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Singaporeans First Party To Contest Tanjong Pagar GRC

Opposition party Singaporeans First (SingFirst) said on Saturday (Aug 1) it has identified a slate of candidates to contest Tanjong Pagar GRC in the next election, but stopped short of naming them.

Party chief Tan Jee Say said that they range from 30 to 60 years of age. He added that some of them were with him and his team of volunteers at Tiong Bahru on Saturday for their walkabouts in the five-member constituency.

“We have a diversified and balanced slate of candidates, of various ages and various backgrounds,” Mr Tan said. He did not name the candidates, citing it as part of his party’s strategy.

The Tanjong Pagar constituency, currently helmed by the People’s Action Party, has been uncontested since it became a multi-seat GRC in 1991.

“For nearly 27 years since 1988, the voters of Tanjong Pagar have not had the opportunity to vote for their members of parliament, to represent their interests. So we’re coming in to give them this opportunity to elect their own Members of Parliament,” said Mr Tan.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

August 2, 2015
Shamsul Kamar Takes Over Kahar Hassan In Kaki Bukit

SINGAPORE: The new chairman of the People’s Action Party’s (PAP) Kaki Bukit Branch will be Mr Shamsul Kamar, currently the head of department for student management at Spectra Secondary School. He will take over from Mr Kahar Hassan, who stepped down on Friday (Jul 31).

Former PAP Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister Lim Boon Heng announced this after a meeting with grassroots leaders at the Thye Hua Kwan Family Service Centre at Bedok North on Saturday afternoon.

Mr Lim told reporters after the meeting that the decision to move Mr Kahar was “not because he’s done anything criminal or there’s a scandal”.

“There’s nothing of the sort. In fact, he has worked very hard in the past 16 months in Kaki Bukit and given the assurance to the residents here that even though it is in Opposition hands, the PAP still looks after the residents in Kaki Bukit.”

The area is in Aljunied Group Representation Constituency (GRC), which is under The Workers’ Party.

The Thye Hua Kwan Family Service Centre at Bedok North where a closed-door meeting between the PAP’s Kaki Bukit Branch members and grassroots leaders was held (Photo: Loke Kok Fai)

Mr Lim explained that for the upcoming General Election, the PAP will deploy who it believes would be able to deliver the “best possible performance” on the ground, and that Mr Kahar could be “placed in a better role somewhere else”.

The party has been “introducing people to work on the ground to test how they relate to the residents and how they relate with the activists”, Mr Lim said. “This is the basic, fundamental reason PAP has made the change.”

He added that the decision as to who the party will be fielding in Aljunied GRC is not set in stone, and that it might be changed closer to the election date.

Mr Kahar, an SMRT deputy director, was present at Saturday’s meeting to hand over the reins.

As for Mr Shamsul, he has tendered his resignation with the Ministry of Education and is serving out his notice period, which expires on Aug 21. He was spotted at the closed-door meeting wearing a white polo t-shirt, but left shortly after it ended and did not take questions from the media.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

August 2, 2015
Proud To Be Among Rare Breed Of Malay Commandos In Singapore

Dear Sir,

What you may not understand is the history of Malays serving in the army especially in the Commandos. I served my NS in 1st Commando Bn and during that time (mid90s), I was the only Malay in my batch.

I had to overcome many challenges then, e.g. no Muslim cookhouse in Hendon camp then, restrictions placed on me, etc. But I managed to survive my NS days with the help of all my Commando buddies, regardless of race. We were a band of brothers.

Even now, Malays in Commandos are few and far in between. So you can understand my pride when I see a fellow Malay Commando who have managed to become an officer, doing the unit proud.

Thank you.

Zullkarnain Aziz

Source: Ng Eng Hen

August 1, 2015
Yaacob Ibrahim: Progress Of Malay Community Nothing Short Of Spectacular

Despite transiting from a majority community in Malaysia to a minority community in Singapore on Aug 9, 1965, the Malay community in Singapore has “developed and matured in ways we never imagined”, said Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim today (July 31).

Speaking at the annual Hari Raya gathering he hosted together with other Malay-Muslim Members of Parliament, Dr Yaacob noted that today, the Malay community includes active leaders and volunteers, is highly skilled and qualified, sought after both at home and abroad, and whose children excel in both the academic and non-academic spheres, he said.

“We are what we are today – with higher household incomes, high home ownership, talents in many fields, movers and leaders in our own right – not because of privileges, not because of subsidies, but because we persevered and gave our best,” added Dr Yaacob, who is also Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs.

The community is proud of its history, customs and traditions and its heritage has never been at risk even as a minority community in a multi-racial country, he said.

The National Heritage Board will be gazetting the Istana Kampong Gelam as a national monument on Aug 6, making it the 70th site to be gazetted alongside other historical landmarks.

Gazetting the Istana Kampong Gelam – which houses the Malay Heritage Centre today – just before Singapore’s 50th birthday is a “firm recognition of the Malay community’s continued contribution to the diverse and vibrant social tapestry of Singapore”, said Dr Yaacob.

He also said the Al-Istighfar Mosque in Pasir Ris will also be upgraded. Upgrading works will be done in two phases, starting with the construction of a temporary prayer facility next to the mosque in the first half of next year, followed by plans to build an extension to the existing mosque to cater for a permanent increase in prayer spaces.

The dinner was also attended by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean.

Source: www.todayonline.com

August 1, 2015
Istana Kampong Gelam To Be Designated As National Monument

Istana Kampong Gelam, a former royal residence which serves as a reminder of the Republic’s historic links to the Malay world, will be gazetted as a national monument on Aug 6.

This will make it the 70th site to be gazetted by the National Heritage Board.

Gazetting the Istana Kampong Gelam — which houses the Malay Heritage Centre today — just before Singapore’s 50th birthday is a “firm recognition of the Malay community’s continued contribution to the diverse and vibrant social tapestry of Singapore”, said Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for Communications and Information, at the annual Hari Raya gathering he hosted today (July 31).

Dr Yaacob, who is Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs, also announced that the Al-Istighfar Mosque in Pasir Ris will be upgraded. Upgrading works will be done in two phases, starting with the construction of a temporary prayer facility next to the mosque in the first half of next year. This will be followed by plans to build an extension to the existing mosque to cater for a permanent increase in prayer spaces.

Separately, Madam Zuraidah Abdullah, chairman of the Malay Heritage Foundation’s board of directors, said: “Gazetting Istana Kampong Gelam as a national monument also recognises the integral role that our Malay communities and culture have played in shaping Singapore’s history and development as a progressive and prosperous nation.”

Source: www.todayonline.com

August 1, 2015