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  • Stop Arresting People Who Skip Fasting: Malaysian Authorities

    Stop Arresting People Who Skip Fasting: Malaysian Authorities

    Malaysian Minister Khairy Jamaluddin urged religious departments on Sunday (May 28) to help the poor instead of nabbing Muslims who skip fasting during Ramadan, a punishable offence under Shariah law.

    “Instead of religious departments spending money on enforcement people looking for people ponteng puasa (skipping the fast), use them to help ‘asnaf’ and to do good,” the Malaysian youth and sports minister tweeted.

    The word “asnaf” refers to those who are eligible to receive zakat (alms) collections, including the poor.

    “In terms of priority, it is more important we help the needy than enforce personal religious obligations. There is no compulsion,” he added.

    Mr Khairy, however, admitted that it was “difficult”, when a Twitter user suggested that he put his proposal in a manifesto and to expand it to the entire concept of moral policing.

    “This is difficult. I will be honest with you. Years of bureaucratisation of religion has created a behemoth. Almost sacrosanct,” Mr Khairy replied @zurairi.

    Under the Federal Territories’ Shariah Criminal Offences Act 1997, Muslims face a fine of not more than RM1,000 (S$323) or maximum six months’ jail, or both, if they are caught openly eating, drinking or smoking during Ramadan. Similar provisions exist in Shariah law in other states.

    The Terengganu religious affairs department recently said it would take action against Muslims who do not fast and Muslim-operated eateries or stalls that start operating before 3pm. The 3pm operating rule is reportedly imposed on fast food chains and Ramadan bazaars as well, except for eateries operated by non-Muslims.

    Mr Khairy also questioned why there were so many public “buka puasa (breaking fast)” functions when Ramadan should be a time for quiet reflection.

    The youth and sports minister, who is also Umno Youth chief, highlighted that politicians’ schedules were packed with breaking of fast events during the Muslim fasting month, lamenting that there was “no time to reflect”.

    “It becomes a month of political obligation more than religious reflection. More concerned that we attend functions than appreciate the month.

    “As a politician I am aware of this obligation. And I do it. Doesn’t mean I don’t have thoughts about it and how it should be otherwise,” Mr Khairy tweeted in a series of tweets.

     

    Source: http://www.todayonline.com

  • Help To Save Their Home

    Help To Save Their Home

    Madam Shireen is a 34 years old mother of 4 kids, 2 boys are her own, while the other 2 girls are left to her care due to their own broken family left behind by their own parents. She also has a mother whom she’s the only caregiver full time, and thus she’s unable to find work that’s too far away.

    Her trouble arises when she’s unable to service her mortgage loan from the bank, which runs to arrears of $11k plus and she was issued with a Writ of Possession against her to vacant her one and only place call home.

    Besides the housing loan, Madam Shireen still owes the Town Council about $500 plus, and PUB about $1000 plus.

    Her husband walked out on the family last year, after being physically abusive towards her. She is currently on a Personal Protection Order against her husband, thus she can only fend for herself. She was left alone to work and support the family as a convenience store shift leader previously.

    Madam Shireen had to stop working in 2012 when her mother had contracted high fever and was left in a coma. Her other siblings were not able to help and the role of the caregiver fell onto Madam Shireen’s shoulders. She still cares for her mother up till today, and constantly shuttles between her home and her mother’s place.

    When they bought the flat previously, they have no clue that the loan was under bank loan and not HDB. Madam Shireen tried to seek assistance to refinance her home with HDB but was rejected due to eligibility.

    It has come to a stage that her children are going to school without any pocket money, and she’s seeking help from Social Service Office, which they are still processing.

    All Madam Shireen want is for her to tie through these tough times and she’s concurrently looking for home based job where she can earn some money for her to continue her life. She loves her children very much, and all she wants is to provide for them to have a shelter over their head. The children are innocent and they should not be suffering together with her.  She’s feeling helpless and hopeless, and we hope to bring some light into her life by donating to her generously to help her tie through and no amount is too small. Please also help to share Madam Shireen’s story, as these are cases that’s fallen through the cracks in our society.

    Sincerely,
    Lauretta

     

    Source: https://give.asia/movement/help_to_save_their_home

  • At 20, She Is Breadwinner For 13 Family Members

    At 20, She Is Breadwinner For 13 Family Members

    Crowdfunding for waitress struggling to feed large family on monthly pay of $1,500.

    The small living room is filled with children screaming, fighting and running about.

    In the midst of this chaos, three young women sit exasperated but familiar with the situation, as they try to manage the six hyperactive children.

    Among the women is Miss Nurul Asyiqin Buang, 20, the breadwinner for 13 of her family members.

    Miss Nurul gave up her engineering studies at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College East when she was 17. She had to start working as her father’s chronic illnesses made him unable to work.

    She told The New Paper: “I felt like it was my responsibility. No one asked me to do it.”

    All the family receives monthly, in terms of regular income, is the $1,500 Miss Nurul earns from working as a waitress.

    The money feeds her father, stepmother, three brothers, two sisters, four half-siblings, niece, nephew and her. Her oldest brother is missing from home.

    The family lives in a two-room rental flat in Tampines, with up to eight of them sleeping in the sole bedroom.

    Miss Nurul’s plight caught the attention of the founder of Facebook group Ian Free Milk Blessing, who approached crowdfunding site GIVE.asia to start a campaign for her. It has raised about $2,900 since May 15.

    Earlier this month, before receiving a food donation from the Facebook group founder, the family had not had meat for 45 days.

    They were mainly living off vegetables and dry rations provided by a social worker.

    While the family receives financial aid from a few voluntary welfare organisations and help agencies, the aid does not last for long.

    From North East Community Development Council (CDC), they received a one-off $700 worth of NTUC FairPrice Foundation – CDC Milk Fund vouchers.

    But the family spends up to $1,250 on formula milk every month.

    A Ministry of Social and Family Development spokesman said the family has been under its assistance for the past 5½ years.

    They also receive cash assistance from ComCare, along with help for utilities and rental bills. Still, the family struggles.

    Miss Nurul’s father, Mr Buang Taib, 55, now works part-time as a security guard while battling various illnesses, including stage 4 lung cancer and diabetes.

    STROKE

    The family convinced him to cut down on work after he suffered a stroke during a shift and collapsed.

    He has been provided with a Medical Fee Assistance Card and Medifund assistance.

    Miss Nurul’s biological mother left them when her youngest sister was just three months old, and her stepmother devotes her time to taking care of her husband and the rest of the family.

    Miss Nurul’s 16-year-old sister often skips school to take care of her siblings.

    She also works as a cashier at a restaurant, earning $6 an hour.

    She hopes to continue studying in an ITE or polytechnic.

    She longs for better times.

    “It is a bit stressed now. I want it to be the ‘us’ before. We used to be a happy family, going out more.

    “Now, we rarely go out. Still, I am grateful to (Miss Nurul). She is always there for me,” she said.

    Her brother, Muhammad Hanif Buang, 19, is a third-year nursing student at Nanyang Polytechnic.

    Despite the family’s situation, Miss Nurul considers herself happy.

    “We are a happy family. At times, I feel sad for (my family) because they do not get to eat what they want.

    “What I hope is to help my family. I want to lessen their burden.”

     

    Source: http://www.tnp.sg/

  • The Curious Case Of Geylang’s Ramadan Bazaar

    The Curious Case Of Geylang’s Ramadan Bazaar

    Ramadan has barely began and yet there’s been a couple of controversies surrounding the food items on sale at Geylang’s annual Ramadan Bazaar. From vendors selling non-halal dendeng meat to the rise of hipster stalls whose halal status can’t be verified, this has caused the general Muslim population in Singapore scratching their heads in confusion.

    Geylang Serai has its roots as a Malay village, while its surrounding areas were well known for commercial activities targeted to the needs of the Malay community. The Ramadan Bazaar in Geylang Serai originated decades ago, even before Singapore’s independence, where vendors would lay their goods and items on groundsheets by the roads. These annual bazaars last for the entire month of Ramadan, serving as not only a place for Muslims to break their fast, but also to shop for their Hari Raya preparations.

    However, the Ramadan Food Bazaar in Geylang this year has been tainted with news of stalls having questionable halal status, a huge irony since the bazaar should be targeting a largely Muslim population. The last few years have seen a rise in hipster stalls selling modern food items, a welcoming change enabling us to celebrate the diversity. On the other hand, there has been no effort by any relevant bodies to ensure the halal status of the food items being sold.

    A couple of years ago I was serving the nation as a Police Officer patrolling the bustling Ramadan Bazaar. On one of the occasions, a Member of Parliament from Marine Parade GRC came down to visit the said Bazaar. It has always crossed my mind whether or not there are any efforts from the organizing committee to ensure the halal status of the food items being sold, for 5 years ago, I started seeing non-Muslims taking up food stalls in Geylang’s Ramadan Bazaar. However, upon asking the said MP, she simply said that the bazaar is open to all individuals.

    The fact that the bazaar is still standing on the grounds of Geylang Serai pays tribute to the rich historical significance and the cultural life of the Malays in Singapore. While I am all for a multiracial, multi-religious and a cosmopolitan Singapore, I strongly feel that the traditions and origins of the Ramadan Bazaar has to be safeguarded. While the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) may view the individual stall’s halal status as being out of their jurisdiction, couldn’t this problem be alleviated by giving priority to Malay Muslim vendors?

    Take a stroll along Geylang’s Bazaar Ramadan a few days before its opening, you’ll see rows of stalls snapped up by non-Muslims and subsequently leased out to the makcik-makcik bazaar you see today. Certain stalls are still manned by non-Muslims who hire ‘Malay-looking workers’ from around Southeast Asia to sell their questionable food items. More often than not, these workers don’t even have a clue as to what they are selling, and the origins of the food that they are told to sell. In a bid to attract and appease the Muslim population, some of these stalls put up ‘fake’ halal signs not issued by MUIS, while others proudly display signages which reads “No Pork, No Lard”. Who are we kidding, these efforts are clearly done to deceive the Muslim population, unless you are telling me that there is another group or community in Singapore who does not consume pork/lard?

    MUIS’s response to the queries in the article attached above seems to be an easy way out for them, absolving themselves of all responsibilities and stating that the onus is on us to verify the halal status of the individual shops. If this is the case, I urge the organizing committee to no longer call it a Ramadan Bazaar, but call it as what it is: a glorified pasar malam. Geylang’s Ramadan Bazaar should be safeguarded but if this were to continue, the bazaar would have lost all meanings and purpose.

    You have those extravagant lights welcoming the Muslim festival of Eid. You have shops selling dates for Muslims to break fast. You have TAA donation boxes for needy Muslims. You have vendors selling garments and carpets for Hari Raya preparation. You can find cookies and goodies which are served in each and every Muslim household. And yet, today, in Geylang’s so called Ramadan Bazaar, you have more than half of the vendors selling food items whose halal status cannot be verified. Tell me this isn’t a problem?

    *EDIT*
    The team at Halalfoodhunt.com and The Halal Food Blog has done an excellent job, excruciatingly going through each and every individual stall to come up with a list of what’s halal and what’s not. May Allah reward their efforts in helping the community.

     

    Source: Ahmad Bin Osman

     

  • HCRS: Bazaar Ramadhan, As The Name Implies, Should Be Targetted At Muslims In The First Place

    HCRS: Bazaar Ramadhan, As The Name Implies, Should Be Targetted At Muslims In The First Place

    Salaam,

    Singapore indeed comprises a multiracial and multireligious society.

    Because it is multiracial, it has places called Chinatown, Little India, Geylang Serai and Kampung Glam

    . Prevously, there was even Kampung Melayu.

    Bazaar Ramadhan all over Singapore have been organised in conjunction with the month of Ramadhan where Muslims fast. It’s link to fasting cannot be understated. And as the name implies, Bazaar Ramadhan, when sellers sell food, should be targetted at Muslims in the first place. If it’s not targetted at Muslims to patronise, then it should not be called Bazaar Ramadhan.

    When Bazaar Ramadhan are meant for Muslims to patronise, they should also cater to the dietery needs of Muslims. The foods sold must be halalan toiyyiban.

    The most basic is that the stalls should be MUIS halal-certified or Muslim-owned. Placing tudung-clad women alone does not make a non-Muslim-owned stall become halal. Neither does using halal-certified food products makes a non-Muslim-owned stall ‘automatically’ halal.

    However, as Bazaar Ramadhan all over Singapore are mainly commercially driven, it would be a challenge to really make every stall to fulfill the basic halal toiyyiban criteria. Understandably, profit-making is the major driving force.

    Some members here have expressed their views of how the basic character of Bazaar Ramadhan in Geylang has changed over time. Fundamentally, they see an erosion of the basic Malay character of the Bazaar Ramadhan in Geylang Serai area. This is similar to views on how the historical character of Kampung Glam area has suffered from the presence of many watering holes or eateries selling liqour or alcohol (see https://www.facebook.com/kgglamalcoholfree/).

    Traditionally and historically, Geylang Serai has been closely associated with the Malay ethnic group. Previously, Kampung Melayu shopping area was even placed at the Geylang Serai area. Now an even more sophisticated version of that Kampung Melayu is being developed in Geylang Serai.

    When views expressing the eroding Malay identity of the foods sold and of the profile of sellers in the Bazaar Ramadhan are being shared, they should not at be seen as being racist. Even the Government has previously expressed views of the eroding Chinese identity within the Chinese ethnic group in Singapore. The SAP schools have since been established in Singapore to address that concern.

    And some have dismissed such expression of eroding Malay identity in Bazaar Ramadhan at Geylang Serai area as alienating other non-Malay Muslims. Historically, Malays have been, by and large, Muslims. Expressing views on the erosion of the Malay identity in those Bazaar Ramadhan is by no means alienating other non-Malay Muslims. Traditionally, there were more Malays, who were Muslims, who ran stalls selling foodstuffs during Ramadhan in the Geylang Serai area. And the foodstuff that they sold were all meant for Muslim consumption in the month of Ramadhan and also during Hari Raya. But when the profile of sellers changed, what more when the status of halalan toiyyiban of such stalls was also unclear or ambiguous, raising concerns should not be seen as alienating non-Malay Muslims. It is in fact addressing the concerns of all Muslims with regards to the halal status of foodstalls at such Bazaar Ramadhan.

    It is a valid and legitimate concern for all Muslims if the halal status of foodstalls in Bazaar Ramadhan cannot be clearly ascertained, when such stalls are neither MUIS Halal-Certified nor Muslim-owned.

    Yes, we need to be mindful of the multiracial and multireligious character of our nation and the importance of upholding the principles of racial and religious harmony. However, that does not mean and entail the suppression of views on the importance of preserving and conserving the ethnicity and religiosity of each group. We also need to recognise the need to help ethnic and religious groups maintain the respective core characteristics and celebrate the ensuing diversity that each group brings and contributes to Singapore’s heritage and overall development.

    Otherwise, no point having Chinatown, Little India, Kampung Glam and Geylang Serai.

    Otherwise, no point calling the bazaar in the month of Ramadhan as Bazaar Ramadhan if they are no different from any other bazaar in any other months of the year, and no different from bazaar set up in Chinatown for Chinese New Year and in Little India for Deepavali.

    Let’s maintain and celebrate the ethnic, cultural and religious diversity by bringing out the true character of each group rather than making them all the same. Only then would Singapore be a truly vibrant world-class city able to showcase the cultural, ethnic and religious diversity that it manage to hold together in harmony.

    Admin HCRS
    3 Ramadhan 1438
    29 May 2017

     

    Source: Mohd Khair