew is considered of Arab race based on his identity card as my brother-in-law is an Arab and needless to say, my sister is a Malay as I am. I did ask my MP at that time but he said that my nephew is not considered a Malay by “constitutional” definition.

    So, he had to apply for Mendaki Study Loan which he did and got the loan with my brother-in-law and I as guarantors.

    He graduated and started working and subsequently settled his loan with Mendaki several years ago.

    With due respect to all potential presidential candidates who claim to have some “Malayness” in them, ask yourself honestly and with a clear conscience: Is it fair to claim yourself to be a Malay when others who are “half-a-Malay” are not considered as one?

    Demi Allah, this is a true story. Assalaamu’alaikom warahmatullahi wabarokaatuh.

     

    Source: Yahya Hamid in Suara Melayu Singapura

  • [Malaysia] Bersyukurlah Jadi Melayu, Bangsa Dunia Yang Hebat

    [Malaysia] Bersyukurlah Jadi Melayu, Bangsa Dunia Yang Hebat

    PETALING JAYA: Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak berkata sejumlah setengah bilion orang Melayu tersebar di seluruh dunia dari Australia ke Amerika Syarikat, dan berkata orang Melayu perlu bersyukur mereka tergolong sebahagian daripada mereka kerana mempunyai jati diri dan mengekalkan tradisi tidak kira di mana mereka berada.

    “Sebagai bangsa Melayu, bersyukurlah dengan anugerah Allah ini. Kekalkan tradisi kehebatan ini supaya nasib bangsa ini tidak terjadi seperti tragedi yang menimpa bangsa Palestin, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq dan Rohingya yang sedang bergelora dan ditindas di tanah air sendiri,” tulis bendahari Umno itu dalam catatan blog hari ini.

    Katanya, diaspora Melayu mewakili 9% penduduk dunia, dan mereka terbukti berjaya kerana memiliki sifat jati diri dan kerajinan, seperti yang boleh dilihat dengan pelantikan orang Melayu untuk jawatan penting di negara lain.

    Beliau memberi contoh Melayu Sri Lanka, Samara Vijayatungga dan Melayu Cape, Abdullah Kadi Abdus Salaam, di samping Melayu yang mula menetap di kawasan baharu seperti Datuk Mohd Aris Ahmad yang dilantik menjadi Datuk Bandar Winsford di England pada 1989, dan usahawan New York, Datuk Fathol Razak Abdul Rawak.

    “Kehebatan diaspora bangsa ini diiktiraf dunia. Bangsa ini sudah mampu menjadi duta Melayu global untuk terus bersaing dengan bangsa-bangsa lain di peringkat antarabangsa,” kata menteri komunikasi dan multimedia itu.

    Katanya, kehebatan diaspora Melayu adalah disebabkan sifat mereka yang rajin, berani dan berjiwa besar.

    “Selain itu adalah faktor agama Islam, keterbukaan minda, pengamalan budaya dan bahasa Melayu yang turut menjadikan mereka hebat.”

     

    Source: www.freemalaysiatoday.com