Category: Singapuraku

Telling Stories To Spread The Love Of Malay During Malay Language Month (Bulan Bahasa)

Author and storyteller Jumaini Ariff’s fondest memories of the Malay language come from her childhood, when she listened to the radio at home.

“I would sit at the counter while my mother was cooking, and other than speaking to her or annoying her, I would learn things like pantun (rhymes)… how they speak, how they addressed the elderly and… storytelling,” said the 38-year-old.

With eight Malay-language books published, she sees herself as an educator for her tongue, which is why she jumped at the chance to be one of this year’s three duta bahasa (language ambassadors) for Bulan Bahasa, or the Malay Language Month.

She has already participated in Bulan Bahasa multiple times.

During its launch on Sept 9 at the Malay Heritage Centre in Kampong Glam, she will tell stories with live gamelan music accompanying her.

There will be a series of programmes on 2017’s themes of ilmu (knowledge), budaya (culture) and mesra (relationships), spread out between Aug 15 and Oct 15, and in a mixture of Malay and English for members of the public to enjoy.

The location of the launch, as well as the focus on culture as one of this year’s themes, means that most of the programmes will be in Malay.

The festival was launched in 1988 by the Malay Language Council to encourage the use of Malay in the everyday lives of Singapore’s Malay community.

Said chairman of the Bulan Bahasa 2017 committee, Ms Rahayu Mahzam: “Our legacy, stories and values can survive the test of time only if we make the effort to preserve our appreciation of the Malay language.

“Our mastery of the language can only enrich our understanding of our Malay identity. It is important to perpetuate this in the younger generation so we can continue to flourish as one community.”

Ms Rahayu told The Straits Times that the challenge lies in getting people to use Malay in their daily lives and to learn to appreciate the importance of preserving the Malay culture through the language.

“The celebration of the Malay culture is out there – everybody loves Malay culture and it’s easy to have activities revolving around it, but the appreciation of how language ties in with that is not as strong,” she said, citing the example of silat, the Malay martial art form, and how people may not appreciate the strong links between the cultural value of the weapons and moves and the Malay words for them.

In light of recent language gaffes, such as the use of a wrong character in the Speak Mandarin Campaign launch and wrongly typed Tamil in some National Day Parade pamphlets, she said that the Malay Language Council has a large network of people which it taps to ensure the correct translation and dissemination of Malay-language material.

Ms Rahayu, who is a member of the council, said the network is composed of people such as literary experts, teachers and previous Bulan Bahasa language ambassadors.

Source: http://www.straitstimes.com

July 19, 2017
Maklumat Penting Mengenai 35,000 Kubur Islam Yang Terjejas Di Pusara Abadi

35,000 kubur orang-orang Islam di Pusara Abadi akan terjejas dengan proses penggalian semula dan pengambilan tapak tanah bagi projek perluasan Pangkalan Udara Tengah, di bahagian barat laut Singapura.

45,500 kubur Cina juga akan terjejas dalam proses itu, menjadikan kesemuanya 80,500 kubur terjejas di Choa Chu Kang.

Ini diumumkan secara bersama dalam satu kenyataan media hari ini (18 Jul) oleh Kementerian Pembangunan Negara (MND), Agensi Sekitaran Kebangsaan (NEA) dan Penguasan Tanah Singapura (SLA).

MULAI SEPTEMBER INI, 5,000 KUBUR ISLAM BOLEH DITUNTUT

Mulai September ini, sebanyak 5,000 kubur orang Islam di Pusara Abadi, dan 45,000 kubur orang Cina, akan menjalani mendaftaran untuk dituntut.

Proses tuntutan dan pendaftaran itu melibatkan plot-plot kubur Pusara Abadi bagi Blok 19 dan Blok 20.

Kesemua kubur itu sudah memenuhi tempoh pengebumian selama 15 tahun.

Notis bagi penggalian lagi 30,000 kubur orang Islam akan keluarkan kemudian, setelah kubur-kubur itu juga mencapai tempoh pengebumian 15 tahun.

(Gambar kawasan kubur Islam yang terjejas bewarna hijau dan kuning Gambar: NEA)

30,000 kubur itu terletak di blok-blok berikut:

Blok 15
Blok 21
Blok 22
Blok 25
Blok 26
Blok N-1-1
Blok N-1-2
Blok N-1-3
Blok N-1-4

Source: http://berita.mediacorp.sg

July 19, 2017
5 Soalan Bersama Pengasas RoseValley, SMFW, Celebfest, Dian Rasid

Jenama RoseValley memang tidak asing lagi bagi masyarakat Melayu di Singapura. Kini ia mahu mengembangkan sayap sejauh Australia pula. Diasaskan tiga tahun lalu oleh Dian Rasid dan suaminya, Md Noor Hadi, RoseValley hanya bermula dengan penjualan produk-produk selebriti daripada Neelofa dan Emma Maembong.

Sekarang, mereka bukan sahaja sudah bertambah maju, malah berjaya mengadakan acara besar-besaran di peringkat kebangsaan, termasuk Hujung Minggu Fesyen Gaya Sopan Singapura (SMFW) dan Celebfest yang turut diadakan di dewan-dewan gah Pusat Ekspo dan Konvensyen Sands, Marina Bay Sands dan Pusat Konvensyen Suntec.

Berani mengorak langkah yang wajar dicontohi para peniaga tempatan, Cik Dian Rasid kini juga dipaparkan sebagai salah seorang daripada ‘wajah-wajah kejayaan’ dalam Kempen Ekonomi Masa Depan yang dilancarkan oleh Kementerian Perhubungan dan Penerangan (MCI).

Minggu ini, wartawan Ira Musfirah mencungkil pemikiran Cik Dian Rasid, seorang mantan pensyarah Politeknik Temasek dan ibu kepada dua orang cahaya mata.

SOALAN 1

Ira: Apa antara cabaran yang anda hadapi sebagai pengasas bersama RoseValley?

Dian: Terdapat pelbagai cabaran sebagai seorang usahawan. Ramai di kalangan ahli keluarga dan rakan-rakan kami yang tertanya-tanya mengapa kami meninggalkan kerjaya kami yang cukup baik itu. Kami terpaksa meyakinkan mereka bahawa kami tahu apa yang kami lakukan dan ini mendorong kami untuk terus membuktikan kepada mereka.

Cabaran lain termasuk meyakinkan pembeli untuk membeli pakaian gaya sopan dan produk selebriti secara online melalui laman kami. Selain itu, kebanyakan daripada mereka biasanya menempah melalui Instagram dan belum pernah menggunakan sistem bayaran online seperti PayPal sebelum ini. Oleh itu kami juga harus membantu mereka untuk menggunakannya.

SOALAN 2

Ira: Anda sedang mengambil PhD dalam jurusan psikologi di Australia. Anda masih merancang untuk meneruskan pelajaran?

Dian: Ya, saya masih ada rancangan. Malah, saya berhenti buat seketika kerana mahu mengukuhkan perniagaan saya dahulu. Pengalaman saya dalam bidang perniagaan sedikit sebanyak didorong oleh kajian PhD saya.

Oleh itu, saya mungkin akan menyepadukan aspek-aspek tingkah laku pengguna dan bisnes ke dalam kajian saya. Insya-Allah saya akan cuba menyepadukan minat mendalam saya dalam psikologi dan perniagaan.

SOALAN 3

Ira: Apa yang mendorong anda untuk terus berjaya dalam bidang perniagaan?

Dian: Pendorong utama saya adalah anak-anak saya, Ryan dan Alya. Mereka mendorong saya setiap hari untuk melakukan apa yang saya yakini. Dan saya anggap diri saya bertuah kerana mempunyai seorang suami yang sering memberikan sokongan, yang yakin pada impian saya dan yang saling melengkapi kemahiran saya.

Sokongan yang diberikan oleh kedua-dua ibu bapa serta ayah dan ibu mertua terhadap perniagaan serta impian kami juga lebih memberikan saya dorongan. Sokongan keluarga memang banyak membantu.

(Gambar-gambar: Dian Rasid/ Instagram)

SOALAN 4

Ira: Ada rancangan untuk memperluaskan perniagaan RoseValley?

Dian: Kami bercadang untuk mengembangkan RoseValley ke luar negara terutama sekali di Australia dan di rantau ini.

Kami berharap RoseValley dan usaha-usaha perniagaan tempatan lain akan sama-sama berkembang dan saling menyokong antara satu sama lain. Kita harus menyokong satu sama lain dan mewujudkan ekosistem perniagaan yang sihat.

SOALAN 5

Ira: Apa kata-kata nasihat yang dapat anda berikan kepada para usahawan yang baru berjinak-jinak dalam dunia perniagaan?

Dian: Sebenarnya, saya juga masih hijau dalam dunia bisnes, hanya tiga tahun sahaja. Tetapi saya bersyukur atas sokongan dan peluang yang dihulurkan kepada saya dari pelbagai pertubuhan dan golongan masyarakat. Akan sentiasa ada individu yang negatif yang akan cuba menjatuhkan anda dan memberitahu anda bahawa anda tidak boleh mencapai impian anda. Mereka akan mengkritik idea anda dan cuba untuk membuat diri anda berasa kerdil.

Bagi para usahawan baru, jadilah orang yang berani dan bijak. Jadilah orang yang berani untuk mempunyai impian, walaupun ia mungkin kelihatan mustahil. Jadilah orang yang berani untuk mengambil tindakan dan teruskan dengan apa yang anda yakini.

Dan jadilah orang yang bijak – dengan mendengar pandangan pengkritik tetapi usah berasa mudah tawar hati. Ambil sahaja apa yang membina. Selain itu, usah merujuk kepada hanya satu sumber inspirasi dan carilah bahan-bahan rujukan yang lain juga.

Source: http://origin-berita.mediacorp.sg

July 19, 2017
Puan Noor Aishah And President Yusof Ishak – Love At First Sight

Puan Noor Aishah was just 26 when her husband Yusof Ishak was made Yang di-Pertuan Negara in 1959.

Her role as the spouse of Singapore’s head of state was completely uncharted waters.

Puan Noor Aishah was born in 1933, and adopted by Fatimah Ali and Mohammad Salim Jusoh, an Eurasian man originally known as Barney Perkins, who had converted to Islam.

They lived an unassuming life in Penang – until Puan Noor Aishah caught the eye of Mr Yusof. He was then 39, and finally ready to settle down after years of rebuffing matchmaking attempts to focus on his work at Utusan Melayu, the Malay-language newspaper he co-founded.

A close friend coaxed him into looking through photos of potential brides. The last photo was of Puan Noor Aishah.

Something about her face intrigued Mr Yusof, who told his friend: “This one, I agree.”

He was whisked away to Penang, where a first meeting was orchestrated. But, recalls Puan Noor Aishah, although her older sister had taken her to a garden one day to meet “a good man”, all she did was sit at a table sipping tea. She never saw Mr Yusof that day.

He and his friend were seated somewhere nearby so Mr Yusof could steal glances at her. But, it later turned out, he was too shy to take a good look.

Even so, he wanted to marry her. The couple had their first proper meeting two days later, on their wedding day.

He helped Puan Noor Aishah along in her quest to learn more, bringing home books for her to read, and arranging for a teacher to help his wife hone her sewing skills.

Their first home together was in a small kampung with no running water or electricity. One day, Mr Yusof, who loved growing orchids ,ended up quarrelling with a neighbour whose cow would wander into their compound, worried it would eat his beloved flowers.

But it was tumultuous times for Singapore, and Puan Noor Aishah and Mr Yusof’s lives too would soon be thrown into upheaval.

When the People’s Action Party won the 1959 general election, Mr Yusof was founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew’s pick for Yang di-Pertuan Negara.

And so Puan Noor Aishah had to start a new life at the Istana with her husband and three children.

PM Lee in his speech noted how Puan Noor Aishah had insisted that they live simply so that their children’s lives could be as “normal” as possible.

Unaccustomed to the grandeur of the Istana, the family chose to live in a small bungalow on the grounds, which had previously been the official residence of the under-secretary of the Straits Settlement.

Mr Yusof called their new home Sri Melati, or Jasmine, and paid for the rent out of his own salary.

The upcoming election, which will be held in September, is reserved for Malay candidates. This means Singapore can expect its first Malay president since Mr Yusof.

PM Lee said: “I hope it will be a president who will bring as much distinction and honour to the office, and will be as well-loved and remembered by Singaporeans as Encik Yusof.”

Source: www.straitstimes.com

July 19, 2017
Taxi Driver Parked Car Without Consideration For Others, Blocked Path Of Makcik In Wheelchair

Local celebrity author Zai Miztiq was so miffed by an inconsiderate taxi driver that she had to make a video to give attention to the situation.

The driver was already parking illegally on double yellow lines and made it worse by blocking a wheelchair-access ramp. The drivers inconsiderate action made it difficult for Zai’s wheelchair-bound mother to get into a waiting car.

A reminder to all drivers, the road does not belong to you. If you have to park illegally, park illegally in an inconsiderate manner.

Rilek1Corner

July 19, 2017