Category: Singapuraku

Singapore Navy Plans To Boost Manpower, Reaching Out To Mid-Careerists And Females

The Singapore Navy is not resting on its laurels, even as it celebrates 48 years of keeping Singapore’s waters secure.

Facing tightening manpower demographics in an increasingly complex maritime climate, it is adopting several changes to strengthen its numbers.

The Military Domain Experts Scheme started five years ago as a means of retaining servicemen with deep expertise. It is also a possible mid-career entry point, for those mulling a career in uniform. Currently, mid-careerists make up about 10 per cent of those on the scheme.

Speaking to reporters on Friday (May 8), Navy Chief Rear-Admiral Lai Chung Han said a campaign to target mid-careerists to join the scheme might be in the works.

He added that the Navy might even consider creating new vocations to better tap the skills of these mid-careerists, depending on the Navy’s needs.

But not just anyone should apply. “They must bring value, it must make sense, and it must be because there’s an operational need for these vocations – those in engineering, those in the merchant navy, those who work in industry, precision manufacturing, those with backgrounds in safety, lawyers even – because going forward I think a good understanding of law, international law, how that applies in periods of tension and so and so forth,” RADM Lai said.

Also on the Navy’s radar is the recruitment of more women into the force.

Just seven per cent of its manpower are female – a figure the Navy plans to double in the next 10 to 15 years, matching other developed navies worldwide. But the Navy Chief said this requires not only family-friendly policies, but mindset changes too.

He said: “If you look at our numbers, going forward if we don’t recruit more women, we can’t man all our positions. So to the men in the Navy, or in the armed forces who refuse this, the choice is simple – you either have that post not filled, or you have a woman who comes in, serves effectively for 20 to 25 years, but is away for maternity every now and then only.

“So that’s a choice for us, and it’s a very stark reality. You need to recognise that women also bring great value, especially in an advanced armed forces where technology is key – where there’s less heavy lifting, physical strength, but (more of) mental strength, leadership, character and values.”

And as the Navy equips itself with the latest technologies, it is also looking at how this can enable NS manpower to be better utilised.

RADM Lai said: “We don’t see larger ships, newer ships crewed by NSmen because you really need more mature platforms. (We see) NSmen augmenting the crews of these ships, whether the Landing Ship Tanks or the frigates. And as we shift very decisively to using unmanned systems, the units that are operating these systems can be NS units.”

He said he hopes as much as a quarter of the fleet could use unmanned systems, fully operated by NS units from the word “go”.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

May 11, 2015
Racist Female Carousell Seller Insults Malays

Dear A.S.S.,

Carousell user “girlnextdoor” had a “Brand New LV Montaigne M41048” for sale in early May 2015.

A fellow Carousell user enquired about the item by asking some questions via the Chat function, and made a $300 bid (albeit ridiculously low) . “girlnextdoor” got offended by the potential buyer’s questions and low bid, and started to insult her race, “you malay people are pure retarded”, “cant read at least have some brains”.

“girlnextdoor” furthered her seditious rant by stating that “Its a known fact that everyone in sg looks to malays as second class citizens”, and that Malays on carousell are “absolute retards”.

Even if the bid was not what the seller wanted, there is NO NEED to insult the entire Malay community over a bag. “girlnextdoor” comments violates the Sedition Act, Section “3.—(1) A seditious tendency is a tendency (e) to promote feelings of ill-will and hostility between different races or classes of the population of Singapore.”, and have indeed caused ill-will and hostility to the Malays.

We hope the relevant authorities will look into this matter.

Isaac Abraham
A Concerned Singaporean

Source: www.allsingaporestuff.com

May 11, 2015
Ustaz Noor Deros: Changing For The Better Through Islam First

For every Muslim who wants to change for the better, let us come to Islam first, for Allah have already provided a complete life transformation program, no, I am not talking about the Islamised modern psychological techniques, what I am refering to are techniques that come directly from Islam and Muslims, the below list is to show that there are similarieties, not to potray that they are identical :

Cognitive technique and Logotherapy : Ilmu, Right Aqidah, Tafakkur, Tadabbur, Islamic Worldview.
علم، عقيدة، تفكر، تدبر

Support system : Jama’ah, Suhbah, Khidmah.
جماعة، صحبة، خدمة

Counselling : Muzakarah (Not only Muzakarah Ilmu) and Nasihah.
مذاكرة، نصيحة

Controlling automatic thoughts : Taubat, Solah, Muraqabah, Muraqabah Maut, Zikr.
توبة، صلاة، مراقبة، ذكر، مراقبة الموت

Temporary Isolation/quarantine technique : Khalwah, Uzlah, Safar.
خلوة، عزلة، سفر

Sound therapy : Sounds of nature, Spiritual Poetry and Qasidah.
سماع

Pledging : Talqin Syahadah, Bay’ah.
تلقين الشهادة، بيعة

Therapy with food : Fasting, Halal, less meaty, eat before one is hungry and stop before one is full.

Sexual therapy : Marriage, fasting, covering of aurah, lowering the gaze.

No modern resemblance : Hadra
حضرة

Many who claim that these techniques are outdated and ineffective are those who have not experience it nor seen its tremendous results.

Why not give it a try?

WW Return to Fitrah 2015

‪#‎wearwhite‬

Source: Ustaz Noor Deros

May 11, 2015
Munah: I’m Not Afraid To Stand Up For People Who Yearn Love, Acceptance, Security And Family

I don’t do long posts, but I’ve come to a point where I cannot turn away while people are hurling negativities about something they’re not even trying to understand.

People will always hate, assume the worst and when all else fails, insult. And when we try to explain, they’ll turn a deaf ear. Only their way is right, they’d say. We can’t stop this.

But we can champion this cause without fear, for the ones who have to hide, who doubt themselves and are too afraid to embrace what’s been given to them. A support system is something we all need to make it through this crazy life. Not everyone has been lucky enough to have found that.

And that’s why I’m here. For something far more important than the noise. I know my intentions and this cause is not about me. It’s about us coming together to voice up for the ones who are too afraid and to show them that there is someone for them to turn to.

I’ve met people who are living lies just to please the world and who hurt themselves because they are rejected or “not normal” as some would call it. And it’s so devastating to see them have to resort to this, just to get by.

At the end of it all, we’re all humans and we want the same things – love, acceptance, security, family. I’m standing up for another human being to live freely, with happiness by his/her side. And if random folks think that makes me a bad person, so be it. I won’t budge.

‪#‎PinkDot2015‬

Source: Maimunah Bagharib

May 11, 2015
Chee Soon Juan: I Call Upon Lee Hsien Loong To Lead With Courage And Wisdom In Amos Yee Saga

Mr Amos Yee’s video and his prosecution has grabbed the attention of Singaporeans, evoking strong emotions among many people.

Amos’ remarks must have hurt PM Lee Hsien Loong deeply. After all, Lee Kuan Yew was the PM’s father and no one enjoys having their loved ones criticised, especially at a time when one is still grieving and in the manner in which it was done. Amos’ video was offensive and ill-advised.

But this is where we need leadership to come through. Mr Lee is not an ordinary citizen. He is the leader of the country. Difficult as it may be, he must separate his personal feelings from his public ones.

Clearly, there are laws that empower the state to prosecute the teenager. But life’s lessons impart to us that just because we can, it doesn’t mean that we should.

Amos, as it has been repeatedly pointed out, is still a teenager and as teenagers go, so goes all the emotional complexities that adolescence brings.

As parents, we must seek to influence and mould rather than proscribe and punish. Our instinct must be to coax the best out of our children whatever their talents and frailties. As leaders, should we act any differently towards our youths?

From his Facebook posts, Amos seems to be undergoing a complex time in his development. He is undoubtedly endowed with exceptional talent. We should also recognise that he is not a hardened, let alone common, criminal deserving of shackles and imprisonment. For all his precociousness, he is still a child who needs guidance.

Given the situation, the state should provide Amos and his parents assistance rather than make life more difficult for them.

In the bigger picture, how we deal with youths like Amos – and there is a rapidly growing number among the younger generation who are frustrated with the current political system – will determine how we progress as a nation.

If all we are intent on is to shut our youths up by prosecuting and imprisoning them, then we are creating a dangerous situation for ourselves. We will rue the missed opportunity to bring them into public process and harness their intellect and exuberance if we hope to progress.

It is imperative that this Government deals with the emerging situation with greater sophistication than it has demomstrated thus far. To do this, we need more discussion and nuanced conversation, not prosecution.

As for Amos’ comments on Christianity, there are many in the SDP who are Christians and we are not offended by the video. Neither do we wish to see Amos prosecuted for his views – our faiths are not so shallow as to punish a boy for criticising it.

It is, therefore, incomprehensible to see the state media mischievously suggest that it was the SDP who had influenced Amos to make his video. It is such kind of irresponsible journalism that causes national discord.

If the PAP is offended by Amos’ words, then I would like to remind it that I have been called worse things, much of it by Lee Kuan Yew himself. I choose not to harbour any grudge for a burdened heart cannot truly serve the people.

In this vein, I call on the Prime Minister to step up and lead. With courage and wisdom.

Source: Chee Soon Juan

May 11, 2015