Category: Politik

Khaw Boon Wan: Housing Policies Continue To Support Family Formation And Ties

National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said on Monday (Dec 1) that housing policies will continue to support strong family formation, and more will be done to help extended families live close to each other in 2015.

In a blogpost, Mr Khaw said in the November Build-To-Order (BTO) exercise, there were several firsts. Firstly, the Housing & Development Board (HDB) launched the first housing project in Tampines North, and with about 1,500 units, it is HDB’s largest offering in a mature estate in a long time.

“Children growing up with their parents in Tampines can now hope to buy new flats near them,” he wrote.

Secondly, 56 units of 3Gen flats were offered – the first time these are available in a mature estate such as Tampines. Lastly, MND introduced quotas to make it easier, and offered greater priority, for married children and their parents to apply to live together or close by through the enhanced Married Child Priority Scheme (MCPS).

Close to 6,000 family applicants have applied to live with or close to their parents and married children through the enhanced MCPS. The enhancements started from November’s BTO and Sale of Balance Flats exercises, which were launched on Nov 25.

“Not surprisingly, the response to these initiatives was very positive. One in three family applicants applied to live with or close to their parents or married children through the enhanced MCPS,” Mr Khaw revealed.

“One hundred and twenty-three multi-generation families applied for the 56 units of 3Gen flats at Tampines GreenRidges. The supply at Tampines North was oversubscribed by more than 1.3 times,” he added.

Property firm ERA Realty said the numbers showed that housing demand for BTO flats has stabilised. “HDB’s move to ramp up the BTO (supply) from 2011 to 2014 has paid off, and it is timely that they slow down the BTO programme for 2015 to about 16,000 flats,” said ERA Realty’s key executive officer, Mr Eugene Lim.

“By also conducting four BTO launches next year (once a quarter) versus the six BTO launches in the past (once every two months), the resale HDB market could see the return of more buyers and hopefully in 2015, will see an increase in transactions from the expected all-time low resale volume this year of around 17,000 units,” he added.

For 2015, even more will be done to help families stay close to each other. HDB will launch another 360 3Gen flats, including 150 units in Tampines. It will also launch another 1,200 new flats in Tampines North, giving priority to those whose parents or married children are already living in the neighbourhood.

HDB will also launch its first BTO project in Bidadari, with over 2,200 units to be put on offer in the second half of next year. Parents or married children currently living in Toa Payoh will get special priority under the MCPS for the Bidadari project, the minister pointed out.

“Our family is what makes us happy, and that which gives meaning to our life. As 2014 draws to a close, let us be reminded again, to always make time to spend with our family and loved ones, and enjoy life to its fullest,” Mr Khaw said.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

December 2, 2014
United Nations Suspends Distribution Of World Food Program Vouchers In Embattled Middle East Countries Due To Lack Of Funds

A lack of funds has forced the United Nations to stop providing food vouchers for 1.7 million Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Monday.

“Without WFP vouchers, many families will go hungry. For refugees already struggling to survive the harsh winter, the consequences of halting this assistance will be devastating,” said the U.N. agency, which needs $64 million to support the refugees for the rest of December.

Suspension of the assistance program comes as many vulnerable Syrian families enter their fourth bleak winter in difficult living conditions after fleeing a homeland racked by conflict since March 2011.

“This couldn’t come at a worse time,” said U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres in a statement.

The impact could be particularly devastating in Lebanon, where more than 1.1 million Syrian refugees — one-quarter of the country’s permanent population — are scattered across some 1,700 communities, according to the U.N. refugee agency. Many live in makeshift settlements, sheds, garages and unfinished buildings.

The electronic voucher program has already injected about $800 million into local shops in the countries hosting refugees, and WFP will immediately resume it if new funding arrives, it said in the statement.

It was not clear how hungry Syrian refugees might fill the gap left by WFP suspending its voucher program.

WFP had warned last month that it might be forced to impose such a suspension and said it might have to announce a similar measure in January for people reliant on aid within Syria, where at least 7.6 million people are internally displaced.

The Rome-based agency has already cut rations for 4.25 million people it is providing food supplies to in Syria.

“WFP will not be able to continue its life-saving operations inside Syria in February without additional funding,” WFP spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs told Reuters on Monday.

The U.N. refugee agency has said that a lack of cash has forced it to prioritize as it helps those in need prepare for winter, with preference for people at higher, colder altitudes and vulnerable refugees such as newborn babies. REUTERS

Source: www.todayonline.com

December 2, 2014
Ng Eng Hen: About 60 SAF Personnel To Join In Coalition Effort Against IS

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) will be sending about 50 to 60 personnel to take part in the multinational coalition efforts to combat the terrorist threat from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said as he officially opened the new training facility for the republic’s airborne troopers at Pasir Ris camp on Monday (Dec 1).

Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said planning and liaison officers have already made their way to the United States Central Command to get “a sense what the mission’s requirements are”. He said coalition partners have welcomed Singapore’s involvement and are looking forward to Singapore’s professional input.

Dr Ng said the SAF will now “synchronise” where its help is most needed.

“I would say that the reaction to our involvement is a positive one. They know that as we did in Afghanistan, we contributed very positively, by our KC-135 refuelling tankers as well as our imagery analysts,” said Dr Ng. “So coalition partners have welcomed our involvement because they expressed the opinion that we have helped previously and they look forward to our professional input.”

Dr Ng, who had a go at one of the stations at the new training facility, said the facility is a worthwhile investment as it will ensure soldiers are trained well, such as in the event of a terrorist threat.

“We take our special forces training with extra care and there are a few reasons for it,” said Dr Ng. “As you know since 911, the threat of terrorism is real and present and with the recent terrorist threat from ISIS in Iraq and Syria, this threat is uppermost in our minds, when we plan and prepare. As you know our neighbours, both Malaysia and Indonesia, have expressed concern that those who have returned from Iraq and Syria can cause harm to the residents in their countries and I would include Singapore in the same threat scenario.”

Earlier this month in Parliament, Dr Ng had said that Singapore’s efforts will include deploying a KC-135R tanker aircraft for air-to-air refuelling and an Imagery Analysis Team. He said there will be no combat troops on the ground in Iraq and Syria.

The SAF soldiers will operate from surrounding countries together with other coalition forces.

December 2, 2014
Osman Sulaiman: Malay Muslim Community Must Make A Stand As The Government’s Inconsistent Policies Continue to Divide

I believe the reason why some people still fear the Muslim women who wear the hijab is becoz they have little or poor knowledge on why these ladies put it on. And they most probably have not had the opportunity nor the exposure to mingle and make contact with them.

For 50 years, our gov has all of the necessary apparatus to assuage this matter but it has not done so and has in fact shown to be unwilling to do so. It continues to do this so that it can rule by division.

They continue to disallow any muslim child who wear the headgear from attending the mainstream school and thus segregating the mass of the population from these people and thus compounding the misconception about people who wear the hijabs.

Many studies have shown that the younger the child is exposed to a certain environment, the better these children will be able to adapt. Unfortunately, the people that rule us think otherwise.

How then do we integrate people of different faith together? Oddly enough, the Sikh community is given the green light to wear the turban in school if they choose to.

Dont get me wrong. Im not advocating for the gov to ban turbans in pri and sec schools becoz the muslim girls weren’t allowed to practice their faith but rather to apply the policy consistently for the greater good of the people as a whole.

For all of its time in power, our gov has continued with its iniquity towards certain segment of the society in particular the malays and/or muslims.

From time to time, we will also hear the ministers on record to give their skewed perspective of the malays and muslims, creating further doubts. I wonder how our malay/muslim ministers feel serving such a government.

I also find it hard to swallow that Singapore reproves its neighbour up north for their exclusion of talent based on race but at the same time doing exactly the opposite of what it propagates.

Other than disallowing the muslim girls who wear the headgear in pri and sec mainstream schools, many job opportunities (particularly in the uniform groups) are also not made available to them by way of implementing discriminating policies. This act has unfortunately spilled over to the private sectors.

Our gov is certainly not oblivious on the aspirations of the malay/muslim community to be treated justly and to remove any doubts on its loyalty towards the nation. It has come to a point where our fundamental rights are now treated as candies to be given at the pleasure of these people governing us.

If there are social faultlines that divide us, especially on race or religion, then i believe this gov is the main contributor of such matters.

It has been many years my community keep giving this current gov their support but have seen no change to this issue. I implore my community to rethink on their choices. The support should be given to people who believe in inclusiveness. Not the artificial ones that we are experiencing now.

Ask yourself this pertinent question. How many more years do we want to wait? If we have never contributed anything significant to our own community, this is the best chance to do so on a huge scale.

We cant have any success without a little sacrifice. We should not fear the unknown. No one will change our fate unless we change it ourselves.

We need to rally our family members and friends to do what is needed. Im afraid that with the influx of new citizens, our political voices will be diminished further. It might then be too late for any regrets.

Regards,
Osman Sulaiman

Authored by Osman Sulaiman.

December 2, 2014
Malaysia Will Not Allow Chin Peng’s Ashes To Be Brought Back To Malaysia

MALACCA – The Malaysia government will not allow the ashes of Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) leader Chin Peng to be brought back to Malaysia, said Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi on Sunday.

“We will not allow his ashes to be brought back as we are sensitive to the feelings of the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of the soldiers, policemen and others whose family members were killed or maimed by the brutal CPM insurgents,” Datuk Seri Zahid said at a news conference after launching an event at the Malacca Motorcycle Carnival, The Star reported.

Chin Peng, whose real name is Ong Boon Hua, led the armed struggle of the Communist Party of Malaya against the colonial British authorities and then the Malayan government after 1957.

The hostilities ended only in 1989 with a Thailand-brokered peace accord.

Chin Peng died of cancer in September last year at the age of 88. He had been living in exile in Thailand after the 1989 peace accord, and his attempts to return to his birthplace in Perak had been stymied by the Malaysian courts on the basis that he did not have citizenship papers.

Malaysian Premier Najib Razak has called him a “terrorist leader” and said that his ashes would not be allowed into the country.

But a non-governmental organisation, 21st Century Malaysia Friendship Association, recently called for the Malaysian government to respect the Hatyai Peace Accord which allowed Chin Peng’s ashes to be brought back to the country, The Star said.

The Malaysian Chinese Association, a component party of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, had pointed out that the remains of ethnic Malay terrorists like Noordin Mohammad Top were allowed to be buried in their Malaysia hometowns.

On Sunday Dr Zahid also defended the government’s move to strengthen the 1948 Sedition Act, reported the Star.

The Act will be amended to include sedition through the Internet, touching on religious sensitivities, and calling for Sabah and Sarawak to leave Malaysia. Dr Zahid was cited as saying the move was necessary to preserve unity and harmony in Malaysia’s multiracial society.

“The Sedition Act was introduced in 1948 where there was no Internet at the time. Therefore, this Act needs to be amended,” said Dr Zahid. He added that a Bill to amend the Sedition Act is expected to be tabled in Parliament in March next year.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

December 1, 2014