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Bekas Pengurus Majlis Pusat, Gazaly Malek, Dipenjara 20 Minggu Kerana Menipu

BEKAS pengurus Majlis Pusat (MP), Gazaly Malek, semalam dijatuhi hukuman penjara 20 minggu atas tiga pertuduhan menipu tiga badan berkanun hampir $190,000 berhubung perbelanjaan bagi acara penyalaan lampu Hari Raya.

Gazaly, 60 tahun, telah mengaku bersalah pada minggu lalu bersubahat dengan tiga individu lain menipu agensi pemerintah bagi projek penyalaan lampu Hari Raya Geylang Serai pada 2011 dan 2012.

Tiga individu itu ialah bekas presiden MP, Saharudin Kassim; bekas setiausaha kewangan, Abdul Ghani Tahir; dan seorang vendor, Salleh Sam, yang mengendalikan projek itu.

Sebelum menjatuhkan hukuman, Hakim Daerah Encik Adam Nakhoda berkata walaupun Gazaly bukan dalangnya, beliau mendapati tertuduh menyedari apa yang dilakukannya itu menyalahi undang-undang.

Dia hanya mengikut arahan Saharudin.

Hakim turut mempertimbang faktor mitigasi lain dalam kes itu termasuk Gazaly tidak mendapat manfaat daripada konspirasi itu; tiada rekod jenayah; kerjasama yang diberi kepada Jabatan Ehwal Perniagaan (CAD) dalam siasatan dan dia awal mengaku bersalah.

Namun, hakim menambah bahawa Gazaly sedar perbuatannya salah dan apabila disuruh melakukan perbuatan itu, dia “harus menghentikannya dengan segera”.

Peguam Gazaly, Encik Amarjit Singh, meminta hukuman ditangguh dua minggu. Permintaan itu tidak dibangkang pihak pendakwa dan dipersetujui oleh hakim.

Gazaly akan menjalani hukuman penjara mulai 23 Mei.

Ketika diminta anak guamnya mengulas tentang hukuman itu, Encik Singh berkata Gazaly mendapati ia adil.

“Melihat keadaan keseluruhannya, Gazaly rasa hukuman itu adil kerana dia tahu apa yang sedang berlaku – bahawa jumlah perbelanjaan invois itu dinaikkan. Dan hukuman yang dijatuhkan adalah lingkungan yang dijangkakan,” kata Encik Amarjit.

Beliau berkata penangguhan itu diminta kerana anak guamnya perlu menyelesaikan perkara peribadi.

“Dia masih menjaga ibunya dan harus membuat rancangan bagi penjagaannya sementara dia menjalani hukuman,” kata Encik Amarjit.

Gazaly, seorang warga Canada, kembali ke Singapura enam tahun lalu kerana ingin meluangkan masa bersama ibunya yang berusia 86 tahun dan anggota keluarganya yang sakit teruk.

Disebabkan niatnya itu Gazaly menerima tawaran pekerjaan sebagai pengurus program di Majlis Pusat.

Di Majlis Pusat, dia bekerja di bawah arahan setiausaha agung MP ketika itu iaitu Saharudin.

Source: www.beritaharian.sg

May 10, 2016
DPPMS Lancarkan ‘Kelompok Runcit’ Untuk Peruncit Bina Rangkaian

Di tengah-tengah pasaran runcit yang suram ekoran ketidaktentuan ekonomi, pasaran fesyen muslimah masih terus berkembang.

Malah, dianggarkan mencecah $320 bilion pada 2018.

Di Pesta Fesyen Muslimah anjuran DEWI@DPPMS, Menteri Sekitaran dan Sumber Air, Encik Masagos Zulkifli menganjurkan agar para peniaga tempatan berani keluar daripada kepompong keselesaan dan meneroka peluang pasaran di peringkat antarabangsa.

Encik Masagos turut menyanjung usaha DEWI@DPPMS yang memainkan peranan menggalak sifat keusahawanan di kalangan wanita.

Malah, sejak ditubuhkan ia mendampingi lebih 300 usahawan wanita.

Pesta Fesyen Muslimah kali keempat ini juga dialu-alukan para pereka dan peniaga fesyen tempatan seperti Butik Zen Aura, Mod Kebaya dan banyak lagi.

Sempena menyambut ulang tahun DPPMS ke-60, ia turut melancarkan kelompok terbarunya iaitu Kelompok Runcit.

Ia diharapkan dapat menjadi wadah untuk para peruncit membina rangkaian dan memanfaatkan perkongsian sumber serta maklumat dalam mengharungi persekitaran ekonomi yang mencabar.

“Mereka harus meluaskan lagi barangan mereka, bagaimana mengaplikasikan kemahiran mereka pada dunia fesyen secara luas supaya ia bukan hanya diguna atau digemari oleh orang-orang Islam sahaja tetapi juga untuk masyarakat lebih luas,” jelas Encik Masagos.

Source: Berita MediaCorp

May 9, 2016
Aung San Suu Kyi Asks US Not To Use ‘Rohingya’

Myanmar recognizes 135 ethnic groups within its borders. But the people who constitute No. 136? They are the-people-who-must-not-be-named.

Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of Myanmar’s first democratically elected government since 1962, embraced that view last week when she advised the US ambassador against using the term “Rohingya” to describe the persecuted Muslim population that has lived in Myanmar for generations.

Her government, like the previous military-led one, will not call the Rohingya people by that name because it does not recognize them as citizens, said her spokesman, Mr U Kyaw Zay Ya, a Foreign Ministry official.

“We won’t use the term Rohingya because Rohingya are not recognized as among the 135 official ethnic groups,” said Kyaw Zay Ya, who was at the meeting. “Our position is that using the controversial term does not support the national reconciliation process and solving problems.”

The stance does not bode well for the Rohingya or for rights activists who had hoped that Ms Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, would reverse discriminatory policies that have marginalized the Rohingya and prompted many to flee.

“She is not saying anything about the Rohingya people in Myanmar and their rights to religion and education and health care,” said Aung Win, a Rohingya community leader in Rakhine state. “As a Nobel Peace Prize winner, why is she so silent?”

The US Embassy confirmed that the newly arrived ambassador, Scot A Marciel, had met with Ms Suu Kyi but would not comment on their discussions.

Her position on the name has taken on great significance as her party, the National League for Democracy, establishes the country’s first nonmilitary government in decades. Barred by the military-drafted constitution from serving as president, she holds the posts of state counselor and foreign minister, among others, but she is the country’s de facto leader. The new government took over in March.

The Rohingya in Myanmar, Muslims in a primarily Buddhist land, are denied basic rights, including citizenship, freedom of worship, education, marriage and freedom of travel. More than 100,000 who were driven from their homes by violence in 2012 are in resettlement camps. Many fled on dangerous sea voyages.

Many nationalist Buddhists reject the name Rohingya and call them Bengalis, implying that they are interlopers from Bangladesh, a position also taken by the former military government.

The US Embassy recently drew criticism for using the word Rohingya in a statement expressing condolences for the deaths of at least 20 people whose boat capsized on April 19 off the coast of Rakhine.

Nationalist Buddhists challenged the new Myanmar government to protest the Americans’ use of the word and staged a demonstration outside the United States Embassy in Yangon.

At an April 28 news conference, Marciel responded by saying that it was standard practice around the world to let communities decide for themselves what to be called.

“And normally, when that happens, we would call them what they want to be called,” he said. “It’s not a political decision; it’s just a normal practice.”

Suu Kyi’s decision to raise the issue with Marciel the next day was an apparent concession to the extremists and was welcomed by the nationalist Association for the Protection of Race and Religion, also known as Ma Ba Tha.

“We don’t want that word because they are not our nationality,” said Thaw Bar Ka, a leader of the group. “And now I read the news that the Foreign Ministry agrees with us. It’s really good. At first, I thought the new government would be useless on this issue.”

Rights advocates expressed disappointment that Ms Suu Kyi was not willing to go against popular opinion and support a dispossessed people.

“It’s dismaying that the new NLD-led government is continuing this wrongheaded effort to police the language of Yangon-based diplomats about the Rohingya,” said Mr Phil Robertson, deputy director for Asia at Human Rights Watch.

Mr Kyaw Zay Ya said Suu Kyi had not ordered the Americans to stop using the word or threatened consequences if they did.

Source: TODAY Online

May 9, 2016
Dr Chee Belum Sedia Undur Diri Dari Politik

Calon SDP yang juga Setiausaha Agung parti itu, Dr Chee Soon Juan bergiat aktif dalam politik hampir suku abad lamanya.

Pencalonannya dalam pilihan raya kecil Bukit Batok menandakan kali kelima Dr Chee bertanding untuk memasuki parlimen.

Sekitar 25 tahun selepas bertanding di Marine Parade – Dr Chee Soon Juan menjadi tokoh terkenal tetapi berkontroversi dalam arena politik Singapura.

Dr Chee menyertai SDP pada 1992 dan diperkenalkan pengasas parti Chiam See Tong sebagai calon pilihan bagi pilihan raya kecil di Marine Parade.

PAP bagaimanapun memenangi pilihan raya tersebut dengan 73 peratus undi.

KERJAYA POLITIK DIPENUHI KONTROVERSI

Pada 1997, Dr Chee mengambil alih kepimpinan parti kira-kira setahun selepas Encik Chiam meninggalkan parti menyusuli pertikaian dengan Dr Chee dan para anggota SDP yang lain.

Ada laporan menyatakan Dr Chee menyingkirkan Encik Chiam tetapi itu dinafikan Dr Chee.

Pada 1997 dan 2001, SDP kalah di MacPherson dan Jurong. Kerjaya politik Dr Chee dipenuhi kontroversi. Dr Chee dipecat dari Universiti Nasional Singapura pada 1993 kerana dituduh menyalahgunakan dana kajian. Tetapi Dr Chee menafikan tuduhan tersebut.

Dr Chee pernah mengadakan beberapa bantahan awam. Dia juga pernah disaman di mahkamah oleh mendiang Encik Lee Kuan Yew dan Encik Goh Chok Tong berhubung beberapa kenyataan yang dibuat dalam kempen pilihan raya 2001.

Dr Chee kemudian diisytiharkan muflis selepas gagal membayar ganti rugi.

Akibatnya Dr Chee tidak layak bertanding dalam dua pilihan raya pada 2006 dan 2011.

2012 RASMI BEBAS DARI MUFLIS

Pada 2012, Dr Chee secara rasmi dibebaskan dari muflis dan ini membolehkannya bertanding dalam pilihan raya.

Tahun lalu, Dr Chee bertanding dalam Pilihan Raya Umum di GRC Holland-Bukit Timah. Dr Chee dan pasukannya bagaimanapun tewas di GRC Holland-Bukit Timah dengan meraih hanya 33 peratus undi.

Kekalahan demi kekalahan itu nampaknya tidak mengekang Dr Chee daripada terus bertanding.

“Kami menerimanya, orang ramai membuat keputusan dan hanya yang dapat kita lakukan adalah melihat ke hadapan,” ujar beliau. Nampaknya, Dr Chee tidak mungkin meninggalkan politik dengan segera.

Source: Berita MediaCorp

May 8, 2016
Walid J. Abdullah: Murali’s Win Illustrates That Sinicization Important Pre-Requisite For Winning

I have seen opposition supporters trying to put a positive spin on the by-election.

Honestly, whichever way you look at it, it was quite a disaster (but not an unexpected one) for the SDP and Dr Chee. This was a by-election, not a general election, so there was a greater chance for him. He was up against a minority candidate. And it was an SMC.

If he could not get more than 40% of the votes considering these factors, honestly, he’d probably find it hard to win in any other contest.

Perhaps then it is time for Dr Chee Soon Juan to consider stepping down. He can help build the SDP, but maybe, his time with regards to contesting elections should be up.

Of course, it is easy for me to say all these. I am not the one who has fought my entire life against all odds, just for what i believe in. So i may not feel the need to hold on as much as him.

As for our friend Ah Mu, congratulations are due. But more than that: scrutiny should also be applied. His attendance record in Parliament, the amount of time he spends in his constituency (visiting homes just during election period is not ‘walking the ground’), the promises he made during hustings: all these should be looked at closely by Bukit Batok residents and Singaporeans in general.

And a word on race: Ah Mu, it is hard enough for minorities as it is, so when someone who is as successful as you feels a need to be known via a Chinese name, it really does tell the rest of us that perhaps, being sinicized is a prerequisite for success. So please, Ah Mu and future minority candidates, bear this in mind.

I want to say that elections should henceforth be based on contests of ideas, and not personal attacks, but Singaporeans have shown that personal attacks are rewarded. So my point on this would be moot.

Source: Walid J. Abdullah

May 8, 2016