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If you can, pl share with other readers. My friend shared this link with me.
Halal food in the navy wasn’t an issue in the past, under the British. Why is it an issue now?
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Category: Sosial
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Can Singaporeans Accept Muslims Exercising In The Open With Weapons Like These Non-Muslims?
Alhamdulillah, sedang saya drive, ternampak sekumpulan masyarakat sedang ber”exercise” dgn menggunakan semacam pedang. Semoga mereka bergembira dgn riadhah yg mereka sdg lakukan.
Cuma, saya terfikir sejenak, kalaulah yg sdg exercise itu para pemuda Islam dan menggunakan pedang yg sama, apakah agak2 penerimaan masyarakat.
Demikianlah keadaan sekarang ini…
Source: Azmi Abdul Samad
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Perwakilan Kaum Minoriti Isu Utama Perbincangan Awam Bagi Presiden Dipilih
Melindungi hak perwakilan minoriti dalam sistem Presiden Singapura Dipilih tanpa menggadaikan merit menjadi topik utama perbincangan awam pertama Suruhanjaya Perlembagaan.
Sesi hari ini adalah yang pertama dalam satu siri perbincangan yang bakal diadakan, di mana ia akan menyaksikan 19 individu serta kumpulan memberikan maklum balas tentang perubahan-perubahan yang disarankan kepada sistem Presiden Singapura Dipilih.
Suruhanjaya Perlembagaan sembilan anggota ini merupakan yang kedua sejak kemerdekaan Singapura, ditugaskan mengkaji aspek-aspek penting sistem Presiden Singapura Dipilih.
Salah satu aspek adalah melindungi perwakilan kaum minoriti.
Dalam membahaskannya, profesor undang-undang Eugene Tan berkata sistem tersebut tidak seharusnya menjuruskan para pengundi untuk mengundi kaum minoriti hanya kerana ia seharusnya begitu.
Tetapi ia patut meneliti siapa yang paling layak untuk jawatan tersebut.
Selain aspek merit, penyelidik kanan Matthew Matthews mencadangkan agar satu pilihan raya bagi calon minoriti diadakan jika Singapura tidak mempunyai Presiden dari kaum minoriti selama empat hingga lima penggal.
Satu lagi isu adalah berkenaan perubahan kepada kriteria kelayakan.
Namun Suruhanjaya melahirkan keprihatinan tentang melonggarkan kriteria tersebut kerana jawatan Presiden sepatutnya seorang yang berkaliber dan mampu menjalankan tugas Presiden dengan baik.
Encik Tan juga menyarankan agar perubahan pada sistem tersebut dilaksanakan pada 2023, tahun di mana pilihan raya presiden keenam dijangka akan diadakan, dan bukan semasa pilihan raya tahun depan.
Ini kata Encik Tan akan mengelakkan pilihan raya tersebut daripada tidak semena-menanya dikaitkan dengan politik.
Namun Profesor Chan Heng Chee berkata, jika begitu, saranan sedemikian hanya boleh dilaksanakan setengah dekad kemudian.
Dan menurutnya, ia “terlalu lama”.
Sesi perbincangan awam seterusnya akan diadakan Jumaat ini.
Source: http://berita.mediacorp.sg
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Lee Hsien Loong: Israel And Palestine Must Resume Direct Negotiations Towards “Just And Lasting Two-State Solution”
JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Monday (April 18) urged Israel and the Palestinian Territories to resume direct negotiations towards a “just and lasting two-state solution”, and expressed gratitude to Israel in helping Singapore build up its defence capabilities.
Noting that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a complex one, he said: “Progress will require enormous imagination, determination and political leadership on both sides, as well as getting the stars aligned in the right places in the firmament, with the great powers supporting you.”
Mr Lee, speaking at Hebrew University in Jerusalem where he was conferred an honorary doctorate, is on the second leg of a week-long trip to the Middle East.
He is visiting both Israel and the Palestinian National Authority in Ramallah to signal Singapore’s friendship with both sides and better understand developments in the region, he said.
He expressed hope that “both sides will take steps to resume direct negotiations and to work towards a just and lasting two-state solution.”
The Prime Minister is on his first official visit to Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Territories. He met Jordan’s Chief Advisor for Religious and Cultural Affairs Prince Ghazi Bin Muhammad Bin Talal before crossing the border to Jerusalem on Monday.
In his speech, Mr Lee noted that Singapore and Israel share a “longstanding friendship” with the earliest Jews – mostly from Iraq – migrating to Singapore in the 19th century.
Singapore is now home to a small Jewish community, numbering a few hundred, but “has contributed to our society out of proportion to its numbers”, he said, adding that the Republic’s first Chief Minister, David Marshall, was a Baghdadi Jew.
He also shared an anecdote on how Dr Albert Einstein had visited Singapore in 1922 to urge the Jewish community to donate towards the setting up of Hebrew University. The community raised about £750 (worth about US$300,000 today). A week after his visit to Singapore, Dr Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.
Through the years, more Jewish expatriates including Israelis came to work and live Singapore. There are now 2,500 of them – enough to sustain a successful kosher restaurant, he shared.
Israel was also the only nation that responded to the Republic’s call for help to set up a military when it became independent in 1965. The Israeli Defence Force (IDF) sent advisors who were nicknamed “Mexicans” for operational security, said Mr Lee.
“By July 1967, guided by the IDF team, the SAF (Singapore Armed Forces) commissioned our first batch of officer cadets from the Officer Cadet Course. This was a decisive step in building up a credible and professional defence force for Singapore,” said Mr Lee.
“Without the IDF, the SAF could not have grown its capabilities, deterred threats, defended our island, and reassured Singaporeans and investors that Singapore was secure and had a future… We will always be grateful that Israel helped us and stood by us at our time of great need.”
Singapore, he added, learnt two things from Israel at that time — which Mr Lee’s father, the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew who was then the Prime Minister — told one “Mexican general”: “How to be strong and how not to use our strength”.
Over the years, ties between both nations have expanded beyond defence and security, with companies from both sides very active in exploring opportunities in technology research and development.
In fact, the Singapore-Israel Industrial Research & Development Foundation (SIIRD) has provided US$170 million (S$) in funding for about 150 projects since 1997, said Mr Lee who witnessed on Monday the signing of three agreements between the Hebrew University and the National Research Foundation, National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University respectively to manage the Hebrew’s University’s research in Singapore.
Mr Lee was also optimistic about the future, referring to a recent interview by former Israeli President Shimon Peres who painted a vision of Israel in 2048 – 100 years after its founding – that will be much better for the nation and Middle East. Mr Peres envisioned that borders will become less relevant, while science and technology will force people to become more open-minded to the world.
“Today, such a Middle East looks a long way off – perhaps more distant even than 2048. But I sincerely hope that one day, Mr Peres’ vision will be realised. Swords will be turned to ploughshares. Israel and your neighbours will live side-by-side, in peace and prosperity,” he said. “And your friends in Singapore and around the world will rejoice with you too.”
Multiple efforts have been made to broker an agreement on a “two-state solution” in which Israel would exist peacefully alongside a new Palestinian state created in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, lands seized by Israel in the 1967 war.
However, such a solution appears remote because of ongoing Jewish settlement building; a split between the Palestinian Fatah and Hamas factions; preoccupation within the Palestinian National Authority about who may succeed aging President Mahmoud Abbas; and a wave of Palestinian stabbings, shootings and car rammings of Israelis.
Efforts led by the United States to broker peace between Israel and Palestine collapsed in April 2014, although France is making another push by convening an international peace summit to work towards a two-state solution.
Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Maliki Osman recently told parliament that Singapore welcomes the latest French initiative.
“The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is longstanding and resonates with many in Southeast Asia including Singapore and Singaporeans … Singapore’s position on this has been consistent. We support the rights of the Palestinian people to a homeland. We have also voted for several Palestinian-related resolutions at the United Nations National Assembly,” Dr Maliki said during the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Committee of Supply debate two weeks ago.
Mr Lee will meet Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as other Israeli high-tech industry leaders on Tuesday, and Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority Rami Hamdallah on Wednesday.
Source: www.todayonline.com
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Two Children In Alleged Molestation Case At PCF Childcare Centre Undergoing Counseling
Two six-year-olds, a girl and a boy, are currently undergoing counseling as a result of an alleged molestation case at a PAP Community Foundation (PCF)-run childcare centre, the pre-school operator said in a statement early Monday morning (April 18).
The incident took place last Tuesday (April 12) at the PCF Sparkletots Child Care Centre at Blk 161 Taman Jurong.
According to PCF’s statement, the girl reported that the boy had touched her inappropriately. The centre’s staff immediately notified their parents.
A Facebook post by the girl’s father claimed that no teacher was present when the alleged incident took place, and that another child in the class had witnessed it.
Last Friday, a video was posted on YouTube showing a confrontation purportedly between the girl’s parents and PCF staff. The mother of the six-year-old girl was heard crying and asking: “Is that right or not? She’s my daughter okay? Of course I will get upset”.
In the video, which has been viewed over 61,000 times, police officers were also seen at the childcare centre trying to defuse the situation.
PCF Chief Executive Officer Victor Bay said the company’s headquarters was informed of the incident on Wednesday (April 13).
He added: “We deeply regret the incident and fully sympathise with the parents in their distress. Our top priority is the well-being of our young children.”
Mr Bay said a child psychologist and teacher have been assigned to engage the girl and look after her well-being.
A psychologist is also counseling the boy, whose parent has agreed not to send him to the centre for the time being. A teacher will also continue to stay in touch with the boy and his parent.
The PCF said it is also liaising with the Ministry of Social and Family Development and the Early Childhood Development Agency on the alleged incident.
“Based on the findings and recommendations of the child psychologists, PCF will take the necessary follow-up action. We will do everything we can to ensure our students’ well-being and to provide a safe and conducive environment for them,” Mr Bay said.
Source: TODAY Online