Category: Singapuraku

Zulfikar Shariff: Elected MPs Do Not Represent The Malay/Muslim Community

There is a common misunderstanding on the role and appointment of Malay MPs and the Minister in charge of Muslim Affairs.

There are regular comments from the Muslim community that as our leaders and representatives, it is the duty of these MPs and Minister to fight for our interests. They ask why the MPs have not fought for the hijab, why they did not fight against the destruction of masjid, or the removal of wakaf.

While it is expected that a Muslim will do all he can for the community, we should not be mistaken into thinking that these MPs and Minister are our representatives.

Let us be clear how they were appointed. And what role the Muslim community played in their appointment.

The Minister in charge of Muslim Affairs, according to the government, is the Apex of Muslim leadership in Singapore.

And yet, he was not appointed by the Muslim community.

He became a Minister by virtue of his political position.

Lee Hsien Loong (and the PAP) nominated Yaacob Ibrahim to be a candidate in the last election.

The Muslim community did not nominate him.

He was elected by the Moulmein-Kallang GRC, of which about 80% are non Muslims to administer their constituency.

The Muslim community did not elect him.

Lee Hsien Loong then appointed him to be Minister in charge of Muslim Affairs.

The Muslim community did not appoint him.

In which part of this process was the Muslim community involved?

He was nominated by the PAP as a candidate, elected by his constituency to be an MP and appointed by Hsien Loong to be Minister.

How did he become our representative?

Let us be clear…

He is not our representative.

He is the PAP’s representative to manage the Muslim community.

His job is to represent the PAP’s interests to the Muslim community.

Not the reverse. That he is a Muslim and may voice his opinions on the community’s concern is incidental. That is not his function as Minister.

The community had no role in his appointment. We should not assume he is our representative.

Treat him as the PAP’s representative. Thats it.

Yaacob Ibrahim and the Malay MPs are not our representatives.

They represent the PAP to our community.

Once we understand that, Insha Allah, it makes our engagement with the government much clearer.

Source: Zulfikar Shariff

July 30, 2015
PAP Will Not Abandon Aljunied

The People’s Action Party (PAP) team will stay on in Aljunied, said its Eunos branch chairman on Wednesday (Jul 29).

“We are here to stay. We haven’t deserted you. We will continue to put in extra effort to win your vote, so please support us and let’s have a change,” said Mr Chua Eng Leong, on the sidelines of an event at Bedok North Ave 1 to celebrate Hari Raya.

The Workers’ Party took over Aljunied GRC from PAP in 2011, after winning the constituency in the general election.

“We’re part of a team, let the party decide if we are to be candidates and if we’ll be fielded and where we’ll be fielded,” said the 44-year-old Mr Chua when asked about PAP candidates for the upcoming election. He has been with the PAP since 2001.

Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob was guest-of-honour for the event organised by the Malay Activities Coordination Committee of Aljunied Cluster, a grassroots organisation. The celebrations included a dinner for about 1,200 residents of Aljunied and Hougang.

“Our motto, our principle, our values are very simple. We work really, really hard. We do our best for the residents,” said Mdm Hailmah. “Our motive, objective, goal is always to see how we can uplift the welfare of the people. Having that as a motive and objective, we will not go wrong.”

Mdm Halimah was also asked if the coming election will see a tough fight in Aljunied. “We must always be prepared,” she said. “We cannot be complacent and I’m sure the team in Aljunied has been working very hard to do their best for the residents.”

Also present were PAP Serangoon branch chairman Chan Hui Yuh, Paya Lebar branch chairman K Muralidharan Pillai, Kaki Bukit branch chairman Mohamad Kahar Abu Hassan and Eunos Grassroots Adviser and former Aljunied Member of Parliament Zainul Abidin Rasheed.

Mr Pillai, who has been involved in grassroots activities since 2001, said the Paya Lebar branch has helped residents to find jobs, get subsidised tuition and transport, as well as distribute food.

He said many activities are funded by well-wishers, and the Paya Lebar branch spends a lot of time trying to raise funds as well. “When it comes to community assistance, that’s above politics. We do it putting the residents at the centre of what we do, so that’s the purpose. It’s not really an election gimmick. Aljunied residents won’t like that,” he said.

Mr Mohamad Kahar has been conducting Meet the People sessions every Monday since March 2014. He admitted that when they started, the response was not that good, and he saw about five to six people per session. And so he went house-to-house, to tell residents about this “alternative” Meet the People sessions.

His efforts have paid off, he said. Currently, the team sees around 30 cases each session. On busy nights, the number of cases can even reach 47.

He still continues his house visits, to explain to residents the Pioneer Generation Package and Silver Support scheme.

“The idea of telling people that we’ve always been here, we didn’t move out, despite the fact that there are opposition MPs, we provide you an alternative. That by itself tells people that you are genuine, we have your welfare, interests in our mind.”

He added that he hopes to encourage more Malay residents to lead a healthy lifestyle. In Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s National Day Rally speech last year, he had highlighted the prevalence of Malay and Muslim patients with hypertension, diabetes and obesity.
Mr Mohamad Kahar also hopes those behind the Smart Nation initiative can consider rolling out pilot projects in the Kaki Bukit estate, where sensors can be used to monitor the movement of elderly who live alone and alert their family members if there is anything amiss.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

July 30, 2015
Driver Of SJN7003D Ran Away, Left Motorcyclist On The Expressway After Accident On SLE

Was driving along SLE and was lane changing from lane 2 to lane 3 to exit woodlands ave 2 when i saw what look like a log in front of me, was thinking wether to avoid it or to go over it when only very close did i realise it was a body lying in the middle of the road. Lucky i had enough time to avoid the rider and stop. Rider bike was on lane 2, rider box was on lane 1, rider helmet no where to be seen and rider was bleeding badly on the head and knocked out.

Immediately stop and with god’s grace managed to find the vehicle which collided into the bike number plate in the middle of lane 2.

Have called the ambulance and ambulance arrived in 10 minutes.
Hope rider will be fine.

Bike Plate : FBF5009M

Vehicle which run : SJN7003D

Those who knows rider, he will be at KTPH

Source: Muhd Farhan

July 29, 2015
Man, 26, Charged With Committing Sex Offences Involving At Least 10 Underage Boys

A 26-year-old man was charged on Tuesday with committing sex offences involving at least 10 underaged boys.

Goh Jun Guan faces 30 charges involving boys who were aged between 10 and 15 years old at the time.

The alleged offences, which took place between 2012 and 2014, include giving and receiving oral sex from some of the boys as well as touching the genitals of some and getting them to touch his.

He also stands accused of persuading some of the boys to send him photos of their genitals or videos of themselves masturbating, and of sending them similar photos and videos of himself via WhatsApp.

These alleged acts happened at a different locations, including public toilets in Jurong West Public Library, Pioneer Mall, and Jurong Point Shopping Centre.

For each count of sexually penetrating or being sexually penetrated by a boy under 14 years of age, Goh could be jailed up to 20 years and also fined or caned.

For each count of procuring the commission of obscene acts by the boys, he could be jailed up to five years, fined up to $10,000, or both, on the first conviction.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

July 29, 2015
Court: Headless Woman Killed By Husband

Upset that his wife was making a long-distance call to a mystery party, he reportedly punched her in a fight and left her lying on the bed.

It was only later, he told a friend, that he realised that she was not unconscious, but dead. That was when he decided to get rid of the body.

A coroner’s court found yesterday that Indian national Jasvinder Kaur, 33, had been murdered by her husband, Harvinder Singh, 35, on Dec 11, 2013.

Ms Kaur’s headless body was discovered floating in Whampoa River on the morning of Dec 12. Her corpse was wrapped in black trash bags, with the legs exposed and hands severed at the wrists.

Harvinder, a senior logistics coordinator, remains on the run. His friend, fellow Indian national Gursharan Singh, 27, was jailed for 30 months in April for helping to get rid of Ms Kaur’s body.

Gursharan, a forklift driver, had helped Harvinder carry a luggage bag from the latter’s residence at 228A Balestier Road to the canal near McNair Road.

When Gursharan grew suspicious at how heavy the bag was, he demanded to know what was in it. Harvinder then explained that he had fought that morning with Ms Kaur and punched her once on the neck.

He said she had fallen onto the bed and he had left her there. When he found her in the same position later, he realised she was dead and decided to dispose of her body.

Although Gursharan was then aware that the luggage contained a corpse, he helped Harvinder carry it to the canal. Harvinder then told him to walk away. As Gursharan left, he heard a splash.

Ms Kaur’s employer told investigators that after the deceased failed to turn up for work as a beautician on Dec 11, Harvinder called to say she was returning to India.

Harvinder fled the next morning to Malaysia, and then to India, where the authorities were unable to trace him. He is now on Interpol’s wanted list.

The exact cause of Ms Kaur’s death remains unknown as her head and hands were never found.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

July 29, 2015