Category: Sosial

Pusat Khusus Hasilkan, Eksport Produk Halal Dalam Perancangan

Sebuah pusat khusus bagi para peniaga tempatan untuk menghasilkan dan mengeksport produk halal ke pasaran antarabangsa sedang dalam perancangan.

Ia juga akan menempatkan sebuah pusat kecemerlangan bagi menjamin mutu barangan halal yang dihasilkan di samping meningkatkan daya penghasilan perniagaan.

Rancangan itu dikongsi di majlis perasmian pasaraya My Outlets Global Halal Hub di Chai Chee Road pagi tadi (29 Oktober).

Pusat penghasilan yang dalam perancangan itu bakal mempunyai kilang-kilang makanan halal untuk pasaran tempatan dan luar negara.

Selain itu, ia akan menyediakan khidmat perkongsian dari segi sumber dan tenaga kerja bagi membantu perniagaan mengurangkan kos dan meningkatkan daya penghasilan.

Presiden Dewan Perniagaan dan Perusahaan Melayu Singapura (DPPMS), Encik Zahidi Abdul Rahman berkata: “Kita sedang melakarkan rencana membuat satu program perintis untuk membina sebuah pusat penghasilan makanan dan mengolah makanan halal.

“Kita juga akan mengadakan sebuat pusat kecemerlangan dan mengadakan sistem kawalan yang dapat menentukan proses halal itu adalah jelas dan dipatuhi.”

Untuk menolong para peniaga berkembang, syarikat My Outlets menubuhkan pasaraya My Outlets Global Halal Hub terbaru sebagai satu pusat sehenti untuk semua barangan makanan halal.

Encik Malek Mattar, Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif My Outlets berkata: “Dengan satu hab yang lebih fokus, kita dapat memasarkan barangan ini dengan lebih berkesan lagi. Kesedaran di kalangan pembeli untuk mendapat barang yang betul-betul halal dan tulen memang ada.

“Lantaran itu kita sudah ada anjakan untuk menjadikan produk halal menjadi satu bidang perniagaan yang pasti boleh berkembang.”

Tetamu Terhormat majlis pelancaran itu, Anggota Parlimen GRC Marine Parade, Profesor Madya Dr Fatimah Lateef turut menyeru peniaga Singapura supaya berfikiran luas dan memanfaatkan bantuan pemerintah untuk mengembangkan sayap mereka.

“Inilah minda yang kita ingin pupuk dalam semua peniaga di Singapura. Ini adalah baik dan inilah caranya untuk SME dan perniagaan di Singapura kekal bertahan dan maju walaupun ekonomi lembab pada tahun-tahun yang akan datang ini,” kata Dr Fatimah.

Seluas 10,000 kaki persegi, My Outlets Global Halal Hub menjual lebih 8,000 barangan makanan dari 500 peniaga tempatan dan luar negara.

Syarikat My Outlets juga akan melancarkan wadah edagang tahun ini dan bercadang membuka dua lagi cawangan di utara dan barat Singapura tahun hadapan.

Source: http://berita.mediacorp.sg

October 30, 2016
Mufti Fatris Bakaram: Solat Kaffaratul Baul Bukan Solat Yang Disyariatkan

Baru-baru ini saya ditanya seorang kenalan mengenai Solat Kaffaratul Baul, atau di dalam Bahasa Melayunya: Solat Penghapus Dosa Kencing. Jawapan spontan saya kepadanya ialah itu kali pertama saya mendengar tentang solat sunnat bernama demikian.

Saya cuba mencari sumber atau asal usul kepada solat berkenaan. Usaha saya yang tidak seberapa membawa saya kepada sebuah kitab yang tidak pernah saya kenali sebelum ini, iaitu kitab Khazinah al-Asrar Jalilah al-Azkar. Kitab ini dikarang oleh seorang yang bernama Muhammad Haqqy al-Nazily, dan selesai penulisannya pada tahun 1320H.

Di antara perkara yang dibicarakan di dalam kitab ini ialah mengenai solat-solat sunnat. Di antaranya ialah Solat Kaffaratul Baul yang terdapat di halaman 38, seperti yang saya lampirkan gambarnya di sini. Terjemahannya adalah seperti berikut:

“Yang ketiga belas Solat Kaffaratul Baul, iaitu dua rakaat yang dikerjakan selepas Solat Dhuha. Dibacakan dalam rakaat pertama Surah al-Fatihah sekali dan Surah al-Kauthar tujuh kali, dan di dalam rakaat kedua pula al-Fatihah sekali dan Surah al-Ikhlas tujuh kali. (Beliau) berkata, “Barangsiapa mengerjakan solat ini dan diniatkan sebagai kaffarah (penghapus dosa) kencing, maka diampunkan Allah kencing yang telah mengenai tubuh dan pakaiannya”.

Tidak dinyatakan samasekali di sini siapakah tuan punya riwayat ini yang menyebut tentang fadilat dan kelebihan Solat Kaffaratul Baul. Walaupun bab ini dinamakan oleh pengarang sebagai “Bab Hadith-Hadith Sohih Yang Berkaitan Tentang Solat-Solat Sunnat Bagi Sebab-Sebab Yang Mendatang”, saya tidak pula berjaya menemui kata-kata di atas di dalam mana-mana riwayat hadith, baik sohih, hasan, dhoif, atau malah yang maudhu’ dan palsu sekalipun. Bahkan mencarinya di antara kata-kata para Sahabat Nabi juga tidak saya temui.

Saya berpegang dengan pendapat jumhur ulama yang menolak pengamalan sesuatu ibadat solat jika tiada sumber riwayat yang dapat dijadikan sandaran. Wallahu a’lam, mungkin ada riwayatnya yang saya tidak jumpa lantaran kekurangan saya sendiri. Tetapi setakat ini, pendirian saya kepada status Solat Kaffaratul Baul ini ialah ia bukan solat yang disyariatkan. Nasihat saya kepada semua ialah hendaknya kita melaksanakan ibadat solat sepertimana yang ada ajarannya daripada Rasulullah. Semoga usaha kita menghampirkan diri kepada Allah mendapat ganjaran kasih sayang dan keridhaanNya.

Allah jua Yang Maha Mengetahui lagi Maha Luas IlmuNya.

Source: Fatris Bakaram

October 30, 2016
Deepavali vs Diwali Debate Explains Singaporean Tamils’ Unhappiness With Foreigner Influx

A Channel NewsAsia’s Deepavali special got my attention today for two reasons. One the news presenter said: “Deepavali also known as Diwali”, and secondly because the presenter also referred to Deepavali as a “Hindu New Year”.

(You can view the entire segment here: http://bit.ly/2e3oc2T)

Just like a friend who commented on my Facebook post on the topic, I too have an issue with our national broadcaster needing to translate Deepavali (as it is said in Tamil) into Diwali.

My friend said: “Tamil is one of our National Languages. I would rather they stick to Deepavali. I am not Tamil myself but grew up with it. I know many don’t see it the way we do and that is their right, But i would like the media to stick with Deepavali.”

I think my friend is absolutely right when she added: “I don’t think the sudden use of Diwali has anything to do with the considerations of the Singapore bred North Indians…It has to do with the new citizens from North India who have come here.”

Responding to my post, another friend asked if it was offensive to say ‘seng jia jiu yi’ instead of ‘xing nian kwai le’ (Happy Chinese New Year). I think it is different.
Yet another friend chimed in and said that CNA did mention ‘Deepavali’ as well as ‘Diwali’ and so it is ok. He said that if an organisation totally replaces ‘Deepavali’ with ‘Diwali’ it would be wrong and that Jurong Point Shopping Centre has done precisely that.

Considering that Jurong has Tharman Shanmugaratnam as its anchor-Minister for the constituency, I am surprised that Jurong Point Shopping Centre has done that.

Some in the Singaporean Tamil community have felt unhappy and sidelined by the non-inclusion of Tamil in certain prominent spaces (like the Changi Airport), which has also made international news. CNA’s production has got to be called out at least for that – because if we keep quiet then it may be accepted as a norm.

My friend Gangasudhan writing on the same topic last year said that he felt like a second class citizen in his own country.

“In recent days, many in the Tamil community have had their panties in a bunch because some shopping centres and even Changi Airport have started putting up Christmas decor even though Deepavali is right around the corner – in other words, not a single F was given for this festive occasion. While there is good reason to feel marginalised by this callous attitude in multiracial Singapore that champions racial harmony – complete with a special day each year to wear ‘costumes’ and ‘celebrate’, I am surprised that anyone is surprised by this.”

The larger issue of course is how uninformed the majority in Singapore is despite 50-years of the Government promoting multi-racialism and multiculturalism. If the national broadcaster can be confused if Deepavali is a Hindu New Year, is it any wonder that local websites like The Smart Local will try and tease a laughter out of its audience by comparing laddoo (a popular Indian sweet) to diarrhoea?

Yes CNA, Even if the Marwari, Gujarati, and Nepali of the Indian community celebrate their new year around Deepavali they are not the majority even in India.

Deepavali is not a Hindu New year.

Source: http://theindependent.sg

October 30, 2016
Even Lionel Messi Would Not Have Helped S-League, Says Jermaine Pennant

Tampines Rovers player Jermaine Pennant, who will leave Singapore next week after failing to agree to new terms, gave a withering assessment of the S-League.

In an exclusive interview with The Straits Times, Pennant, 33, said that without proper investment, the current state of affairs – poor attendances, lack of public interest, limited sponsorships – will not change, even if Barcelona star Lionel Messi signed for an S-League club.

Asked if he had done enough to revive the S-League, the former Arsenal and Liverpool winger said after training at the Jalan Besar Stadium on Thursday night (Oct 27): “All I can do is go out there and play my best and hopefully create a buzz. But it needs more than that, you can’t just expect me to come here and change everything.

“No matter who you get, you could bring Messi here, yes, you’d attract fans but without money, and the government and the league helping out out like they do with other sports, or what they do in other countries, it’s not going to grow.”

Pennant’s signing generated much interest in local football. A pre-match friendly with Hougang United attracted close to 2,000 fans, unheard of in local football.

Local and foreign media tracked his transfer closely, and he was even featured in British newspaper The Times after settling in Singapore.

But, while crowd figures went up after a third of the S-League season, the hype eventually dissipated. Plans to bring back the Marquee Player Scheme, which provides subsidies for clubs to sign high-profile players, were scrapped.

Tampines also ran into cash-flow problems after a sponsor pulled out. Tampines chairman Krishna Ramachandra also decided to stop operating jackpot machines, calling it a “social ill”, and are undergoing cost-cutting measures to balance the books next season.

However, Pennant refused to say his time here was a failure. The Stags, who finished second in the league, have so far not won any silverware. But that could change on Saturday (Oct 29), when they play Albirex Niigata in the RHB Singapore Cup final.

He said: “I don’t think it’s a failure. I’ve enjoyed my time here. It’s a bit disappointing what’s happened to the club. When I signed everything looked good. But I definitely didn’t regret it.

“If we’d won the league it’d probably be a bit better but hopefully we can end on good note and win on Saturday.”

Source: The Straits Times

October 29, 2016
Van Hits SCDF Vehicle Which Was Responding To Incident On CTE

One thing led to another in a chain of events on the Central Expressway (CTE) in the wee hours yesterday.

It began with a man trying to kill himself on the Braddell flyover of the CTE, which later led to two accidents in which three people were injured.

The police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) arrived at the scene after the police were alerted to the case of attempted suicide on the CTE flyover at 2.45am.

A 38-year-old man was later arrested in relation to the case, the police told The New Paper.

Then at around 3.10am, a van collided into a SCDF Red Rhino fire vehicle that was parked on the Braddell flyover road shoulder towards the Seletar Expressway (SLE).

TOPPLED

An ambulance was also damaged as a result of the collision.

After the collision, the van skidded about five metres and toppled on its side.

The 69-year-old van driver, complained of pain in his chest area, while a 20-year-old SCDF officer, who was sitting at the back of the Red Rhino, had abrasions on his arms and legs.

The police said both victims were taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH).

The SCDF officer was discharged and given two days of medical leave.

Not long after the first accident, just 10 metres away, a car crashed into the rear of a taxi.

SCDF officers at the scene attended to the victims of the accident. A female passenger in the car said she felt giddy and the back of her head was hurting.

The woman, who is in her 20s,  was also taken to TTSH in an ambulance.

The Land Transport Authority said the two accidents affected four of the five lanes on the CTE in the direction of the SLE.

Police investigations are ongoing.

Source: The New Paper

October 29, 2016