Category: Politik

  • Farid Khan Kaim Khan, Chairman Of Bourbon Offshore Asia Pacific, Said To Be Mystery Presidential Candidate

    Farid Khan Kaim Khan, Chairman Of Bourbon Offshore Asia Pacific, Said To Be Mystery Presidential Candidate

    The mystery candidate said to be considering running for the Presidency is Mr Farid Khan Kaim Khan. He is the chairman of marine service provider Bourbon Offshore Asia Pacific.

    Four men were at the Elections Department on Friday (June 16) to collect application forms for a potential presidential candidate they declined to identify. They would describe him only as a Malay/Muslim man in his early 60s, who is a chairman at a multinational company.

    But sources told The Straits Times that the man in question is Mr Farid, 62. They said he is giving serious thought to running for president but has yet to make a decision.

    He has been working at Singapore-based Bourbon Offshore Asia Pacific for more than 10 years and is married with two children.

    The firm, which employs about 800 workers in the region, is part of French company Bourbon, which has more than 10,000 employees.

    Mr Farid is also the director of several other entities, including Greenship Holdings, which is also in the marine sector.

    One of the changes for the upcoming presidential election states that private-sector candidates must have run a company with at least $500 million in shareholder equity, to qualify automatically.

    The Straits Times understands that the shareholder equity of Greenship Holdings is about US$200 million (S$277 million), while that of Bourbon Offshore Asia Pacific is more than US$300 million.

    When contacted, Mr Farid declined to comment.

     

    Source: www.straitstimes.com

  • Who Are These Multiracial Band Of Brothers? And Where Is The Presidential Candidate?

    Who Are These Multiracial Band Of Brothers? And Where Is The Presidential Candidate?

    A mystery contender – described as a Malay/Muslim man in his 60s and the chairman of a multinational company – is planning to vie for the position of president.

    Four of his friends turned up on Friday (June 16) at the Elections Department to collect application forms for the coming presidential election on his behalf.

    One of them, Future Energy Solutions director of administrative and business development Borhan Saini, said: “We believe that our candidate is eligible to stand.”

    To repeated questions on the new contender’s identity, Mr Saini would only offer sparse details: He is in early 60s, a chairman of a multinational company, and is currently based in Singapore.

    Mr Saini added that he believed the potential candidate could win the support of “all races in Singapore”.

    But he declined to give more information when pressed and would only say: “We are confident of that.”

    He added that a press conference will be called after Hari Raya, in the first week of July.

    Mr Borhan and his companions – who gave their names as Jimmie Wee, Rahman Kamin and Sukumaran, but declined to reveal more about themselves – had on Thursday sent an email to the media through an anonymous account. It stated that a “group of multiracial representatives” would be collecting documents for the upcoming presidential election.

    Mr Borhan said on Friday: “We are from a multiracial group to support our candidate because the president is not just for Malays, but for (people from) all walks of life in Singapore”.

    The group, he added, is not linked to any political party.

    When asked why the candidate had not collected the forms himself, Mr Borhan would only say: “He’s not free today… he has some urgent matters.”

    The upcoming presidential election in September is reserved for candidates from the Malay community, following changes to the elected presidency scheme approved by Parliament last year to ensure minority representation.

     

     

    Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/

  • Wanita Indonesia Di Syria Lari, Selamatkan Diri Dari Penipuan ISIS

    Wanita Indonesia Di Syria Lari, Selamatkan Diri Dari Penipuan ISIS

    INDONESIA: Semasa wanita bernama Leefa meninggalkan Indonesia untuk menyertai ISIS di kubu kuatnya di Raqa, Syria, beliau menyangka dirinya akan ke sebuah destinasi ‘syurga dunia’.

    Beliau dan keluarganya membayangkan diri mereka dikelilingi orang-orang yang benar-benar beriman dan menjangkakan akan menerima jagaan kesihatan percuma serta mendapat pekerjaan yang dibayar gaji lebih baik, yang hanya jadi mimpi baginya jika terus menetap di tanah air sendiri, Indonesia.

    Namun sekarang, sedang ISIS berperang mempertahankan kubu kuatnya itu, Leefa dan lagi 15 rakyat Indonesia lain adalah antara ribuan orang yang melarikan diri dari Raqa yang terletak di bahagian utara Syria.

    Mereka kini berada di kem perlindungan sementara di Ain Issa bagi mereka yang kehilangan tempat tinggal, sekitar 50 kilometer dari utara Raqa.

    SANGKA BOLEH DAPAT PEMBEDAHAN LEHER PERCUMA

    Mereka masih menantikan nasib diri sedang Pasukan Demokratik Syria (SDF) yang disokong Amerika Syarikat terus berperang.

    Dalam bahasa Inggeris yang tidak fasih, diselang-seli dengan sedikit bahasa Arab yang dipelajari sepanjang berada di Syria selama 22 bulan, Leefa dan rakan-rakannya mengaku mereka sendiri memilih untuk ke wilayah yang dikuasai ISIS itu.

    “Semasa di Indonesia, kami membaca, menonton di internet bahawa Daulah Islamiah itulah tempat yang harus diduduki, untuk menjadi Muslim yang sebenar,” kata Leefa, 38 tahun.

    “Saya mengalami masalah kesihatan. Saya perlu jalani pembedahan pada leher dan ia begitu mahal di Indonesia,” tambah beliau.

    “Namun (sangkanya) dengan ISIS di sana semuanya percuma, semua percuma,” kata beliau.

    “Kami datang ke Syria sertai ISIS untuk jadi Muslim sebenar dan untuk kesihatan saya juga,” tambah beliau, yang mengenakan tudung berwarna hijau.

    “SEMUANYA SATU PENIPUAN”

    Leefa menjelaskan bahawa beliau berhubungan dengan seorang anggota ISIS di Syria menerusi internet dan diberitahu mereka yang sudah datang ke Raqa akan dibayar balik wang bagi pembelian tiket pesawat dan akan menikmati kehidupan yang baik.

    Namun sebaik saja tiba di sana, mereka mendapati keadaannya jauh berbeza daripada yang dijangkakan.

    Leefa mendapati pembedahan yang diperlukan bukan percuma dan akhirnya tidak mendapatkan rawatan.

    “Semuanya satu penipuan,” kata Nur, 19 tahun, seorang lagi rakyat Indonesia di kem Ain Issa, yang mengenakan tudung berwarna kuning air.

    “Setelah kami sertai ISIS, masuk ke negara mereka, semuanya jauh berbeza daripada apa yang disampaikan di internet.”

    Menurut Nur, beliau dan keluarganya menjangkakan saudara lelaki mereka akan mendapat pekerjaan, namun apabila tiba, mereka diberitahu semua lelaki wajib menyertai pejuang ISIS.

    “Anggota keluarga lelaki kami memasuki penjara, bapa saya, saudara lelaki saya,” kata beliau, tanpa menjelaskan mengapa dan bila kaum keluarga lelaki dimasukkan ke dalam penjara.

    Beliau kemudian mendapati dirinya diminta bernikah dengan anggota militan ISIS, kata beliau.

    “Terdapat ramai anggota militan ISIS yang duda, hanya bernikah dua minggu atau dua bulan,” kata beliau.

    “Ramai lelaki datang ke rumah saya dan memberitahu bapa saya mereka mahukan anaknya,” kata beliau penuh jijik.

    Malah saudara lelaki beliau juga pernah ditegur orang yang tidak dikenali di pasar Raqa dan ditanya sama ada beliau mempunyai wanita atau saudara perempuan kerana mereka “mahukan isteri”.

    “MEREKA DIPERDAYA”

    Kisah-kisah yang beritahu oleh sekumpulan rakyat Indonesia itu – lapan wanita, tiga kanak-kanak dan lima lelaki, bagaimanapun sukar dipastikan.

    Namun ia sama dengan kisah-kisah yang pernah diberitahu oleh beberapa individu asing lain yang berhasil melarikan diri daripada wilayah ISIS.

    Semuanya mengatakan, apa yang diberitahu dan digambarkan online jauh berbeza dengan keadaan sebenar sebaik saja tiba di ‘khilafah’ ISIS.

    Pasukan SDF yang kini memasuki kawasan lebih dalam di Raqa sedang menyoal siasat rakyat Indonesia tersebut namun dijangka membebaskan mereka, menurut pegawai kem Ain Issa, Fayruz Khalil.

    “Apa yang saya fahami…mereka semua diperdaya,” beliau memberitahu AFP.

    “Mereka mendapati gambaran yang diberikan ISIS semuanya palsu. Sepanjang 10 bulan lalu mereka cuba meninggalkan Raqa namun hanya berjaya melakukan demikian beberapa hari lalu.”

    SDF merancang untuk menghantar rakyat Indonesia itu ke sempadan bandar Arbil, Iraq dan menyerahkan mereka kepada kedutaan Indonesia.

    Menurut pihak berkuasa Indonesia sekitar 500 hingga 600 rakyat Indonesia dipercayai berada di Syria sekarang.

    Lagi 500 merancang untuk ke Syria namun dihantar pulang sebelum sampai ke destinasi.

    Sejauh ini, pihak berkuasa negara itu sudah mendaftarkan lebih 60 rakyatnya yang pulang dari Syria, yang kebanyakannya tidak diperiksa dengan ketat sebelum dibebaskan tanpa pemantauan lanjut, menurut para pakar.

    Source: http://berita.mediacorp.sg

  • Cherian George: Mainstream Media Cannot Be Trusted With Delivering National News

    Cherian George: Mainstream Media Cannot Be Trusted With Delivering National News

    Just wasted an hour of my life watching CNA’s Primetime Asia for news of #HouseOfLee.

    Not a word. Granted this is an outward-focused programme. Still, they found time for a Singapore-angled segments about a healthcare-related survey and training dogs. The crawler had a few Singapore items, leading with “SCIENCE PARK ONE VISITORS CAN RENT E-SCOOTERS”. But nothing about the story of the year.

    This is reminiscent of the national media’s tongue-tied reaction to Lee Hsien Loong’s health scare during last year’s National Day Rally speech.

    This won’t do. If we can’t count on our national media during periods of controversy and confusion, what are they there for? Our mainstream editors go through years of socialisation to understand where the OB markers are. In spite of that, if they are not trusted (or don’t trust themselves) to exercise initiative and provide timely news and analysis at a time like this, what’s the point?

    We have heard a lot of warnings about fake news lately. The government and mainstream media should realise that if it doesn’t care to allow real news to circulate, their complaints about fake news will ring hollow.

     

    Source: Cherian George

  • Damanhuri Abas: Lee Family Feud Throws Up Questions Over The State Of Democracy And Power In Singapore

    Damanhuri Abas: Lee Family Feud Throws Up Questions Over The State Of Democracy And Power In Singapore

    The revelation from the public statement released by both Lee Hsien Yang and Dr Lee Wei Ling vindicated what most opposition parties had tirelessly expounded over the last few years. Some had gone to jail or faced severe fines for having the guts to speak the truth to power.

    There is something terribly wrong with our democracy when the ruling party abused the system to benefit and perpetuate their hold on power. Freedom of the press and election process are key essentials of democracy. Instead policies were driven to entrench their position advocating the virtue of one party rule and even ideas such as natural aristocracy became currency when it is clearly against the meritocratic principle we cherish as a nation. Transparency for a long while has gone down the drain of convenient excuses for safeguarding commercial interest when it is really about gross conflicts of interest. Cronyism and nepotism have taken over selections and appointments and not the best for the job based on merits, experience and integrity.

    The sad truth is that, over the years with almost absolute control on power with overwhelming majority in parliament, no one can stop them anymore and they can make any changes to policies or even the constitution any way they want. Thus the people’s only hope is for an intervention that comes from within to break the absolute control on information. The last straw being the constitutional amendments to the Elected Presidency and the further changes to remove any powers to the Elected President into the hands of non-elected presidential advisory committee.

    What just happened is the culmination of years of suppression that the government had full control of with no check and balance on them. Now the people must respond to this development by not ignoring and merely placing this as a family feud. That may have been the trigger but the statement raised much more profound and pertinent gross concerns on our democracy, abuse of power, conflicts of interest and undermining of public institutions.

    The people must know the truth.

     

    Source: Damanhuri Bin Abas

deneme bonusu