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The Decision-Makers Behind Government Grants For Town Councils

In order to supplement town councils’ work in the estate, the government provides grants to them.

The grants are disbursed through the Ministry of National Development (MND), to the grassroots organisations, in particular to the Citizens Consultative Committees (CCCs), which are at the apex of all grassroots organisations.

The committee which oversees the approval of funds is the Community Improvement Projects Committee (CIPC).

Opposition Members of Parliament have, through the years, accused the Government of withholding such funds from them, and that they are made subservient to un-elected grassroots leaders.

We take a simple look at how this is set up.

The Town Council Act empowers the minister to disburse the funds.

“For the purposes of enabling a Town Council to carry out its functions under this Act or any other Act, the Minister may from time to time make grants-in-aid to the Town Council of such sums of money and subject to such conditions as the Minister may determine out of moneys to be provided by Parliament.”

The Minister of National Development is:

The Government disburses funds to town councils through the Community Improvement Projects Committee (CIPC).

“The function of the Community Improvement Projects Committee (CIPC) is to provide funding support for community improvement projects proposed by Citizens’ Consultative Committees (CCCs).” [Source]

The 12 members of the Community Improvement Projects Committee are:

CIPC funds are then channelled through the Citizens’ Consultative Committees (CCCs) which are often chaired by PAP members.

The chairman of the CCC for Bedok Reservoir in Aljunied GRC, for example, is Victor Lye.

Mr Lye is also a PAP branch chairman.

Finally, according to a Straits Times report in January: “The adviser to these grassroots bodies, usually the People’s Action Party electoral candidate, has to apply for the grant.”

An earlier Straits Times report in April 2012 confirms this:

“The CIPC funds are disbursed by MND but any application for them needs the grassroots adviser’s endorsement.”

As mentioned, this grassroots adviser is invariably a PAP MP or a failed PAP candidate, or a PAP member.

What happens then if you are an opposition MP seeking CIPC funds?

In July 2013, the Workers’ Party MP for Aljunied GRC, Pritam Singh, asked the Minister for National Development to clarify whether the guidelines for the utilisation of the Community Improvement Projects Committee (CIPC) funding will be made available in the public domain and furnished to all Town Councils.

The Minister replied:

“The Community Improvement Projects Committee (CIPC) provides funding support for infrastructural and recreational facilities, including general amenities for the benefit of residents in the whole constituency. Such facilities include covered walkways, footpaths, cycling tracks and playgrounds.

“CIPC funds are disbursed through the Citizens’ Consultative Committees (CCCs) as they are close to the ground and will be better able to decide on the projects which will be most useful for the local residents. We give the CCCs flexibility to assess the relevance of any proposal and to prioritise them for implementation so that the CIPC funds are optimally utilised. The operating principle for the CCCs is to ensure that the approved CIPC projects are useful, functional, represent value for money, freely accessible to the community and properly planned.

“Town Councils may approach their respective CCCs if they have other queries.”

Source: www.theonlinecitizen.com

November 19, 2014
PAP Government Giving Free Scholarships to Filipinos!

The PAP government is giving out scholarships specifically for Pinoys in Philippines to come to Singapore to study in our local universities (NUS, NTU, SMU). Each award is for three to four years of tertiary study and covers return air fare, full tuition, an accommodation allowance and a living allowance of S$4,300 (around P150,000) per annum. Applicants of the scholarship must be Filipino citizens with excellent academic records and a good command of English. A recipient of the scholarship may not concurrently hold any other scholarship, fellowship, grant or award without prior approval of the Singaporean government. (Source: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/114414/singapore-giving-out-scholarships/).

Except for Medicine, Dentistry, Architecture and Law, all other disciplines are open to recipients of the scholarship. As Medicine, Dentistry and Law are elite courses, the Filipino scholars will instead be competing with average Singaporeans who usually take arts, science, business or engineering courses. It is therefore hard to imagine that most Singaporeans will not notice the privileges given to these special Pinoys.

The PAP government seems to be keen on investing in Filipino talent development even though they do not even serve National Service. It is also stated in the terms of the scholarship that “the scholars are expected to return to their respective countries at the end of their studies to contribute to the development of their nations”. That means there is NO BOND so it is not required that these Pinoys serve NS or contribute to Singapore. The scholarship appears to be a charitable act by the PAP government towards Filipinos.

Moreover, it has been revealed that many Filipinos have fake qualifications from universities like Recto University (http://edition.cnn.com/2012/01/17/world/asia/philippines-recto/index.html). With its failure to scrutinize foreign talents like Anoop Shankar, can NUS be totally sure that these Filipinos are talented?

There was also no attempt to disguise the fact that the scholarship was provided by government agencies in Singapore. The following was stated:

“For eligibility criteria, terms of award and application procedures, applicants may go to the website: http://www.mfa.gov.sg.scp.

Completed applications must be submitted to the Singapore Embassy in Manila by Dec. 10. Applicants are encouraged to use the online application portal, http://singaporescholarship.scp.gov.sg., in addition to submitting the hard copies.”

So if you’re a Pinoy hoping to live out the Singapore Dream and have a successful career, please go ahead and apply.

I feel angry that the Singapore government is using taxpayers’ money to fund the development of a bunch of Pinoys. It shouldn’t be totally surprising, considering that we are already paying $25000 just to teach one PRC officer English.

As a Singaporean, I am extremely disappointed with the PAP government for neglecting its own citizens while putting foreigners first. Many of our local Singaporeans are not on scholarships in local universities and they are burdened with a huge debt upon graduation. Several other Singaporeans, mainly poly graduates have to work part-time and pay higher fees to study at private universities because they couldn’t get into local universities. And it is not because their grades are bad; it’s because there aren’t enough vacancies available for Singaporeans. Finally, there’s the group of Singaporeans whose families have paid enormous amounts to send them abroad just so they can have a quality university education. The vast majority of Singaporeans are not on scholarships even though they are keen to get a degree and contribute to Singapore’s development.

Why must we compromise our own human capital development just to do charity for third world countries?

Muhd Hafiz

TRS Contributor

Source: www.therealsingapore.com

November 19, 2014
Pelakon Datuk Eizlan Yusof Ceraikan Isteri Datin Vie Santi Harun

KUALA LUMPUR – Isteri kepada pelakon kacak, Datuk Eizlan Yusof, Datin Vie Santie Harun memfailkan permohonan pengesahan lafaz cerai di Mahkamah Rendah Syariah Gombak Timur di sini, hari ini.

Vie Santie, 28, selaku plaintif memfailkan permohonan pengesahan lafaz cerai mengikut Seksyen 57 Enakmen Undang-undang Keluarga Islam Negeri Selangor 2003.

Semasa sebutan kes itu dihadapan Hakim Syarie Shaiful Azli Jamaludin, Peguam Syarie Syamimi Ab Rahman yang mewakili plaintif memaklumkan bahawa pihaknya telah memfailkan tiga keterangan saksi plaintif.

“Terdapat juga beberapa permohonan lain yang berkaitan dengan perkahwinan ini sedang dibincangkan dengan defendan untuk diselesaikan,” katanya.

Sehubungan itu peguam itu memohon penangguhan perbicaraan kes itu kerana saksi-saksi plaintif yang sepatutnya memberi keterangan tidak dapat hadir.

Pada prosiding itu, pasangan itu juga tidak hadir dan berada di luar kawasan.

Eizlan atau nama sebenarnya Idris Md Yusof, 44, selaku defendan tidak diwakili peguam.

Sehubungan itu mahkamah menetapkan 13 Januari tahun depan untuk menyambung semula perbicaraan dan meminta pihak-pihak hadir bersama saksi.

Eizlan yang juga merupakan penerbit eksekutif dan ahli pernigaan itu bernikah dengan Vie Santie pada 7 Julai 2007.

Hasil perkahwinan, mereka dikurniakan tiga cahaya mata Vie Zaara; Zareef Yusof dan Vie Zaalia berusia antara satu hingga lima tahun.

Source: www.sinarharian.com.my

November 18, 2014
Khidmat Cemerlang SLTC Mohd Fahmi Aliman Diiktiraf SAF

KESUNGGUHAN dan kecekapan Leftenan-Kolonel Kanan (SLTC) Mohd Fahmi Aliman berkhidmat dalam Angkatan Bersenjata Singapura (SAF), semasa bertugas baik di dalam mahupun di luar negara, diakui.

Lantaran keberkesanannya memikul pelbagai tugas sepanjang berkhidmat dengan SAF, beliau dianugerahkan Pingat Kepujian oleh Kementerian Pertahanan (Mindef) dalam Anugerah Hari Kebangsaan.

Sejumlah 81 Pingat Kepujian, 114 Pingat Kecekapan dan 415 Pingat Perkhidmatan Bakti Setia diberikan kepada anggota tentera dan bukan tentera.

Seramai 14 kakitangan menerima kedua-dua Pingat Kepujian/Kecekapan dan Pingat Khidmat Bakti Setia.

Seramai 596 kakitangan Mindef/SAF diiktiraf dalam Anugerah Hari Kebangsaan tahun ini.

Menteri Kedua Pertahanan, Encik Chan Chun Sing, serta Menteri Negara (Pertahanan), Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman, menghadiri majlis tersebut di Mindef minggu lalu.

Ketika ditemui, SLTC Mohd Fahmi, 42 tahun, berkata beliau berbesar hati sumbangannya diiktiraf.

Beliau menyertai SAF 22 tahun lalu kerana ingin “menyentuh kehidupan orang ramai” dan menyumbang kepada masyarakat.

Dalam tempoh khidmatnya, beliau antara lain mengetuai Batalion Pengawal yang meraih anugerah Unit Infantri Terbaik pada 2009.

Pada 2011, beliau menjadi pegawai SAF Melayu/Islam pertama menjadi Komander Perbarisan Hari Kebangsaan sejak 2000.

Pengalamannya tidak terbatas di dalam negara sahaja.

Beliau dikerah ke Aceh pada 2005 dan Afghanistan pada 2012.

Beliau terlibat dalam pasukan yang menyumbang kepada pelucutan senjata, demobilisasi dan integrasi semula Gerakan Aceh Merdeka (GAM) ke dalam masyarakat Aceh.

Di Afghanistan, beliau bertugas sebagai perancang strategik di Ibu Pejabat Pasukan Bantuan Keselamatan Antarabangsa (ISAF).

“Setiap pengalaman yang saya raih mengasah kecekapan saya dan mendorong saya agar terus menyumbang kepada SAF,” ujarnya.

Apabila dikerah ke luar negara, beliau berjauhan daripada keluarga selama enam bulan.

“Cabaran terbesar adalah membahagikan masa antara keluarga dengan kerjaya. Saya bertuah mendapat sokongan keluarga dan isteri penyabar,” ujar bapa empat anak berusia empat hingga 17 tahun itu.

Isterinya, Cik Rohana Salleh, adalah guru sekolah menengah.

SLTC Mohd Fahmi turut dirangsang pasukannya dan berpegang pada tiga ciri ketua yang cemerlang.

“Kepercayaan, kehormatan, serta memperkasakan bakat dalam pasukan penting.

“Di SAF, saya dibimbing oleh pegawai kanan dan diberi peluang mengembangkan kemahiran,” ujar SLTC Mohd Fahmi.

Melalui SAF, beliau diberi peluang melanjutkan pelajaran hingga meraih ijazah Sarjana Muda dalam Kejuruteraan Elektrikal daripada Universiti Liverpool pada 1999.

Source: www.beritaharian.sg

November 18, 2014
Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin: Don’t Kill Bahasa Melayu

CANBERRA: Deputy Prime Minster Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said Bahasa Melayu had a place as the language of knowledge and it should not be sacrificed amid efforts to empower the English language.

In defending the government’s decision to revert the teaching of Science and Mathematics in Bahasa Melayu from English, the deputy prime minister made his stand clear on this.

“As a Malaysian, I don’t think my language should be killed just because I want to strengthen English language usage,” he said during the question-and-answer session with members of the Malaysian community and students at a gathering, here, Tuesday night.

The event held at the Malaysian High Commission premises in Canberra kicked off Muhyiddin’s three-day working visit to the Australian capital and Perth. He had flown into Canberra from Nagoya, Japan this afternoon after attending an international conference on education for sustainable development.

Muhyiddin, who is Education Minister, said his views on this matter were not because he is Malay as it had more to do with his concern over the issue of imparting and absorbing knowledge in an effective manner.

“This is not a question of my nationality because if Malaysia had not started that way (upholding Bahasa Melayu)…. it means for both subjects, Bahasa Melayu would just die,” he said.

Muhyiddin explained that he would not be fair to Malaysian students if the move to teach Science and Mathematics in English was continued given the constraints faced by the ministry.

He cited insufficient qualified teachers to carry out the task at hand as among the reasons the decision to revoke the teaching of Mathematics and Science in English was made in 2009.

He pointed out that many of the teachers were the product of a system in which the medium of instruction was Bahasa Melayu.

Muhyiddin said during the time that the policy was implemented, many teachers involved would automatically revert to Bahasa Melayu when students in Science and Mathematics classes failed to understand what was being taught, and this defeated the purpose of the introduction of the policy in the first place.

“Maybe in your school, it is okay but for many other schools, ít’s not okay, as the teachers are not qualified, so the students don’t understand. But what is wrong with Bahasa Melayu (to teach Science and Mathematics)? So now we’ve gone back to Bahasa Melayu.

“Ánd the students can understand. For me, I’m concerned about knowledge; Science is knowledge, Maths is knowledge. Language is the medium. So if you are concerned about English, I’ll teach you English,” he said.

Muhyiddin cited Japan which excelled in various fields of knowledge despite everything being in Japanese.

*Article first appeared on BERNAMA

Source: www.malaysiandigest.com

November 18, 2014