Category: Sosial

Where Has The Kampung Spirit Gone To In Singapore?

What has become of Singapore?

Have we successfully evolved to become a society of binary minded beings, where the mind only sees Ones and Zeros in our day to day living?

A neighbour of mine is in the middle of shifting out and like most of us living in high rise HDB flats, we get help from movers. By all logical thinking for accessibility, the lorry driver temporarily parked the vehicle he was driving on a No Parking lot that has a concrete gradual slope making it easy for the workers to push trolleys of heavy furniture and boxes.

Then came along a parking warden demanding the vehicle be moved while workers were in the middle of loading the lorry. According to him, someone called to complaint and there are white lots nearby (buffered by a metre and a half divider of drainage, grasspatch and tree roots) where the lorry can park. This is very strange because according to my neighbour, there wasn’t anyone obstructed by the vehicle (there is another sloping no parking access 10 mtrs to the right) thus it is either the person who made the complaint (if any) is irrational or the warden lied about it.

In any case, what is the issue here? Firstly, there is no loading and unloading bay in a HDB carpark, secondly, the move was done outside peak hours, thirdly this is a one off event (just like weddings, funerals, elections…). My take is that the warden is one that may not be living in a HDB flat, has no discretionary capacity and has successfully evolved into a mechanical enforcer like judge dredd.

This is perhaps another of the many examples that appear over the net week in week out reflecting the evolution of Singapore society. Especially in the last 10 years, it does seem that Singapore has lost its compassionate soul that has for many decades long before independence allowed multi ethnicity to thrive and blend its own Singapura flavour.

To the leaders of Singapore, do note that The Kampong Spirit is not simply a slogan to rally and move your constituents to do what your boardroom committee draw up. Military dictators achieve the same effect through propaganda. Where Kampong spirit exist, neighbours would have gathered to help out in the moving process and bid a heartfelt farewell to the leaving neighbour. Today, this neighbour of mine might just have had a bitter memory imprinted on their last day in the neighbourhood.

P.s. If only I know the number to the Ghostbusters… I would have called them to get rid of the imposter Kampong Spirit…

Source: Rafiz Hapipi

July 25, 2016
Racial Harmony Alive In Singapore: Multiracial Effort Helped Old Man Who Fell Off From Bike

What happened last night reaffirmed my beliefs that RACIAL HARMONY is still strong in Singapore !

About 7:30pm last night, I was about to chase a bus back home at Elias CC. Then a woman yelled “that old man fell down”
My wife and I turned and we saw that an old man fell off his bike. We got nearer by walking and realized he was bleeding. It then turned into a sprint.

I yelled to my wife to call the ambulance while I dug my bag for a shirt. I immediately applied pressure on his head where he was bleeding from. He was shivering and muttering. I continued applying pressure and carried him up to sit at the ledge. At that point of time all I could think of is to stop his bleeding as it has already went down to his shirt.

Out of nowhere, a few passer by came by to help.
1) a Chinese woman shielded the old man with an umbrella while asking the old man for his family member’s contact.
2) a Malay man came to us and took the old man’s bicycle aside (it was still in front of me)
3) An Indian man rushed to the nearest clinic and called the doctor to help
4) a Bangladeshi man stood behind me to shield me and the old man from the rain while I was still applying pressure.

The scary part to me was holding the shirt and feeling it getting heavier and warmer. I didn’t want to apply too much till I hurt the uncle nor do I want to be too soft till blood keeps flowing.

Shortly after, the doctor that the Indian man went to get, came down. He came with an assistant. I relieved my position and the doctor covered the old man’s wound with a gauze. While this was happening :

1) Malay man was constantly looking out for the ambulance
2) the Chinese woman got a hold of the old man’s family and comforted the old man that they are on their way
3) the Indian man gave his wet tissues to my wife so she could wipe blood of the old man’s hand and face
4) the Bangladeshi man was still using his umbrella to cover the old man and also the doctor

Like what it seems to be forever, the ambulance finally came. Bringing the old man and his grandson to the hospital.

I don’t even know the names of the people who helped me last night but I was truly touched and moved by the unconditional help by our fellow Singaporeans (and Foreign help!!)

What gave me hope that the uncle can make it was that he was even asking for his bicycle when he was being put on the ambulance ?

Thank you my wife Jenny Insyirah Farhanah Lim for calling the ambulance and aided them to come to the exact location. Then also helping the uncle wipe off the blood on his face and hands.

But most of all, to those people who rushed down and help, thank you very much. I am extremely touched (‘:

Source: Khairul Farhan

July 24, 2016
Singapore Library Users Have Phobia Of Other Library Users Who Don’t Return Borrowed Books

Dear Madam, please continue to have a phobia of borrowing books so the rest of us won’t be deprived of library books from late returns.

The library system sent you reminders and the library officer even gave you a discount on your fine. And you still complain.

When my kids were late in returning their books last time, I made them pay the fines from their allowance. It taught them to return books on time very quickly. You should try it.

The authorities DO have a proper system for helping library users. It’s called fining people like you so that the rest of us won’t have to put up with less books to borrow.

Either wake up your idea and park your sense of entitlement, or stop going to the public library.

Yours sincerely,
mrbrown, Public Library Lover

Source: mrbrown

July 24, 2016
Bangladeshi Expat: Books With Militant Propaganda Being Distributed To Bangladeshis Working In Singapore

They write provocative things against Jews and people of other religions.

In a place like Singapore, where there is no prominent Muslim organisation for Bangladeshis or any influential cleric who they can follow, many of the overworked expatriates struggle to find spiritual comfort in their everyday life.

As the pent-up stress and frustration of living in a foreign culture continues to grow, Islamist radical groups swoop in to brainwash these vulnerable expatriate workers into believing that hatred and violence are paths to salvation.

In the city-state of Singapore, most militant propaganda are spread through books that speak of radicalised interpretations of Islam, the Dhaka Tribune found during a recent visit there.

“It is easier to brainwash those of us who live in a foreign land. It is because we do not have any organisation here. We do not have any Pir [religious preacher] or religion-based group. So, different kinds of books are often distributed among us,” a young Bangladeshi expat told the Dhaka Tribune at Mustafa Centre, a hotspot for local Bangladeshis.

“Even last Sunday [July 3], several thousands books were distributed in the Mustafa Centre area. A group of young men came and quickly distributed these books among everybody. One of the books is titled ‘Uphold Islam even in a foreign land.’”

Several other young men who also spoke with the Dhaka Tribune at the Mustafa Centre said many Bangladeshis take these books back to their rooms. The books are written in a way that anyone getting a glimpse would be wanting to read more, they said.

Fearing for their safety, the men requested that their voices not be recorded and that their names be excluded from the news report.

Asked to describe what is written in these books, they said the authors mentally blackmail the Bangladeshis, writing provocative things against Jews and people of other religions. Sometimes references from the Qur’an are mentioned and words in Arabic are included.

Even though no one understood what the Arabic words meant, many Bangladeshis believed whatever translation or interpretation was included in the books.

“The books push Muslims to boycott Jewish products and offer namaz, and speak about jihad,” one of them said.

Some of the youths, however, had a different explanation about the source of the books.

They said these books might be distributed by Bangladeshi shop owners around Mustafa Centre to encourage Bangladeshis to boycott Singaporean products and buy stuff from their own stores instead.

Several of the men also voiced their opposition against such books.

“In Bangladesh, such books would have been known for spreading militancy. But since there is no such scope in Singapore, these books are now spreading fast,” one of them said.

So far, at least 35 Bangladeshi nationals have been arrested in Singapore in connection with plotting terrorist activities.

Earlier this month, a Singapore court convicted four Bangladeshi workers for financing terrorism and sentenced them to jail terms between two and five years.

‘Malaysian students being targeted’

A different scenario was found in Malaysia, where university students told the Dhaka Tribune that they were the main brainwashing targets for extremists. Speaking on condition of anonymity, several of them said they receive many anti-Semitic messages regularly.

The Bangladeshi students who regularly offered prayers and fasted were the ones usually targeted by militant recruiters, they said.

But since it was revealed that Nibras Islam – one of the killers from the Dhaka terror attack – used to be a student in Malaysia, everyone has been on high alert, they added.

The founder and incumbent president of Bangladesh Students Union Council, Mohammad Mohiuddin Mahi, told the Dhaka Tribune that monitoring of Bangladeshi students in Malaysia has been increased since the July 1 attack.

“We have news that around 8,000 Bangladeshi students in 60 private, two public and six semi-public universities in Malaysia are being monitored. Malaysian police are secretly collecting information on where these students were living and who they had contact with, as well as tracking their mobile phones.

“We have Bangladeshi student organisations at 29 Malaysian universities. Through these organisations, we have asked all expatriate Bangladeshis to stay alert,” Mahi added.

Source: www.dhakatribune.com

July 24, 2016
Gold Car Driver Dressed In SAF Uniform Hits Pedestrian, Did Not Stay To Exchange Particulars

Appeal for Witnesses

Accident between pedestrian and gold car (make and model unknown, casualty unable to take note due to shock + blurred vision due to blood flowing from forehead)

Driver is an SAF officer in uniform, dark skin, casualty describes to be Indian in his 40s. Does not look young.

Location: Choa Chu Kang North 6, 2 way street between Yew Tee Point and Blk 569.
Date/Time: 22 July 2016 Friday 10.45pm.
Surrounding Condition: Drizzling. Wet road. Minimal traffic.

Driver stopped and got out of car to check if casualty is okay but did not exchange any identification details. Drove off towards the direction of Yew Tee Primary School after ensuring that casualty could get up.

Urgently appealing for any dashcam recording of accident. Witnesses please contact me via PM. If you are the driver please contact me urgently. Thank you.

Source: Nourra R Peter

July 24, 2016