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TNP Readers: Fandi Ahmad Our Choice To Light Cauldron

I support Godfrey Robert’s call to give Fandi Ahmad and son, Irfan, the honour of lighting the SEA Games cauldron.

I am an ordinary female Singaporean in my 50s who does not usually pay too much attention to sports news, but I felt compelled to write to support Fandi for this key SEA Games assignment.

Fandi is a son of Singapore and his name is immediately recognisable to all Singaporeans.

So much so that even a non-sports fan like me is aware of how much he has contributed to Singapore in football.

Like Godfrey pointed out, Fandi earned this honour by dedicating his life to his sport and, in doing so, put Singapore on the international sporting/football arena.

His time is now! Fandi! Fandi! Fandi!

– Soo Kim Bee

I totally agree that Fandi is the right man to light the cauldron. Everyone can associate with him – young and pioneer.

– Robert Chitty

I’m in support of giving Fandi Ahmad and his son Irfan the honour of lighting the cauldron on June 5.

These are the reasons:

1 Football is the No. 1 sport in Singapore.

2 He is the most recognisable sportman in Singapore.

3 He is an inspirational icon with humility and kindness.

– Rasheedy Hamid

I fully support Fandi Ahmad and his son, Irfan, to light up the SEA Games cauldron.

Fandi is the most famous sports personality in Singapore that all Singaporeans are familiar with.

He is humble, a gentleman and a family man. And not forgetting football can bring the whole nation together, so Fandi’s the right man for the job.

Hopefully, the footballers can be inspired by him and win the elusive gold medal on home soil.

– Jason Hc

I would like to thank Godfrey Robert for standing up for Fandi Ahmad.

I’ve travelled to Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar, Australia and some parts of Europe and,  when some people I meet in those countries find out that I’m from Singapore, they smile and ask me if my name is Fandi Ahmad!

A lot of people who know football, especially those from Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, have very high regard for Fandi.

Fandi is not only popular and famous in Singapore, but he also put Singapore on the world map (when he signed for FC Groningen in Holland) long before Marina Bay Sands got famous.

– Azariamin

Fandi Ahmad is Singapore’s favourite footballing son.

He is humble and a popular figure in the local football community.

But since it’s SG50, the honour to light the SEA Games cauldron should go to someone who has won an Olympic medal before.

My choice to light the cauldron is pioneer citizen Tan Howe Liang (who won a silver medal in weightlifting at the 1960 Rome Games).

– Chiang Ging Seng

Source: www.tnp.sg

May 20, 2015
Walid J Abdullah: Crucial That Singapore Muslims Involve Themselves And Contribute In Issues Beyond The Traditional

It is important that Muslims – in Singapore and elsewhere – speak up, donate, and craft solutions to issues beyond traditional ones that we are used to be passionate about (hijab, Islam and homosexuality, Palestine etc). A good example would be the collection of funds for the Nepali victims a couple of weeks ago.

We should be more proactive in dealing with issues of poverty, homelessness, refugees, amongst others, so as to truly display the ‘mercy to all’ conduct that is befitting of our faith.

Don’t get me wrong: i’m not saying that we should not take up those traditional issues, i am saying we must go beyond that as well.

It is especially difficult to speak up/do something in issues where there is minimal gain (due to the unpopularity of the matter, like the Rohingyan refugees, as opposed to the Palestinian crisis) and plenty of costs (for example, ‘sensitive’ topics like poverty), but it has to be done. And, i believe this is one of the things that religion in general can offer to the modern world.

On that note, anyone knows of anything we could do/could think of w.r.t the Rohingyan crisis? Any idea is welcomed, from the trivial to the sustainable.

Source: Walid J. Abdullah

May 20, 2015
Chinsese Couple Helped Malay Woman And Husband Who Suffered Heart Attack At A Wedding

Stomper Maimunah will always be grateful to the nurse and the couple who stepped forward to help her husband when he collapsed at a colleague’s wedding.

In a phone interview with Stomp, Maimunah recounted her story:

“I was at a wedding with my husband and grandson when my spouse suddenly collapsed.

“There were so many people at the event and but many of them were too shocked to come forward.

“Some of the people there even pronounced my husband dead. I was crying hysterically as I couldn’t believe it.

“Then a woman came forward and declared that she was a qualified nurse. She conducted CPR on my husband.

“She did all she could to save my husband.

“My grandson and I were both crying hysterically, during this tough time a couple approached us.

“During this tough time a couple approached us. The wife hugged me, prayed for me reassured me that everything will be fine.

“They provided me some emotional support that helped me regained my sanity.

“The CPR was successful and they managed to revive my husband but he failed consciousness.”

Maimunah added that her husband was rushed into the ambulance as soon as the paramedics came.

However, strict policies meant that only one person could travel in the ambulance with her husband.

At this point, the couple who had offered support to Maimunah told the distraught woman that they’d bring her grandson to the hospital.

Fortunately, Maimunah was able to convince the paramedics to allow her to bring her grandson in the vehicle.

At the hospital, Maimunah’s husband was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and was put on life support.

While she was waiting for her husband to recover, she noticed that the caring couple from the wedding had made their way to the hospital.

Maimunah said:

“I don’t them but they were there to offer support.

“There were so many people at the wedding but this couple rushed down to see how my husband was doing.

“I was very touched by their caring act.

“They have become like family to me.

“They bought food for my family and even made sure that it was halal. They kept praying for me even though we’re not of the same religion.

“They were supportive.”

Maimunah added that her husband has since made a speedy recovery but still has breathing difficulties.

She also mentioned how the couple had come to the hospital a few days later to visit her husband and the family.

Maimunah told told Stomp:

“I am really very thankful to them. I don’t even know how to say ‘Thank you’.

“I feel so touched.

“I just want to extend my gratitude to the couple and the nurse for helping me in my time of need.

“It is very rare to see people like these nowadays.”

Source: http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg

May 20, 2015
Strong Hints From Lee Hsien Loong That Elections Are Coming Real Soon

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday gave the strongest hint yet that the General Election (GE) is imminent, and could be held before it is due by January 2017.

During a radio call-in programme on Chinese-language station Capital 95.8FM, Mr Lee was asked by presenter Gao Yixin when the next GE will be held. In response, Mr Lee used the analogy of a pregnancy, and said the timing of the GE is unlike giving birth where there is some predictability when the child will be born.

Borrowing Mr Lee’s analogy, Ms Gao asked if “a baby has been conceived”. To which, Mr Lee said, smiling: “The baby has already been conceived earlier on.”

Turning to his message to voters, Mr Lee said leadership renewal has always been an important issue raised during previous GEs and the coming elections will not be an exception, which is why Singaporeans should not take the elections lightly.

To vote based on the assumption that the People’s Action Party will form the Government, and, therefore, think about giving away some seats to the Opposition “is a dangerous thinking”, he added.

Reiterating a message to party activists at the PAP60 Rally in December that the next GE will be a “deadly serious fight”, Mr Lee said: “I think the Opposition will contest in every GRC in the upcoming elections, unlike in previous GEs where many areas were not contested. In such a situation, every vote is important, every Singaporean’s decision has an impact, we have to consider it carefully.”

Asked if a new batch of leaders will be introduced at the coming polls, Mr Lee said about half of these leaders have been introduced in the 2011 GE. More potential candidates for ministerial positions will be among the newcomers introduced at the next elections, he added.

Mr Lee also noted how the times have changed and Singapore can no longer be ruled under a “parenting-style” leadership. Instead, Singaporeans should be involved and discuss national issues, he said.

He also said the Government had not expected the outpouring of grief when founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew died in March.

In particular, he said he was surprised at the reaction from the younger generation, given that they did not have as much interaction with the late Mr Lee as the older generations did.

During the one-hour radio show, Mr Lee took questions from eight callers on topics ranging from parents’ stress about the PSLE, to ways to change society’s mindset about pursuing degrees and graciousness in Singapore.

Mr Lee’s hints of the timing of the next elections come after two research firms released reports last week, saying a GE is likely to be held this year.

BMI Research said the People’s Action Party may look to hold elections before the next Budget is introduced and possibly before the end of the year.

Blackbox Research also said in its bulletin last month that “there has not been a better time for the PAP to begin planning for an early election”, reporting that overall satisfaction with the Government has risen eight points from a year ago.

Source: www.todayonline.com

May 20, 2015
Tharman Shanmugaratnam: We Cannot Be Complacent With The Harmonious State Of Affairs

As a young nation, Singapore should avoid the mistake of being complacent when it comes to being a harmonious society, said Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam at a fellowship gathering by the Inter Religious Organisation (IRO) on Tuesday evening (May 19).

Singaporeans becoming more aware and concerned about problems in the world is a positive development, as it shows a strengthening of the society, Mr Tharman said.

“We want to keep reminding ourselves that keeping our society resilient and harmonious is continuous work. It’s not about doing things when problems happen, but it’s about strengthening our society upstream, particularly when the kids are young and growing up, and through a whole range of fundamental policies, education, housing, no discrimination at work and of course the good work of our IROs and our Inter-racial and Religious Confidence Circles (IRCCs) throughout the island. That’s really what makes us Singapore,” said Mr Tharman.

The gathering at the Inter Religious Organisation headquarters at Palmer Road was themed “Compassion Across Religions, Around the Region”.

At the event, Mr Tharman also received a S$100,000 donation on behalf of the IRO for quake victims in Nepal. He added that when it comes to emergency relief, Singapore has a range of avenues available for help, such as the Singapore Red Cross, Singapore Civil Defence Force, Ministry of Defence and the private sector.

The S$100,000 donation was from one of the council members of the IRO who wished to remain anonymous.

The IRO will partner Singapore’s Corporate Citizen Foundation, which was in Nepal two days after the devastating earthquake of Apr 25 to support the rescue and relief operations there. The funds will be used to provide shelter to the victims, in particular, the affected children.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

May 20, 2015