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Masagos: Singaporeans Studying In The Middle East Have Role To Play In Nation Building

Singaporean students who are studying in Middle Eastern universities have an important role to play after they graduate, as the Republic is in need of strong religious leaders who can contextualise Islam in line with the country’s multiracial circumstances, said Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli on Saturday (April 16) night.

Mr Masagos, who was speaking to reporters after a dialogue session with around 100 Singaporean students studying in Jordanian universities, said that Singapore has benefited from a strong group of home-grown religious scholars, because many of them understand how religion should be taught, particularly in the context of how it features in a multicultural society. But more religious leaders are needed in the future, he said.

“By coming to the Middle East, Jordan, Egypt and in the past even Syria, they (the students) are able to deepen their technical understanding of the region. Therefore, (they) also build the credibility that is needed when they are expounding the religion,” said Mr Masagos, who is part of the Singapore delegation accompanying Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on a week-long trip to the Middle East.

“When they come back (to Singapore), they know how to contextualise the teachings and at the same time inoculate the masses against the persuasions from the outside to become more radicalised,” said the Minister.

He noted that many of these students had gone through the Madrasah educational system in Singapore, where they learnt how to practise the religion in the context of Singapore’s multiracial society. With their deepened understanding, these graduates would be able to promote respect for different groups in society.

He added that students who graduate from the Middle East have a lot more to offer in addition to their religious knowledge.

“For example, their mastery of Arabic as well as having lived here (in the Middle East) for a long time, can contribute to our own companies’ foray in this area,” he said, adding that he has spoken to Singaporean companies with investments in the region including Keppel FELS, Hyflux and Sembcorp about tapping on the expertise of these students.

Reflecting on the dialogue with Mr Masagos, Mr Abdul Fattah, 23, a freshman studying jurisprudence told TODAY that “what we learn here in Jordan, we would like to first benefit our families, close friends and the people around us.”

“In the future, I hope to be able to work with youths and instill in them the knowledge of love and respect for this religion (Islam),” he said, adding that he aspires to reach out to non-Muslim youths as well.

Commenting on concerns about Islamophobia in Singapore, Mr Masagos said that “through our dialogue, my point to them (students) is clear: it is in our hands to ensure that we interact with the wider society well, meaningfully, deeply, so that interaction between all races, even at the individual level is contributing and positive.”

“They (should) understand that while Islamophobia is something that could happen because of the information that others may have about Muslims around the world, we can change that, we can prevent that from happening in Singapore,” he said.

Mr Masagos noted that The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) has been active in engaging Singaporean students in the Middle East, with MUIS officers stationed in Cairo and Jeddah so that they can be in close touch with the students not only to ensure that their welfare is taken care of, but also to render any assistance in the event of an emergency.

Additionally, MUIS updates the students on latest developments in Singapore so that “they do not merely read about Singapore on the Internet and interpret them in any way that the internet is persuading them to,” said Mr Masagos.

Prime Minister Lee, when hosting a reception for the same group of students on Saturday evening, also encouraged them to keep pace with developments back home, inviting them to follow him on social media to get a better sense of what is happening in Singapore.

Mr Lee is making his first official visit to Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Territories. The last high-level visit by a Singaporean leader to Jordan was by then President S R Nathan in 2006. Mr Lee on Saturday kick-started his trip with a cultural programme at the ancient city of Petra in Jordan. On Sunday, Mr Lee will be hosted to lunch by Jordan’s King Abdullah II. He will also meet Prime Minister and Defence Minister Abdullah Ensour, who will host dinner for him.

Mr Lee will meet Chief Advisor for Religious and Cultural Affairs Prince Ghazi Bin Muhammad Bin Talal on Monday, before proceeding to Israel and the Palestinian Territories.

Source: TODAY Online

April 17, 2016
Zero Chance Of Haze Like Last Year In region

There is “zero chance” that any haze this year will be as severe as last year’s episode — where air quality hit hazardous levels and forced the closure of schools in Singapore and in the region — the head of an Indonesian agency recently set up to restore degraded peatland has boldly promised.

Acknowledging that fire prevention had not been a focus previously, Mr Nazir Foead, who was making his first overseas speech since taking the reins at the Peatland Restoration Agency, said “we are not in the denial stage anymore, we’re in the stage of correcting the mistakes of the past”.

“There will be hotspots, I cannot deny,” he added. “There will be fires, but the scale of the fires that create haze that choke the Indonesian public and our neighbours will dramatically be less.”

Mr Nazir, a former environmental activist, was addressing an audience of agroforestry and business players and non-governmental organisation representatives at the 3rd Singapore Dialogue on Sustainable World Resources organised by the Singapore Institute of International Affairs think tank on Friday (April 15).

Asked if his prediction of less severe haze was too bold, Mr Nazir said things are very different this time round. Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Thursday issued a moratorium on new permits for oil palm plantations, and had vowed in January to sack local military and police chiefs for uncontrolled fires in their provinces, for example.

“I cannot emphasise how seriously now Indonesia is preparing actions, programmes, changing policies to prevent fires from happening,” he said, at the event held at the Ritz-Carlton, Millennia Singapore.

The scale of the disaster last year, which affected tens of millions of people and cost Indonesia up to 475 trillion rupiah and Singapore about S$700 million, shocked the Indonesian government and sparked determination to not allow history to repeat, he added.

The haze episode in Singapore was protracted last year, lasting from September to November. The Pollutant Standards Index levels breached 2,000 in Central Kalimantan and Indonesians fled their homes for other cities, while in Singapore, the PSI crept to hazardous levels (above 300), causing schools to close on Sept 25.

The Peatland Restoration Agency was formed in January, with Mr Widodo setting the target to restore 2 million hectares of peatland in seven provinces. The agency has mapped out 2.26 million hectares of dry or canalised peatland that has been burnt frequently in recent years. Of this area, 360,000 hectares is conservation land. The remainder are in cultivation areas — three-quarters are concession areas awarded to companies and one-quarter is community land.

Of 2.6 million hectares that was burnt last year in Indonesia, nearly 1 million was peatland.

Mr Nazir’s agency aims to re-wet the peatland — carbon-rich wetlands that burn easily when drained — and provide alternative livelihoods to communities by identifying crops such as sago palm that grow well in wet conditions.

Peatland restoration in Riau province’s Meranti Islands was launched a few days ago, and Mr Nazir said peatland maps of four districts will be available in about three months.

His “dream” is to make the information publicly available. Asked about legal concerns previously cited, that have prevented Indonesia from publicly disclosing the concession maps of companies, Mr Nazir said it is something government institutions need to dicuss internally. “What I see (is), there is no national secret in providing the information of the concessions (to the public),” he said. Instead, companies and land managers would know they are being watched and be motivated to do right.

“When companies do good, communities and smallholders, the government has to think how to give incentives to do better, and let the public also see what is happening on the ground. That can only happen if we expose the maps,” he told reporters.

His agency has its work cut out, working with 12 ministers and seven governors and ensuring quality dams are built to raise the water table, among other tasks. But Mr Nazir reckoned the toughest challenge will be getting companies that have not adopted sustainability measures on board. “There might be corporations that might think (it’s) not my problem, it’s the community that burns the land.”

After mapping out the 1.9 million hectares of peatland in cultivated areas at a suitable scale, his agency will engage companies on restoration plans. Pulp companies commonly grow acacia on rather dry land but Mr Nazir said switching to species that grow well on wet peatland would be ideal.

Source: TODAY Online

April 17, 2016
Lee Hsien Loong To Visit Palestine As Part Of Middle East Trip

AMMAN, JORDAN – Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong begins his official visit to Jordan on Saturday (April 16).

He will then travel to Israel on Monday, and to the Palestinian Territories on Wednesday.

This is Mr Lee’s first official visit to Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Territories, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement on Friday.

“The visit will affirm Singapore’s good relations with Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian National Authority, and underscore Singapore’s commitment to support the capacity building efforts of the Palestinian people,” the statement added.

While in Jordan, Mr Lee will be hosted to lunch by King Abdullah II. He will meet Prime Minister and Defence Minister Abdullah Ensour, who will also host him to dinner.

Mr Lee will also meet Chief Advisor for Religious and Cultural Affairs Prince Ghazi Bin Muhammad Bin Talal. He will also meet Singapore students studying in Jordan.

In Israel, Mr Lee will call on President Reuven Rivlin and meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

He will also meet Leader of the Opposition Isaac Herzog and former President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shimon Peres.

In addition, Mr Lee will meet leaders of major Israeli technology companies and visit the Hebrew University, where he will receive an honorary doctorate.

He will also witness the signing of an agreement between Hebrew University and Singapore’s National Research Foundation to facilitate research collaboration in Singapore.

In the Palestinian Territories, Mr Lee will meet Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority Rami Hamdallah, who will host him to lunch.

Mr Lee will also lay a wreath at the mausoleum of the first President of the Palestinian National Authority, Yasser Arafat.

PM Lee will be accompanied by Mrs Lee, Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli, Minister of State for Communications and Information and Education Janil Puthucheary, and MPs Liang Eng Hwa and Intan Azura Mokhtar.

During Mr Lee’s absence, Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean will be the Acting Prime Minister.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

April 16, 2016
Rosyam Nor: Saya Tak Pandai Mengaji Hingga Usia 45 Tahun

Usianya kini sudah 49 tahun dan pengarah dan pelakon terkenal, Rosyam Nor tidak segan silu menjelaskan bahawa dia tidak pandai mengaji sehinggalah dirinya berusia 45 tahun malah turut menjelaskan bahawa hanya menghafal tiga surah – al-Fatihah, an-Nas dan al-Ikhlas.

“Saya baru tahu selama 45 tahun usia saya ini, saya baca ‘bismillah’ pun salah. Saya tak malu mengaku ini di hadapan anda semua. Biarlah saya malu dengan anda daripada saya malu dengan Allah,” katanya yang dipetik melalui Sinar Harian.

“Ketika ini saya rasa seorang Rosyam Nor tertunduk malu dan sedih sebab tidak tahu mengaji. Kadang-kadang bila jadi imam di rumah, anak-anak saya pun tahu surah apa saya akan baca. Sebab itu saya tak berlakon cerita agama,” jelasnya yang terkesan setelah pemergian ayahnya.

Tambahnya, dia turut memasang angan-angan untuk belajar mengaji sehinggalah didatangi seorang lelaki ketika penggambaran akhir filem KL Gangster 2. Mengakui rimas kerana diganggu lelaki tersebut pada mulanya, akhirnya ada sinar baru buat Rosyam.

“Semasa penggambaran itu, ada seorang insan muncul dan pada awalnya saya anggap beliau hanya seorang peminat biasa. Kemudian beliau minta nombor telefon dan setiap minggu beliau hubungi saya ajak berjumpa”

“Selama empat bulan beliau hubungi saya sampai saya rimas dan akhirnya saya setuju untuk bertemu di kawasan rumah saya,” katanya yang akhirnya belajar mengaji dengan lelaki tersebut.

“Ini masalah paling besar bila dah tua.Tapi jangan kita malu. Alhamdulillah usia 45 tahun saya mula belajar mengaji mula dengan alif, ba, ta,” jelasnya. Syukur buat Rosyam, dia akhirnya berjaya khatam al-Quran di hadapan Kaabah pada usia 48 tahun.

Source: http://wowberita.org

April 16, 2016
Vivian Lee, Bekas Temanita Alvin Tan, Diarah Bela Diri Di Mahkamah Atas Tuduhan Hina Islam

KUALA LUMPUR: Sebuah mahkamah di Kuala Lumpur memerintahkan Vivian Lee, iaitu bekas teman wanita blogger kontroversi Alvin Tan, supaya membela diri terhadap pertuduhan mempersenda umat Islam dan bulan Ramadan.

Ini setelah dia menerbitkan penerbitan menghasut dalam laman sosial Facebook, tiga tahun lalu.

Hakim Abdul Rashid Daud membuat keputusan itu selepas mendapati pihak pendakwaan berjaya membuktikan kes prima facie terhadap Vivian Lee atau Lee May Ling, 27 tahun, di akhir kes pendakwaan hari ini (14 Apr).

Mahkamah menetapkan 10 dan 11 Mei untuk Lee, membela diri dengan memberi keterangan secara bersumpah terhadap pertuduhan tersebut mengikut Akta Hasutan.

Mengikut pertuduhan, Vivian Lee dan Alvin Tan didakwa menyiarkan gambar mereka menikmati hidangan dengan kapsyen bertajuk ‘Selamat Berbuka Puasa (with Bak Kut Teh…fragrant, delicious and appetising (‘Selamat Berbuka Puasa (dengan) Bak Kut Teh, Wangi, Enak dan Menyelerakan’ yang mengandungi logo halal.

Mereka didakwa bersama-sama melakukan kesalahan itu melalui laman sosial Facebook pukul 9.00 pagi pada 12 Julai 2013.

Bagaimanapun, Abdul Rashid melepaskan dan membebaskan Lee daripada pertuduhan menyiarkan gambar lucah di Facebook.

Ketika ditanya wartawan di luar mahkamah, Timbalan Pendakwa Raya, Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin mengenai pertuduhan terhadap Alvin Tan, beliau berkata: “Pada hari ini keputusan hanya terhadap Lee bagaimanapun pendakwaan terhadap Tan masih diteruskan meskipun tanpa kehadirannya di mahkamah”.

Mereka turut didakwa atas tuduhan menyiarkan gambar lucah dalam laman Facebook yang sama, antara 9.00 malam pada 6 Julai 2013 dan 2.00 pagi pada 7 Julai 2013.

Pada 6 Mac tahun lalu, pendakwa meneruskan perbicaraan terhadap Lee meskipun tanpa kehadiran Tan, 28 tahun, yang disyaki melarikan diri ke Amerika Syarikat bagi mengelak menghadiri prosiding perbicaraan.

Source: http://berita.mediacorp.sg

April 16, 2016