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  • Mufti: Jangan Ragu-Ragu Minta Bantuan Pihak Berwibawa

    Mufti: Jangan Ragu-Ragu Minta Bantuan Pihak Berwibawa

    MASYARAKAT Melayu/Islam tidak harus teragak-agak dalam usaha mendapatkan bantuan pihak tertentu yang lebih arif menangani ajaran radikal dan ideologi pelampau, kata Mufti Dr Mohamed Fatris Bakaram.

    “Walaupun susah, kita tidak harus berasa berat untuk bekerjasama dengan pihak berkuasa dan bersama Kumpulan Pemulihan Keagamaan (RRG) untuk menyelamatkan orang tersayang,” ujar beliau.

    Dalam satu kenyataan semalam, Dr Fatris berkata beliau amat terganggu dengan berita penangkapan terkini, bahawa “seorang yang begitu muda boleh terpengaruh dengan kepercayaan yang keji, dan sedia mensia-siakan hidupnya”.

    “Saya ingin menggesa masyarakat agar benar-benar mengambil serius isu radikal sendiri ini,” ujarnya.

    Masyarakat perlu menghayati pengajaran daripada kes ini, lebihlebih lagi dalam bulan Ramadan yang mulia ini.

    Masyarakat telah sentiasa digesa agar mengamalkan amal maaruf dan nahi mungkar – mengajak kepada kebaikan dan mencegah kejahatan.

    Ini bermakna memupuk dan melakukan semua perkara baik dan menolak perbuatan dan kepercayaan sangat keji yang dipupuk ISIS kerana ia tidak mempunyai asas dalam ajaran Islam.

    Hal ini harus dilakukan semua dalam masyarakat, sama ada sebagai saudara, bapa dan ibu, kawan dan rakan sekerja.

    Namun, masyarakat juga perlu tahu bahawa ia tidak boleh berdiri sendiri dalam usaha untuk menolak kejahatan dan mencapai rahmah dan belas kasihan.

    “Kita berdiri bersama-sama sebagai sebuah masyarakat, bersedia untuk membantu antara satu sama lain, dan memanfaatkan kekuatan masing-masing,” ujar Dr Fatris.

    Masyarakat tidak mampu kehilangan satu nyawa pun kepada ajaran pelampau dan eksklusif, katanya.

    Orang ramai yang memerlukan bantuan boleh menghubungi Muis di talian 6359-1199, Kumpulan Pemulihan Keagamaan (RRG) di talian 1800-774-7747 atau menerusi aplikasi mudah alih RRG.

     

    Source: www.beritaharian.sg

     

     

  • Father Of First Female ISA Radicalism Detainee Regrets Not Reporting Her

    Father Of First Female ISA Radicalism Detainee Regrets Not Reporting Her

    The father of the first woman detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) regrets not reporting his daughter to the authorities.

    Mr Syaikh Abdu Manaf Al Ansari told Berita Harian last night that he and his wife had questioned Syaikhah Izzah Zahrah Al Ansari in late 2014, after noticing she had started dressing in black and wearing the niqab, a facial veil which reveals only the eyes. She was also using the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) flag as her WhatsApp display picture, he said.

    “I asked if she was an ISIS member. She denied it but said she thought ISIS was fighting for Islam,” said Mr Manaf, 49.

    “I told her all well-known Islamic scholars reject ISIS. I asked, is it halal in Islam to kill innocent people, children and women? I told her to show me evidence from the Quran and sunnah (prophetic teachings) that it is halal. She just kept silent.”

    Mr Manaf and his wife, both Quranic teachers, gave Izzah – the second of five children – religious advice, and decided not to inform the authorities after she stopped wearing the niqab and started listening to music and watching films again.

    “We thought she was okay. But we did not realise she had become more radical. She was smart at hiding herself,” he said.

    After Izzah was arrested, he found documents in her room with information about moving to Syria, including how to get tickets.

    He felt “disgust and anger” and, in a bid to “protect her”, threw the materials away. He told the authorities about them only during the investigation, and was given a warning.

    “This should not have happened. I really regret it,” he said.

    He advised the public to contact the authorities or the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG), which helps to counter radical ideology, if they notice suspicious changes in their loved ones. “To other parents, this comes from the bottom of my heart. If you see any sudden changes, et cetera, contact the authorities. If not (the authorities), contact RRG,” he said.

     

    Source: www.straitstimes.com

  • PropNex Merges With Dennis Wee Group To Form Singapore’s Largest Real Estate Agency

    PropNex Merges With Dennis Wee Group To Form Singapore’s Largest Real Estate Agency

    Real estate agency PropNex announced that it would merge with Dennis Wee Group, a move that it said would make it Singapore’s largest real estate agency.

    The agency said Monday morning (June 12) at a press conference that with PropNex’s 5,855 salespersons and Dennis Wee Group’s 1,071 salespersons, the total strength of the merged agency would be close to 7,000.

    This would edge it ahead of ERA, which had been the largest real estate agency here with 6,243 agents.

    Dennis Wee Group had been the sixth-largest group in Singapore before the merger, behind agencies such as Huttons, OrangeTee and Edmund Tie and Company.

    Mr Ismail Gafoor, chief executive of PropNex, said that the deal was inked only last Saturday after three days of intense negotiations.

    He noted that both brands were homegrown and had an emphasis on its people, adding he was amazed by Dennis Wee Group’s family-like culture.

    Mr Dennis Wee, chairman and founder of his namesake group, said that he was drawn to the merger as Mr Ismail had been the “most sincere” of Dennis Wee Group’s suitors.

    He said that the company had been pursued by several suitors since three years ago, and had offers to “double whatever PropNex was offering” just an hour before Monday morning’s press conference.

    Mr Wee emphasised that he was looking out for his real estate agents, many of whom have been with him for more than 15 years.

    He added: “We are both homegrown brands that have grown to be formidable forces in the real estate industry, and I believe PropNex Realty will provide greater opportunities and long-term growth for our salespersons with its proven track track record in the past 17 years.”

    Mr Ismail said that the companies have signed only a memorandum of understanding, and not a formal contract. There has not been a “dollar value” put to the merger, he added.

    He said that having spoken to many of Dennis Wee Group’s divisional leaders, he was certain that “80 to 90 per cent” of Dennis Wee Group’s agents will join PropNex.

    PropNex will be speaking to about 600 Dennis Wee Group agents this afternoon about the details of the transition.

    With the merger, Mr Wee will take on the role as PropNex Realty’s Senior Strategic Partner and his son Denka Wee will be a Strategic Partner. The transition is expected to be completed by the end of next month.

     

    Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/

  • Singapore Detains First Woman For Radicalism Under ISA After She Planned To Join Islamic State

    Singapore Detains First Woman For Radicalism Under ISA After She Planned To Join Islamic State

    The 22-year-old preschool teacher had been posting pro-ISIS material online since 2014 and was also looking for a terror supporter in Syria to marry.

    SINGAPORE: Singapore has detained its first female citizen for radicalism under the Internal Security Act (ISA), said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday (June 12).

    Syaikhah Izzah Zahrah Al Ansari, a 22-year-old contract infantcare assistant with the PCF (PAP Community Foundation) Sparkletots preschool programme, was detained in June this year.

    Her radicalisation started in 2013 through online propaganda related to the Islamic State terrorist group, said MHA.

    “She began to believe that ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) represented the true spirit of Islam. Her radicalisation deepened over time,” a press release read. “This was exacerbated by a wide network of foreign online contacts which she developed. They included ISIS militants and supporters, some of whom have either been killed in Syria or arrested for terrorism-related activities.”

    Since 2014, Izzah actively posted and shared pro-ISIS material online. Several of her social media platforms were removed by administrators because of such content, but she created new ones.

    MHA said Izzah was also intent on joining ISIS and was actively planning to make her way to Syria, with her young child, to do so.

    “She supported ISIS’s use of violence to establish and defend its self-declared ‘caliphate’, and aspired to live in it,” said the ministry. “To this end, she said that since 2015, she was looking for ‘a Salafi or an ISIS supporter’ to marry and settle down with him and her child in Syria.”

    “She said she would support her husband if he fought for ISIS in Syria as she believed she would reap ‘heavenly rewards’ if he died in battle. With her ‘elevated status’ as a ‘martyr’s widow’, she felt she could (then) easily marry another ISIS fighter in Syria.”

    Izzah also said she was prepared to undergo military training and engage in armed combat to defend ISIS if called upon by the terrorist group to do so, MHA added.

    Her sister and parents – who are both freelance Quranic teachers – came to know of her radical postings in 2015 and her intention to join ISIS in Syria. They did not alert the authorities and tried on their own to dissuade her, but were unsuccessful.

    Izzah continued down the path of radicalism, said MHA, and in April this year, “boasted” to a contact that the Singapore authorities had not detected her.

    In its press release, the MHA reiterated that importance of family members and friends to let the authorities know of anyone they suspect is being radicalised or planning terror attacks.

     

    Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com

  • No Refunds Despite Messi, Higuain Withdrawals From Singapore-Argentina Game

    No Refunds Despite Messi, Higuain Withdrawals From Singapore-Argentina Game

    Football fans who bought tickets to watch Lionel Messi and Gonzalo Higuain in action against Singapore on Tuesday night (June 13) will not be able to seek refunds now that the two football stars have withdrawn from the international friendly.

    In response to queries from TODAY, match promoters UNICESS Sports Group said that no refunds or forms of compensation will be provided, even though Messi and Higuain were the players that were heavily promoted as the star attractions of the game, which is selling tickets at S$40, S$78, S$138, S$188.

    UNICESS said that while the selection of the Argentina squad was out of its control, the Asia-based sports match tour promoter believes that “football fans will understand” because the world No 2-ranked side that will face the Lions at the National Stadium will still feature several other top stars.

    “While UNICESS and the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) share the disappointment of football fans at the absence of these players, there is not a requirement to refund tickets,” the company said.

    “Argentina have selected a…squad that continues to feature world-class players such as Angel Di Maria, Paulo Dybala and Sergio Romero and we look forward to what will still be a highly entertaining match.

    “We have no control over the squad that is brought to represent Argentina. This is the Argentine Football Association’s (AFA) role and the players that actually play in game is made official by the head coach only just before the game. We believe football fans will understand.”

    UNICESS also pinned the blame on the AFA, saying that it only confirmed the withdrawals of Messi, Higuain and Manchester City defender Nicolas Otamendi on Saturday evening (June 10), and added that it was the AFA who provided UNICESS with the images and videos of Messi to be used for marketing purposes.

    However, Argentina newspaper Clarin first broke the news last Thursday (June 8) that Messi and Otamendi would be leaving the Argentina squad after the team’s international friendly against Brazil in Melbourne on Friday (June 9).

    Argentina head coach Jorge Sampaoli then also said at a press conference in Melbourne last Thursday that “it was already planned” that Messi and Otamendi would leave after the Brazil game.

    While Messi did arrive in Singapore with the Argentina squad on Saturday, and took the team bus to the Fullerton Hotel, the Barcelona striker returned to Changi Airport a few hours later to take a flight out of the country.

    Significantly, after promoting the match together for the past few weeks, UNICESS issued the media statement on the players’ withdrawals at around 11pm on Saturday night alone, without the FAS.

    In response to queries from TODAY, the FAS, the official sanctioning body of the game, said it had discussed the issue of refunds with UNICESS in the wake of the player withdrawals. However, it said that the decision on whether to provide refunds would be taken solely by UNICESS.

    “As they are the match promoter, (the) commercial decisions are made by them,” an FAS spokesman said.

    “That said, we do understand the fans’ frustrations and the difficult situation UNICESS has been put in by the late withdrawals. It is not easy for them to find a satisfactory outcome as such matches are extremely expensive to put together.

    “When they (UNICESS) started promoting the match weeks ago, they sincerely believed that the players would be participating in the match.

    “Nonetheless, we hope that football fans are still excited to see one of the best teams in the world take on our boys in what is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

    Local football fan Nathaniel Lee, 35, however told TODAY that while he understood UNICESS may not be blamed for the withdrawal, he had hoped they would have at least provided some form of compensation for the fans.

    Said the operations manager: “It would have been nice if they could provide some form of compensation. After all, we were promised something and they ultimately did not deliver on their promise.

    “While I can empathise with them (UNICESS), they should also spare a thought for the fans who bought tickets thinking they were going to watch Messi, Higuain and even (Sergio) Aguero, who was in the promotional poster as well.”

    But some others were less forgiving on UNICESS’ Facebook page.

    Facebook user Mushroomhead Illo wrote: “Dear Unicess Sports Group, Messi has already left our little red dot.

    “Please offer no more excuses, take responsibility and do the honourable thing of giving the fans, who have put their trust in you and bought the tickets according to what you’ve advertised, their full refund. Thank you.”

    Aloysius Lin added: “Thought I can witness one of the greatest players in action, but turns out is the greatest con job in action.”

    Jas Singh wrote on TODAY Sports’ Facebook page: “This is a good wake-up call to never buy into the hype from end-of-season tours.”

    UNICESS told TODAY that over 20,000 tickets to the match has been sold so far, and that it remains confident that ticket sales will continue to increase over the next two days. The National Stadium’s capacity is 55,000.

    Said UNICESS: “Ticket sales have remained buoyant, and we expect ticket sales to steadily increase over the next two days.

    “We are confident that football fans in Singapore will still want to come and support the Lions as they go up against a truly world-class team in Argentina.”

     

    Source: http://www.todayonline.com