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ISA Arrests ‘Point To Need To Tighten Immigration’

The recent detention of eight radicalised Bangladeshis here under the Internal Security Act (ISA) points to the need to tighten the Republic’s immigration policy, Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) chief Chee Soon Juan said on Wednesday (May 4) morning.

Speaking to reporters after a walkabout in Bukit Batok, where he is vying to become the ward’s Member of Parliament, Dr Chee called on the Government to deal with the problem at its “root cause” by preventing more of such radical elements, which endanger Singapore society, from entering the Republic’s shores.

He was responding to questions from reporters about the Bangladeshis’ detention under the ISA, which he had spoken against previously on human rights grounds.

On Tuesday, the Home Affairs Ministry revealed that the eight Bangladeshi workers had formed a terror cell here aimed at bringing their homeland under Islamic State’s self-declared caliphate. It is the second reported case involving radicalised individuals from the Bangladeshi community here.

Responding, Dr Chee did not mention the SDP’s stance on the ISA, but said the Government has been “lax” in its immigration policy by taking in large numbers of foreigners. “You let in hundreds of thousands, millions … there must be people there who are not properly vetted,” he said.

The Government must “get it at the root cause” and prevent such situations “even before they come in”, he said, adding that if he was elected, he would raise questions on the vetting process with Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam.

Asked about Dr Chee’s comments, Mr Shanmugam, who was speaking to reporters about the detentions on Wednesday afternoon, said they showed “a lack of understanding of the problem”.

“So what does Dr Chee suggest? That we say no to all foreign workers? Or we say no to all foreign workers who are Muslim? I think (you) should clarify that. There are tens of thousands of Bangladeshi workers in Singapore, several tens of thousands. They are in our construction sector, working for our town councils, large numbers as cleaners … So what do we do? Send them all back? Who is going to do their jobs?” said Mr Shanmugam.

“After (the attacks in) Paris, after Jakarta, after all these arrests, they still say abolish the ISA and that all of these are immigration issues … these are serious matters, security issues that require careful consideration and proper thought … We should stop taking cheap political shots and political opportunism.”

When further queried about its stand on the ISA, SDP central executive committee member Paul Tambyah reiterated the need to address the “root of the problem” and the Government’s “unfettered immigration policy”.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) corrected Dr Chee’s interpretation of employment data during his rally on Tuesday, calling it “alarmist”.

Dr Chee had said only 100 jobs were created for locals last year. The MOM said the figures he referred to — local employment — did not refer to the total number of new jobs taken by locals.

Local employment refers to the difference between total number of locals entering jobs and those leaving jobs, for example owing to retirement. They also pointed out that the difference was 700 last year, not 100.

Source: TODAY Online

May 5, 2016
Kebakaran Besar Musnahkan Kem Pelarian Muslim Rohingya

Satu kebakaran besar memusnahkan sebuah kem pelarian Muslim Rohingya di wilayah Rakhine, Myanmar. Ia menjejas sekitar 450 keluarga Muslim Rohingya yang tinggal di kem tersebut.

Menurut Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu (UN), kira-kira 50 tempat perlindungan rosak teruk, menjejas 2,000 orang. Sisa-sisa atap kayu dan atap besi yang bengkok dapat dilihat melalui asap tebal yang muncul selepas kebakaran itu berlaku.

Kawasan perkhemahan itu dihuni oleh sekitar 100,000 anggota kaum Rohingya.

Kebakaran itu dipercayai bermula dari sebuah dapur. Angin yang kencang menjadi punca api merebak dari rumah ke rumah, di kawasan yang kering itu.

Seorang pegawai polis memberitahu AFP bahawa api itu dapat dipadamkan selepas ia membakar rumah 448 keluarga.

Sekitar 140,000 penduduk, sebahagian besarnya dari golongan minoriti Rohingya, kini tinggal di kem-kem seperti itu setelah mereka melarikan diri daripada keganasan agama, melibatkan penganut muslim Rohingya dan penganut Buddha pada tahun 2012.

Konflik tersebut memecah belahkan wilayah Rakhine dan masyarakatnya berdasarkan agama dan melemahkan ekonomi tempatan.

Source: Berita Mediacorp

May 5, 2016
Tak Sabar Kembali Ke Sekolah Selepas Dapat Ginjal Baru

Musim peperiksaan pertengahan tahun kini sudah pun bermula.

Sedang kanak-kanak lain membuat persiapan bagi menghadapinya, Hazrie Alisman Norahman terlantar di hospital. Murid darjah satu itu pesakit ginjal yang baru sahaja melalui pemindahan buah pinggang.

Anak bongsu dua beradik itu menjalani prosedur lebih lima jam itu pada 20 April lalu di Hospital Universiti Nasional (NUH) dan kini dirawat di Unit Jagaan Rapi (ICU).

Bapanya, Encik Norahman Abu Bakar, 36 tahun, berkata anaknya yang telah sedar itu dijangka terus dirawat selama dua minggu di ICU sebelum dibenarkan berpindah ke wad biasa.

“Mungkin selepas itu dia ditahan untuk satu lagi tempoh yang tidak dapat dianggarkan.

“Yang penting dia pulih semula dan dapat kembali ke sekolah menyertai rakan-rakannya yang lain, belajar dan menjalani kehidupan normal bersama mereka,” kata Encik Norahman, pekerja kontrak dalam bidang logistik.

Source: www.beritaharian.sg

May 5, 2016
Walid J. Abdullah: Character Applies For Both The Whites And The Reds

Suddenly, there has been a burst of morality permeating Singapore society. You hear high and mighty proclamations about the importance of ‘character’ by ordinary Singaporeans. ‘Character is most important’; ‘without character one cannot serve as an MP’; ‘one’s character must be assessed to see if one is fit for public office’ etc.

Undoubtedly, what Dr Chee did about 15 years ago (yes, 15 years, not days or even months) has left a sour taste in many people’s mouths, mine included. I grew up harbouring resentment towards him, because i felt he hindered the growth of the opposition, through that rash act. No doubt, the media made a meal out of it, but the fact remains that he provided the material for them.

But what truly irks me, and makes me sick to my stomach, is the inconsistency. And double standards. These people who are taking the moral high ground, where were you when, just a while ago, a sitting Member of Parliament was suggesting we fence off foreign workers? Never mind keeping silent; some of these moral policemen (and policewomen) were actually justifying the said MP’s comments!

Was that statement not reflective of ‘character’? Compare that to Dr Chee chasing former PM Goh: which act is more dangerous to Singapore society? Why was there no angst from these people?

Now, i am not talking about the supporters of the ruling party who chide Dr Chee, but expressed disappointment at the ‘fencing’ remarks as well. These people, are perfectly entitled to question Chee’s ‘character’. What i cannot stand is those who practise selective outrage; when the politicians they support make mistakes, they keep quiet, or worse, try to make excuses.

But when it comes to others, they immediately become more Catholic than the Pope, and more Islamic than the Prophet.

Source: Walid J. Abdullah

May 5, 2016
Muslim Group Wants Body To Be Set Up To Handle Discrimination Cases

Expressing concern over what seems to be an increase in the number of discriminatory practices against minority races and foreign communities in Singapore, the Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP) has called for a central body to be formed to resolve, mediate and prevent such incidents.

The AMP’s board of directors issued a statement on this suggestion on Wednesday (May 4) noting that there is currently no publicly available data tracking such cases or how they are resolved eventually.

Incidents of discrimination can cause “irreparable tears to our social fabric”, not least when anecdotal reports of cases get circulated on social media, which can “quickly elicit views and reactions that may polarise various segments of our society”, it added.

AMP’s statement came after a Malay woman said last week she was discriminated against when she applied for a job at PrimaDeli bakery. According to the woman, an employee of the bakery had made racist remarks about Malay people. She added that the employee also asked her if she could speak Chinese because it was how most of the workers communicated.

The company subsequently sacked the employee responsible for the discriminatory act.

In response to queries, the AMP said its suggestion was not a direct response to that incident, nor was it only concerned with job-related incidents or cases involving the Malay community here. Rather, it felt that collecting data on such incidents and the consequent reparative actions taken are important for coming up with ways to reduce or eliminate similar incidents.

Otherwise, when informal accounts of such incidents, which can be outside of job-related matters, such as in education or social interactions, are circulated widely on social media, people may sensationalise the issues and cause polarisation of views, it added.

AMP suggested that its proposed central body to deal with discrimination matters can comprise stakeholders from the Government, private and independent bodies.

In the meantime, the Government could also give existing organisations such as the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP), Inter Religious Organisation (IRO) and OnePeople.sg more powers to deal with discriminatory practices and actions.

“It is critical for the issue of discrimination to be swiftly managed and for preventive strategies to be developed,” AMP said. “This will ensure that the racial and religious harmony we have so carefully preserved over the last five decades will not be disrupted, which may otherwise cause long-term concerns for our society.”

Responding to TODAY’s queries, TAFEP said the AMP’s proposal stems from a desire to create a more inclusive society, which is “aligned with TAFEP’s mission to promote the adoption of fair, responsible and progressive employment practices”. It said besides educating employers on how to have fair employment practices, it also advises and helps individuals who have encountered workplace discrimination.

Source: TODAY Online

May 5, 2016