Calon Melayu Parti Demokratik Singapura (SDP) Damanhuri Abas bagi GRC Marsiling- Yew Tee mempersoalkan keupayaan pemerintah untuk menyatupadukan rakyat.
Beliau juga menuduh pemerintah “melontarkan syak wasangka” ke atas masyarakat Melayu, hanya kerana tindakan segelintir tahanan JI.
Berucap di rapat SDP di Stadium Jurong Encik Damanhuri berkata sistem yang ada sekarang tidak mencerminkan ikrar negara yang memperjuangkan “rakyat yang bersatu padu”.
Rakyat Singapura tegas beliau mahukan kepimpinan yang berjiwa rakyat dan ciri-ciri itu ada pada SDP.
Maka itu, Encik Damanhuri mengajak rakyat beranikan diri menggantikan apa yang beliau sebut sebagai kekurangan yang ada pada sistem sekarang.
“Ia hanya boleh berlaku kalau jika terdapat pembangkang yang ramai, kuat dan berani di parlimen. Selagi tiada suara pembangkang di parlimen betapa kuat kita berteriak di luar, tiada kesan yang akan mengubah keadaan kita,” kata Encik Damanhuri.
Parti Pekerja (WP) mengadakan rapat pilihan raya untuk pasukannya bagi GRC East Coast, di Simei Road.
Salah seorang calonnya bagi GRC tersebut, Encik Fairoz Shariff berucap tentang kesukaran yang dihadapi para pelajar dewasa.
Beliau menekankan lagi kandungan manifesto pilihan raya WP, yang mahu mewajibkan syarikat-syarikat melaksanakan peraturan kerja fleksibel untuk golongan tersebut.
Beliau juga mendesak supaya wang lebihan dari skim Subsidi Yuran Pengajian Tinggi (TTFS), yang kemudian disalurkan ke Dana Pembangunan Pendidikan (EDF) kendalian MENDAKI, digunakan untuk membiayai pengajian pelajar dewasa Melayu yang memburu ijazah pertama mereka.
Encik Fairoz berkata: “Laporan kewangan MENDAKI untuk tahun 2014 menunjukkan bahawa kira-kira $18 juta subsidi TTFS yang tidak diagihkan, telah dipindahkan ke EDF pada tahun 2014.
“Saya berpendapat membenarkan pelajar-pelajar dewasa Melayu kita untuk memanfaatkan dana yang tidak diagihkan dari subsidi TTFS tidak akan menimbulkan masalah kerana jumlahnya amat besar. Lagipun, pelajar-pelajar dewasa Melayu kita, patut dikategorikan sebagai pelajar-pelajar pengajian tinggi walaupun mereka belajar secara sambilan.”
Aiseyman! This GE is so exciting siol~ With all seats being contested, it is a sight to see so many Malay-Muslim opposition candidates standing up to be counted to speak up for Singaporeans, and be the voice of the MM community. For far too long, the MM community has been under-represented in our country’s political conversation that it would be a step in the right direction for our community if more are willing to be involved in the governance of our country.
But with the increasing religiousity within the MM community, it is worth questioning if these MM opposition candidates truly believe in furthering the democratic process of our political system, or are they merely using the various political parties as a platform to air their grievances and further their religious agenda of pushing for a more conservative and Islamic society?
Just look at SDP’s Damanhuri Abas. Even though he represents a party that believes in the ideals of democracy, justice and equality, he himself is not a true believer of these values because he cherry picks who he thinks deserves to be treated as equals and who deserves to be discriminated against. On the one hand, he fights for the rights of Muslim NSmen and Hijabi Muslimahs, but on the other hand, he says that the law should continue to discriminate against gay men by retaining Section 377A.
Another example is NSP’s Nor Lella Mardiiah Mohamed. In the 2011 elections, she represented the party without wearing the hijab. This time round however, she is representing the party as a Muslimah wearing the hijab. While it is her prerogative to wear the hijab, one can’t help but wonder if this change is reflective of her increasing religiousity, and whether this will translate into support for the hijab issue and more broadly, issues that demand for more allowance of Islamic practices in our secular society.
What about WP’s Firuz Khan who appears to be a supporter of former Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad? Like Mahathir, is he also a fan of race-based politics and the bumi-policy? If he is voted into parliament under the WP ticket, will he champion for more MM entitlements and privileges that will affect the delicate racial situation in singapore?
These are questions that the opposition parties or the MM candidates themselves must address so that voters know what these candidates truly stand for and whether they are deserving of our votes.
For the record, I condemn what has been made of Yaacob Ibrahim’s photo at a Laselle College of the Arts function. It was mischievous and tried to paint him, the Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs, in a very bad light. It was in very bad taste and is very unbecoming of a Muslim, if the person or people behind the photo is or are indeed Muslims.
Yaacob has been quick to condemn the photo and had even called on WP’s Faisal Manap to condemn the act.
He should be reminded of the saying, there is no smoke without fire.
As a Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs,he should not have been caught in that situation. There are many confetti poppers so why does one that looks like a wine bottle had to be used? If it hadn’t been used, it wouldn’t give people the opportunity to milk it for political mileage. I’m sure his assistants or even he himself would have been briefed about the programme. Or maybe they weren’t thorough enough?
Then you also have the event organiser Laselle. It is a secular arts school but it does not mean that they cannot be aware of the sensitivities of a Muslim politician holding a wine bottle(even though it is a fake). Again, confetti poppers come in all shapes and sizes so why the need to go for one that looks like a wine bottle? Are they really that ignorant?
What this incident shows is that there are people who are still unaware of racial and religious sensitivities, We cannot take for granted that everyone undersands Islam and the obligations of its adherents. As a Muslim, it is our duty to be mindful of such matters and advise the people of a better way to do things.
Getai, which literally means “song stage” in Chinese, refers to variety performances which entertain both the living and the dead staged during this month.
The police had issued a statement on August 14 which said:
Getai performances and other forms of stage performances and entertainment are strictly not allowed before, during or after election rallies.
It also placed a burden on organizers of getai performances not to allow candidates to canvass for support.
Festival event organisers should ensure that no speeches intended to canvass support for election candidates and/or political parties are delivered (at) Seventh Month Festival events.
Last evening, at a getai Show organised by YYD Tuition Center, PAP candidates Teo Ser Luck, Gan Thiam Poh and new face Sun Xueling were present.
An invitation to the event
A reader sent in photos of their faces being projected on the stage.
The PAP candidates’ faces projected on stage
Not long after their faces were shown, the PAP candidates appeared in person.
In what appears to be a clear breach of the warnings by the police, the candidates were then seen to make their way around the hall to meet the audience.
Canvassing for support around the hall
They were also on stage to give away prizes to a crowd of at least a thousand people.
The audience for the event
The event had all the making of a 7th month Getai show with altars set up behind a a large crowd coming to watch a free show.
TOC has written in to the police to notify them of a possible breach of law and we are currently awaiting their response.
On 4th September, another PAP candidate, Lee Bee Wah, also made an appearance at a getai in Nee Soon, where she is contesting in the elections.
Ms Lee was photographed on stage, and was reported to have been promoted by the emcee of the event. A member of the public who was there told TOC that the emcee had urged the audience to vote for her in the election. This would be a clear breach of election rules and police warning issued in August.
