Category: Singapuraku

The Peak@Toa Payoh Residents Don’t Want RC Centre At Their Void Deck

A group of residents of The Peak@Toa Payoh are irked that their objections to the building of a Residents’ Committee (RC) centre at the void deck have gone unheeded.

The kerfuffle started when a notice was put up in March last year that the centre will be built at the void deck of Block 139B, stirring some residents to start a petition against the move, which they submitted to area Member of Parliament Hri Kumar Nair last June. Out of 246 units in that block, residents from 163 signed the petition.

Despite the RC exploring alternative sites and adjusting plans — including reducing the size of the centre — because of concerns raised, residents were unmoved in their view. Building the centre, they said, will eat up their void deck space, as well as affect ventilation, lighting and safety of the area, among other things.

Housewife Huang Eng Hui, 35, who lives at the affected block and is one of those who signed the petition, worries about the centre hindering evacuation in the event of a fire.

“Because we have a lot of wheelchair users, young families with prams, in case of a fire, when people are coming down, they will need a straight path,” she said.

The upcoming centre will also involve shifting the unloading bay to another area, which is near a blind spot where an accident had happened, she added.

Another resident staying in that block agreed that an RC centre is necessary for the area, but she prefers to have it built elsewhere.

The 31-year-old civil servant, who wanted to be identified only as Ms Josephine said: “It’s the Not-In-My-Backyard (NIMBY) attitude, but I think I’m not that keen on having an RC centre underneath the block. It’s better remaining an open space.”

Other residents said it was not a case of NIMBY syndrome, pointing to how they had suggested alternative sites, besides void decks, for the RC centre.

In a statement on April 7, Mr Charlie Chew, chairman of The Peak RC, said they had considered siting the centre at the rooftop of the multi-storey carpark and a standalone building, among other areas.

Eventually, they secured the use of the Utility Room as a second site for the RC centre, allowing them to build a smaller centre at Block 139B, thereby addressing the residents’ concerns about ventilation, lighting, evacuation, and safety.

Yesterday, Mr Chew told TODAY: “Their expectations of (not having a) RC centre at the void deck were not met, that’s why they interpret this as ‘I’m saying this but you’re not listening’.”

When contacted, Mr Hri Kumar said it is unfair to label this incident as a case of NIMBY-ism, noting that it was the first time his constituents have expressed concerns about building an RC centre.

He added that the RC had tried to address concerns by redrawing plans but the current arrangements remain the “best compromise”, given the lack of suitable alternative locations.

Asked if communication with the residents could have been better, Mr Hri Kumar said: “It’s always a challenge, not just this case, to disseminate information.

“We can always learn, it may be a question of stepping up the frequency of notices, it may well be a question of doing more direct connections door-to-door … we have to keep trying our best to get the message across, deal with issues and do the best we can.”

Source: www.todayonline.com

April 17, 2015
5 Drivers Causing Singaporeans To Become Extremist

Psychological studies of Singaporeans who support the Islamic State (IS) have revealed five drivers behind their radicalisation.

In a presentation during the East Asia Summit, a symposium on religious rehabilitation and social reintegration, Ministry of Home Affairs psychologist Hu Weiying said the Islamic State’s exploitation of social media to recruit foreign fighters in large numbers has resonated with a handful of Singaporeans, resulting in them being radicalised by the online propaganda.

Hu, who interviewed several radicals during her study, said there are five psychological drivers contributing to the adoption of the Islamic State’s agenda by locals.

The first is justifying violence, such as when Islamic State fighters or sympathisers attributed the responsibility for violence to external factors and developed a binary worldview — that is, a world of good guys versus bad guys. One example of this was when the Islamic State’s violence was justified based on the actions of the Assad regime in Syria.

The second driver is the romanticised view of the Islamic caliphate. Hu said this was driven by the view that many Muslim nations are ruled by corrupt and inefficient regimes subservient to Western powers. The desire to restore the Islamic caliphate comes from the romantic idea of reigniting the glory and influence of the Ottoman empire.

The third driver, according to Hu, is the desire to be a ‘good Muslim’. The Islamic State, she said, offered both a transcendental-future time perspective as well as a present-hedonistic time perspective.

In the transcendental-future time perspective, the IS focuses on life after death, giving its followers attractive notions on what happens to them after death. This redemption through jihad, according to IS, redeems not just the fighters, but also their families.

The present-hedonistic time perspective, meanwhile, gives IS fighters a sense of excitement in the here and now. The actions of the group arouse feelings of novelty, pleasure and stimulation, while also transcending the individuality of its followers. It also romanticised the idea of the being part of the ‘real action’.

The fourth and fifth factors are the need to escape the ‘unbearable present’ and the existential anxiety in relation to End Times prophecies. End Times prophecies, Hu said, motivates people to increase their levels of religiosity by engaging in ‘worthy causes’. The fear of missing the final opportunity, she added, drove misplaced activism.

While most radicalised individuals driven to misplaced activism aren’t ready to go and fight for the IS in places like Syria, many resort to ‘negative activism’, such as buying jihadi-themed paraphernalia or ‘clicktivism — using social media to help promote or spread the ideology.

In a later discussion, Indonesia’s national counter-terrorism agency (BNPT) international co-operation deputy head, Inspector General Dr Petrus Reinhard Golose said many of the same psychological factors were seen in Indonesian radicals and extremists.

Hu said that in order to wean these people off the IS, the group’s ideology and legitimacy had to be undermined. She also said radicalised IS followers needed psychological counseling and cognitive reframing in order to change their radical worldview and to help them find alternative perspectives.

Source: https://sg.news.yahoo.com

April 17, 2015
Holistic Approach Needed To Fight Religious Extremism

Identifying weak religious grounding as a common trait among radicalised individuals here, national leaders yesterday reiterated the need for a holistic approach to counter the threat of terrorism.

Speaking at the East Asia Summit Symposium on Religious Rehabilitation and Social Integration, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean said: “One common characteristic that has been observed among radicalised individuals that we have investigated in Singapore is that they possess weak religious grounding.”

He added that this made the individuals “more susceptible to believing wholesale the radical exhortations that distort religious concepts to give their message of violence an aura of divine sanction”.

Since the first arrest of alleged Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) members here, religious scholars and teachers have embarked on a counselling programme to debunk radical ideas, said Mr Teo, who is also Home Affairs Minister.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the event, Law and Foreign Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said that a holistic approach cannot only involve “kinetic power or arresting people”.

Stressing the importance of showing radicalised individuals “the right approach to religion”, Mr Shanmugam said: “When you radicalise a person you are creating a human bomb … you can arrest and put him in prison, you can also try to de-radicalise by getting him to see the real aspects of religion.”

While religious leaders here have been reviewing the curriculum and enhancing training of Islamic teachers, challenges abound, said Singapore’s mufti, Dr Fatris Bakaram.

For instance, some preachers and leaders are reluctant to correct popular misconceptions “because they have this worry of being unpopular”, he said. He added: “Preachers and teachers have to stand up, have to develop their self-confidence, that they are part of the whole responsibility to guide youths.”

Dr Fatris said that the young today exhibit an increased sense of “restlessness to fight injustices”. They should be given the right platforms to further their desire for social justice, he said. “The younger generation has the energy and drive to change the world, and that has to be acknowledged.”

For instance, Islamic studies graduates have been employed as youth development officers in local mosques to assure young Muslims here that they have important and active roles to play in the religious community, he said. “When (the youths) feel they are appreciated, that they are given the trust and confidence to contribute, I think that will provide effective safeguarding them from being deceived by the extremists.”

Dr Fatris added that while terrorism cannot be isolated as a “Muslim problem”, Muslims must not shy away from it. “We have to acknowledge that this is the issue of the day affecting global communities … extremist groups have been using, or abusing, the name of Islam … It is not to say that Islam itself is the source of the problem, but the misunderstanding of Muslims and their religion is the thing we have to address,” he said.

Source: www.todayonline.com

April 17, 2015
Pasport Singapura Keempat Paling Pengaruh Di Dunia

Pasport Singapura menjadi yang keempat sebagai yang paling berpengaruh di dunia.

Demikian menurut indeks paspot yang dihasilkan oleh firma menasihat kewangan antarabangsa, Arton Capital.

The Washington Post, melaporkan kedudukan itu diberikan berdasarkan jumlah lawatan yang boleh dibuat oleh si pemegang paspot ke beberapa negara, tanpa memerlukan visa atau memohon visa sewaktu sampai ke destinasi itu.

Menduduki tangga teratas ranking adalah paspot dari Amerika Syarikat dan Britain dengan akses kepada 147 buah negara tanpa memerlukan permohonan visa.

Perancis, Korea Selatan dan Jerman menduduki tangga kedua, manakala Itali dan Sweden berkongsi kedudukan di tangga ketiga.

Bersama-sama Singapura di tangga keempat ialah Denmark, Finland, Belanda, Luxembourg dan Jepun.

Source: http://berita.mediacorp.sg

April 17, 2015
ITE Graduate Looked Down By Interviewer Because Of Poor Qualifications

Dear All Singapore Stuff,

I’m going to share my thoughts regarding an interview with a certain company for the position of Test Technician and after the interview, I left feeling horrible, depressed and really upset. The interviewer was rude and unprofessional. I found this job opening through jobstreet.

First of all, I waited for almost an hour before the interview commenced because the HR recruitment specialist had an appointment and forgot about the interview. How convenient. That is unprofessional and they should have told me beforehand. The interviewer didn’t introduce his name, what his position was or which department here was from. So we’ll call him Mr Nice guy.

So Mr Nice guy asked me regarding my last drawn salary, from two previous companies. He asked “why is your salary low?”. I explained that I worked only for a few days during the course of the employment and probably that’s the reason why it’s not that high. Mr Nice guy wasn’t satisfied with my answer and raised his voice and said “NO NO YOU’RE NOT ANSWERING MY QUESTION”. At this point of time, I felt that this interview had gone sideways. Mr Nice guy critiqued how could I possibly work with the company if I couldn’t answer a simple question.

In the first place, is this question even relevant? You employ someone based on merit and skills, not on previous pay and I did give an answer. I’m sorry if you are not satisfied with my answer.

Mr Nice guy proceeded with the interview and I answered as best as I could, in a polite manner even though I felt like walking out the door. He was rude throughout the interview and asked me questions that are not related to the job scope. All the while he behaved in a condescending manner and constantly undermined my credibility. Mr Nice Guy kept hinting that the company is looking for “highly educated people” He seem to have a prejudice against ITE graduates like me.

The ad that they posted is misleading to future applicants on what are the required qualifications. I have met the necessary requirements. I have a Nitec in the relevant course and I have the relevant experience. The interviewer looked down on me just because I was an ITE graduate. He also continously undermined my capabilities throughout the interview and he was hinting that ITE graduates have no place in the company.

Education is very important in Singapore. But it is wrong to stereotype someone just based on his/her qualifications. Even if you are from ITE, it doesn’t make you less of a person. What does it matter if you have a PhD but you’re an asshole. Is someone deemed highly educated just based on his qualifications? Everyone should be treated equally regardless of their education. There should be no prejudice against people who has less education than you. What’s important is the attitude of someone and I believe that is what you should look for in an employee.

Mr Nice guy concluded the interview by bluntly saying that according to him, I had failed the interview because of my attitude and I wouldn’t ever get a good job in Singapore and that the way I answered his first question was unreasonable and unprofessional.

I believe he was the one who was rude and treated me with no respect. If i wanted to be interrogated I would’ve just gone to a police station. Where did he learn his interviewing skills from? He was rude and inconsiderate from the start and he didn’t even know that he was rude. He spoiled my day with his attitude. I dont have any background in human resource but i doubt that that is a how an interview should be held.

I have lodged a report with TAFEP and am currently awaiting a personal apology from the interviewer itself for being rude to me. I hope other people don’t go through what I have been through.

PS: Interviewer is a foreigner. At first I didn’t want to mention it for fear of readers having clouded judgements but due to recent cases, i thought this factor should be taken into consideration.

Disgruntled Applicant
A.S.S. Contributor

Source: www.allsingaporestuff.com

April 16, 2015