Rilek1Corner

Blog

  • NS Recruits’ Photos And NRIC Numbers Posted Online In BMTC Slip-up

    NS Recruits’ Photos And NRIC Numbers Posted Online In BMTC Slip-up

    The latest cohort of National Service (NS) recruits who completed their basic military training over the weekend had their NRIC numbers and pictures published online for a day, before authorities realised the mistake and took down the materials.

    The incident happened about a month after a cyber attack on an Internet access system used at military premises caused an unprecedented theft of the personal data of 850 national servicemen and Ministry of Defence (Mindef) employees.

    In the latest case, the recruits’ NRIC numbers were emblazoned under their personal portraits that were uploaded onto Facebook last Saturday by the Basic Military Training Centre (BMTC) — a practice to allow servicemen to share the photographs with their family and friends.

    Apologising for the “mistake”, BMTC commander Colonel Desmond Yeo said these portraits were taken down by noon the following day “when the oversight was realised”.

    He was responding to a reader who wrote in to TODAY’s Voices section to highlight the incident.

    Col Yeo did not specify the number of recruits affected, but there are a few thousand recruits in each graduating cohort.

    The soft copy portraits of recruits are uploaded online to make the BMT graduation parade a “memorable and meaningful event”, said Col Yeo.

    Recruits have also “warmly received” the practice, he added.

    In the past, the portraits were manually labelled with a recruit’s platoon, section and bed number, for example.

    To speed up the process, the BMTC used a new system for the most recent graduating cohort of recruits.

    The labels were automatically generated by scanning the recruits’ Singapore Armed Forces identity cards.

    “This resulted in the portraits being labelled by NRIC numbers. No other personal data was released,” said Col Yeo.

    “BMTC recognises that making available our recruits’ portraits, labelled together with their NRIC numbers on a platform accessible to the general public, was an oversight. We apologise for the mistake.”

    Col Yeo also said the BMTC is reviewing its procedures to prevent a similar recurrence.

    A recruit from the affected cohort, who wanted to be known only as Mr Lim, 18, was not aware of the BMTC’s slip-up.

    Asked if the leak of personal information was a concern, he said: “Even if it was a mistake, I would assume they’d be able to deal with whatever happens, and if I’ve any concerns, I should be able to approach them and they’d have a proper solution.”

    Early last month, a cyber attack on I-net, the system used at military premises to access the Internet, resulted in the theft of the personal data of about 850 national servicemen and Mindef employees, including their NRIC numbers, telephone numbers, and dates of birth.

    Classified military information was not compromised in that unprecedented breach — described by Mindef as appearing to be “targeted and carefully planned” — as that is stored on a separate and more secure system which is not connected to the World Wide Web.

    Mindef said it disconnected the affected server after the breach was discovered and carried out immediate and detailed forensic investigations.

     

    Source: Today

  • Thai National Jailed And Caned For Splashing Paint At The Pinnacle@Duxton Pre-school

    Thai National Jailed And Caned For Splashing Paint At The Pinnacle@Duxton Pre-school

    A Thai national who splashed red paint on a pre-school where a debtor’s children had attended was sentenced to 15 months’ jail and three strokes of the cane on Wednesday (March 15).

    Samroeng Sompop, 33, left the same evening by taxi after completing the loan shark harassment job at Modern Montessori International (MMI) pre-school on the third-level of a block at The Pinnacle@Duxton on Jan 13 last year.

    He pleaded guilty to causing annoyance to the childcare centre staff with Lee Tiow Kiong, 56, while acting on behalf of an unlicensed moneylender known as Kelvin in connection with a loan taken by the debtor.

    About 30 debtor’s notes with “O$P$” written on them were found on the floor nearby. The notes contained the names of the debtor and his family as well as their home address at one of the seven blocks at the residential complex.

    Two “Super Big Gulp” cups stained with red paint and wrapped in a plastic bag were found on the floor.

    Investigations showed that the debtor had taken a loan from a loan shark, known as Ah Siao, in August 2015 and had subsequently defaulted on payments.

    Deputy Public Prosecutor Amanda Sum said due to the harassment from unlicensed moneylenders at home and at his workplace from late September 2015, the debtor moved out and transferred his two children to another childcare centre.

    Sompop was arrested at Changi Airport on Feb 16 this year after his identity was established.

    Police had arrested Lee for a separate offence of loan shark harassment in March last year.

    Lee revealed during investigations that he had also committed the loan shark harassment at the MMI pre-school with Sompop by driving him there.

    The court heard that Sompop had come to Singapore on Jan 13 2016 on an all-expense paid trip sponsored by a person called Max, whom he knew from Thailand.

    Lee had picked him up that day from the hotel and told him that he would give him 20,000 baht (S$802) to commit harassment at the pre-school.

    After Sompop completed the job, Lee drove him to Queen Street where he took a taxi to Johor Baru, and eventually made his way back to Thailand.

    Lee has been dealt with.

    The maximum penalty for unlicensed moneylending harassment is five years’ jail, a $50,000 fine and six strokes of the cane.

     

    Source: ST

  • Cosplay Fan Fined $1,000 For Causing Alarm

    Cosplay Fan Fined $1,000 For Causing Alarm

    A cosplay enthusiast who enjoyed dressing up as a law enforcement officer caused such alarm with a replica weapon that 50 real police officers were mobilised to track him down.

    Timothy Tan Zhiyu, 26, who is unemployed, was yesterday fined $1,000 for his antics.

    Tan was walking alone towards an open air carpark near Yishun Ring Road on the morning of Sept 23, 2015, when he decided to fiddle with his replica gun, which he had tucked down the front of his pants.

    He took the toy gun out, cocked it as if it was a real weapon, and hid it underneath his clothes again.

    A passer-by who saw Tan doing this was alarmed and called police.

    Officers from different police departments, including the Special Tactics and Rescue team and the Special Operations Command, were mobilised in an urgent operation to track him down.

    They combed through closed-circuit television footage from various Housing Board blocks in the neighbourhood and interviewed people in the vicinity.

    Officers finally spotted Tan holding his replica gun in CCTV footage captured in a lift at Block 331 Yishun Ring Road.

    They raided his flat and arrested him there, only to realise that the weapon was made of hard plastic and unable to fire any projectiles.

    Tan told them that he bought the toy gun at Funan DigitaLife Mall.

    Police seized a total of 14 replica rifles and two replica handguns from Tan’s home.

    He had engaged in cosplay for many years and enjoyed dressing up as a Swat officer or a member of the United States Marines. And he bought several plastic toy guns to feed his interest.

    Deputy Public Prosecutor Joshua Rene Jeyaraj told the court that Tan did not think anyone noticed him playing with the replica gun, and he did not intend to alarm anyone.

    The DPP told District Judge Imran Abdul Hamid: “Given that it seemed that Tan was in possession of a real handgun and the current security climate, an urgent police operation was mounted to determine Tan’s whereabouts.”

    DPP Joshua said police have since raided the store where Tan bought the replicas as part of investigations into suspected breaches of import and export laws.

    For displaying threatening behaviour and thereby causing alarm, Tan could have been fined up to $5,000.

     

    Source: ST

  • Commentary: The Problem With ‘Hijab Fashion’

    Commentary: The Problem With ‘Hijab Fashion’

    I’d like to take a minute and speak about this prevalent trend of ‘Hijab fashion’ and ‘Hijabi Fashionistas’. Before anyone gets defensive and feels they’re being attacked, this is not about anyone’s *personal* journey, rather more about *public journeys* and how we are influencing our youth. So no one is judging anyone, nor being holier than thou, this is a bit of food for thought.

    Recently I’ve been seeing fashion shows/cat walks, Muslims women on the runways etc highlighting “modest fashion” where the idea is to cater for Muslim women.

    I completely understand Muslim women fall into many many categories when it comes to implementing the Hijab in its entirety, and by that I do not mean just the headscarf. I understand the difficulties in implementing the hijab (been there, done that). I understand all the thought processes before finally making the decision to implement the hijab outwardly and inwardly. I also understand wanting to look nice and presentable.

    What I do not accept nor understand is the category of women who outright reject the command. Our attire and what we have been commanded to wear is clear cut, stated in the Qur’an and ahadith. It’s fine for you to do business, also fine for you to cater for Muslim women as there is a huge market, but I feel somewhere in all this business and making a name, the true essence and identity of a Muslimah is getting lost behind make up, pouts and excessiveness.

    There are so many problems with the Hijab Fashionista era that we are living in. Here are three:

    1. Our attire is being commercialised and we are condoning it.

    Initially it was just within, now it is also external. We do not need Nike to promote our hijab, we do not need Debenhams to start endorsing our clothes. We do not need approval or validation from any mainstream companies. They are not doing us a favour, they are not “accepting us” they are thinking with their business hat on and how to make a profit. So firstly, it is important we do not fall into that trap of thinking finally the world is starting to accept us.

    2. Are catwalks modest?

    When Muslim women are walking up and down the runway, there are male photographers present, male audience present, men reading and seeing about the fashion show in the news, does this defeat the purpose of hijab? Whilst we flaunt the “modest clothing” on our body, we are being watched and ogled at. Beautified faces, beautified clothes, is this really modest, if we think about modesty in its entirety and not just a piece of cloth? Does this thought process make me extreme? O_o

    3. Is it really Hijab?

    We are seeing Muslim women bloggers who categorise themselves as Hijabis and whilst they may be struggling to wear the hijab in its correct form, showing your hair and neck is not hijab and should never ever be promoted as hijab. Whilst these bloggers influence our youth to wear turbans, show their awrah yet call it hijab, surely we should be challenging this and not encouraging when these bloggers “make it” and become “famous”.

    Honestly is it a great thing to see sisters excelling and making a name for themselves, but at the expense of a lost identity?

    Are Muslim women having an identity crisis, trying to fit in between the “modern world” and Islam? What are WE doing to lead our youth and what CAN we do to lead them? To ensure our youth do not feel like they need validation? To ensure our youth are looking up to the correct figures as their role models?

    May Allah allow us to excel in His beautiful Deen, and forgive us when we fall short.

    by 

     

     

    Source: ilmfeed

  • 7 Remarkable Things About Khadija, Wife Of The Prophet Of Islam

    7 Remarkable Things About Khadija, Wife Of The Prophet Of Islam

    I often get into debates with people about women in Islam. How we dress. How we don’t dress. What we think or don’t think or should-be-thinking. I get into debates about feminism. What it is and what it isn’t. I think I’ve spawned permanent foes because I don’t care to apply the label, feminist, to describe myself. (I’m not one for labels, sorry. But if it’s even required of me, “Muslim woman” suits me just fine.) But if we could agree for a moment that there exists a pure definition of the word feminist to mean: awesomely fierce to the millionth degree, then I’d like to introduce you to Islam’s first feminist.

    Her name is Khadijah bint Khuwaylid. She was the wife of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him.) And she is one of the people that I think about when I face or debate issues surrounding women today. Khadija’s existence precedes mine by more than 1,400 years; and, if I can at the very least, continuously strive to emulate her character, I will consider myself a success in life.

    7 things you might not know about the awesomely fierce, Khadija (may God be pleased with her):

    1. She was a successful and esteemed business woman.

    I would give anything to do an on-the-job, ride-along with Khadija. Gladly swipe my car for a camel- my laptop for a government-issued glass weight to measure goods in trade. What could I learn in one day of shadowing this highly-respected business leader, trading furniture, pottery and silks? Khadija was born to a father who was a successful merchant in their Quraysh tribe of Mecca. She inherited her father’s skills in a time in history where society was male-dominated and dangerous. Upon her father’s death, she took over the business and traded goods through the primary commerce centers at that time, from Mecca to Syria and to Yemen, hiring the most trustworthy men of character to brave the dangerous trade routes. Her business was larger than all of the Quraysh trades combined and the most acclaimed with a reputation of fair-dealing and high-quality goods. She had a keen eye and was highly intuitive, earning the monikers, Ameerat-Quraysh (“Princess of Quraysh”) and al-Tahira (“The Pure One”) due to her stellar reputation. Khadija knew what she was doing business-wise, never compromising her modesty or integrity to succeed in the male-dominated trades- hiring only those that could meet these standards. Glass ceiling? Hah! 1,400 years ago, yes, Khadija shattered it.

    2. She turned down many marriage proposals.

    Being the most successful woman around, rich in worldly attainment as well as character, it seems Khadija faced a consistent campaign of men seeking her hand in marriage. She was married twice before her wedlock to the Prophet; both of these marriages produced children and both left her widowed. Her keen sense of character left her picky; and, she was less than eager to suffer another painful loss of a husband. She resigned herself to being a widowed woman taking care of herself and her family. Until …

    3. She asked the Prophet to marry her.

    Love comes when you aren’t looking, or so I have heard. (And experienced.) Khadija learned of the stellar character of Muhammad as well as his experience managing caravans on the trade routes accompanying his uncle, Abu Talib. She hired him into her conglomerate. Marriages at this time were typically necessary for survival and not always about love as we know it in today’s world. Khadija didn’t need a husband to take care of her financially. And Muhammad did not have the means to seek a wife. She fell in love with him, and through a friend, asked him to marry her. (He said yes.)

    4. She was 15 years older than Muhammad.

    If Khadija’s story hasn’t broken stereotypes about Islam yet, it might intrigue you to know that she was 40 years old when she married Muhammad. He was 25.

    5. She was an ideal wife; theirs was a true love story.

    “Your wives are a garment for you, and you are a garment for them.” (Qur’an 2:187)

    Taking multiple wives was a common practice, yet Khadija and Muhammad’s marriage was monogamous until her death 25 years later. Muhammad’s prophethood began during his marriage to Khadija, when he received the first of God’s revelations through the Angel Gabriel that left him frightened, strained and feeling alone when no one believed in him. Khadija comforted her husband and encouraged him during the most difficult days of his life. She bore him 6 children. He loved no one more than Khadija during his lifetime.

    6. She was the first Muslim.

    Khadija, the mother of Islam, was the first person on earth to accept Muhammad as the final prophet of God and accept the revelations that culminated into the Holy Qur’an. She was greeted with “Salam” (peace) by God himself as well as the Angel Gabriel. She bequeathed her worldly goods and put herself in the face of danger to stand by the Prophet Muhammad as Islam became established in the land.

    7. She spent her worldly riches on the poor.

    In Islam, whether rich or poor, one’s financial condition is a test. Khadija gave her earnings to the poor and to the orphans, to the widows and the sick. She helped poor girls get married and provided their dowry.

    Khadija was one of history’s most remarkable women. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) once said that the four greatest women of mankind were: Khadija bint Khuwaylid, Fatima bint Muhammad (his youngest daughter,) Mary bint Emran (the Virgin Mary) and Asiya bint Muzahim (the wife of Pharaoh.) Khadija continues to inspire people to this day who revere her for taking great care of the Prophet of Islam and for showing the world, through her behavior, what a pious, modest and courageous woman can accomplish. The example she left for mankind remains timeless.

    By Yasmina Blackburn

    Source: Huffingtonpost