Rilek1Corner

Blog

  • Veteran Radio Personality Hamish Brown Questions Halimah Yacob’s Independence To Be Elected President

    Veteran Radio Personality Hamish Brown Questions Halimah Yacob’s Independence To Be Elected President

    Prominent radio personality Hamish Brown has questioned if Presidential hopeful Halimah Yacob is as indeed independently-minded as she has claimed in a newspaper interview. In an interview with The New Paper Madam Halimah illustrated an incident where she abstained from voting on an issue after the Whip was listed, to make a point that she not always followed the directions of her political party elders in the People’s Action Party.

    “An occasion she remembered clearly was when she abstained from voting on amendments to the Human Organ Transplant Act in Parliament in 2007. Changes tabled by then Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan would allow organ recipients to reimburse donors’ expenses if they wished. She was concerned that this would lead to poor people being persuaded to “sell” their organs. The party whip was lifted, and she abstained, sending a strong signal of her misgivings.  She recalled: “I decided not to say yes. I didn’t ask the Health Minister how he felt, but I can still remember the expression on his face.””

    Writing in his Facebook Mr Brown said, abstaining from voting doesn’t send a signal that she agrees or disagrees. That Madam Halimah’s decision only showed that her position was a non-committal one.

    “…but abstaining from voting during the Human Organ Transplant Act parliamentary sitting doesn’t show that you do not toe with the party line, it only shows that between standing with voters who agree and voters who don’t, your action was neither, rather your decided course of action was to abstain from voting altogether, an act that really means, I prefer not to stand for either option and just be a fence sitter (so if the proverbial s@&/,! Hit the fan, you would go on record as not having been party to it either way) that’s what abstaining from taking a stand or voting means.”

    Mr Brown further suggested that meritocracy as it is practiced in Singapore, went out the window as soon as this presidential election was reserved for one particular ethnic race over all others.

     

    Source: http://www.theindependent.sg / Hamish Brown

  • MND Not Evicting Cat Museum Founder, Enforcement Only to Revert Back To Residential Use

    MND Not Evicting Cat Museum Founder, Enforcement Only to Revert Back To Residential Use

    The founder of a volunteer-run cat museum is not being forced out of her premises, the Ministry of National Development (MND) said in a statement on Facebook last night.

    A number of online sites had suggested that Ms Jessica Seet, founder of The Lion City Kitty – The Cat Museum, Muses & Mansion, located on the second storey of 8 Purvis Street, and the cats she kept were being evicted by the MND after an inspection by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA).

    “MND did not evict Ms Seet from her premises. In an inspection of the premises in early 2017, URA officers found that the third-storey residential unit had been illegally converted into a cat shelter and adoption centre. Visitors entering the third-storey unit had to first purchase a ticket at the Cat Museum,” MND said.

    Ms Seet, 51, is a tenant of the second to fourth storeys of the building, with the third and fourth storeys registered as her residences.

    MND said URA had issued an enforcement notice to stop the unauthorised use of the third- storey unit and have it reverted back to residential use.

    “The notice does not affect the Cat Museum on the second storey. It also does not restrict Ms Seet from keeping and fostering her cats in her own residential premises,” the statement added.

    The museum has been operating for about 21/2 years.

    Ms Seet told The Straits Times that she had appealed against the enforcement action in June, but was told by MND last month that her appeal had been rejected.

    Meanwhile, the building’s landlord has also decided not to renew Ms Seet’s lease for the third- and fourth-storey units after its expiry at the end of this month.

    MND said: “This is a contractual matter between the landlord and Ms Seet. It is a decision made by the landlord and has nothing to do with the URA enforcement.”

    Ms Seet, who also runs a training company, said she is looking for new homes for the cats and has started a fund-raising campaign to raise $25,000 to rent a new space for the felines, and for equipment to care for neonatal kittens. As of 7.30pm yesterday, $11,500 had been raised.

    “We appreciate the good work being done by Ms Seet in caring for the stray cats,” said MND. “But this should not be done through illegal usage of residential space.”

    It added that it will do its best to assist if Ms Seet needs help looking for an alternative space for a cat shelter and adoption centre.

     

    Source: http://www.straitstimes.com

  • The Mighty Red Dot; Once Mocked Now A Source Of Pride For Singaporeans

    The Mighty Red Dot; Once Mocked Now A Source Of Pride For Singaporeans

    How is it that Singapore, once mocked as a mere “red dot” state by then president BJ Habibie, became the largest foreign investor, and sent the largest number of tourists to a much more “gigantic” Indonesia in 2016? The moral of the story is: Size alone does not always matter.

    In Thursday’s joint press conference with his guest President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced that his country invested US$9.2 billion in Indonesia last year. Indonesians, who have often blamed the city-state for harboring corruption suspects, may sneer that the investment value is just a “red dot” compared to the huge amount of money invested by corrupt Indonesians and unscrupulous conglomerates in Singapore.

    For many Singaporeans, the “red dot” mockery later became a source of pride because, despite their extremely small size, they became much more prosperous and advanced in nearly all aspects of life compared to their neighboring “big brother.”

    At the time he made his comment, Habibie was upset because, according to him, then prime minister Goh Chok Tong was very late in sending his congratulatory message on his appointment as Indonesia’s third president in May 1998.

    In an interview with the Asian Wall Street Journal, Habibie, who had just replaced Soeharto following his abrupt decision to end his nearly 32-year dictatorship, pointed to a map, and said, “It’s OK with me, but there are 211 million people [in Indonesia]. All the green [area] is Indonesia. And that red dot is Singapore.”

    Singapore denied Habibie’s allegation of belatedly congratulating Indonesia’s new president; but Singaporeans have since taken the phrase as their own, and it has become both a source of pride and an endless source of jokes to tease Indonesia and themselves.

    President Jokowi arrived in Singapore on Wednesday and attended a bilateral summit to commemorate the 50th anniversary of relations between the two countries. Two years after Singapore’s separation from Malaysia to become an independent republic in 1965, Singapore and Indonesia agreed to end military tensions between them.

    In the same year, the two countries, along with Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia, established ASEAN. Soeharto is always remembered by Indonesia’s neighbors as a leader who created political security and stability in the region, letting them grow and progress together.

    There have always been ups and downs in relations between Indonesia and Singapore, especially after the fall of Soeharto. From the very beginning, Singapore always stood firm against its larger neighbors, including Indonesia — sometimes unnecessarily — while Indonesia is often tempted to show off its muscles to its smaller neighbor, but to no avail.

    PM Lee’s revelation about the investment is strong evidence that Singapore plays an important role in Indonesia’s economy, while Singapore also needs Indonesia’s market and resources. As a pragmatic leader, Jokowi knows very well how to conduct business with his counterpart, based on mutually beneficial relations. Neither Singapore nor Indonesia will ever tolerate bullying from their neighbor.

    Indonesia and Singapore have learned a lot in the last 50 years.

     

    Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com

  • Malaysia Haramkan Mainan Video Jesus Lawan Buddha

    Malaysia Haramkan Mainan Video Jesus Lawan Buddha

    Suruhanjaya Komunikasi dan Multimedia Malaysia (MCMC) meminta penyedia platform permainan video Fight of Gods untuk menyekat pautannya kepada pengguna Malaysia.

    Menteri Komunikasi dan Multimedia, Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak dalam satu kenyataan media di sini hari ini menegaskan bahawa arahan tersebut perlu dilaksanakan pihak penyedia muat turun itu dalam tempoh 24 jam.

    “Tindakan susulan akan diambil jika tidak dipatuhi,” katanya sebagai mengulas berhubung permainan video Fight of Gods menampilkan watak Jesus Christ atau Nabi Isa bagi umat Islam konon bertarung dengan Gautama Buddha itu.

    Beliau menyifatkan permainan video yang dibangunkan oleh sebuah studio teknologi maklumat berpusat di Taiwan itu sebagai mengaibkan agama tertentu serta boleh mengancam keharmonian antara kaum majmuk di Malaysia.

    “Langkah serta-merta perlu diambil demi melindungi kemaslahatan masyarakat,” kata Salleh sambil menegaskan bahawa tindakan mencipta dan menyebarkan kandungan berbaur jelik sedemikian merupakan satu kesalahan.

    Pihak terbabit malah boleh didakwa di bawah Seksyen 233 Akta Komunikasi dan Multimedia 1998 namun pada masa sama, MCMC akan terus bekerjasama dengan semua pihak berkaitan untuk mengekang jenayah berkenaan.

    Media global semalam melaporkan penyedia permainan atas talian terkenal, Digital Crafter melancarkan Fight of Gods menerusi aplikasi Steam Early Access awal bulan ini dengan diskaun harga 40 peratus hingga 11 September.

    “Rakyat Malaysia amat menghormati sensitiviti budaya dan agama, bahkan aktiviti penjualan serta pengedaran permainan video komputer yang tidak sensitif ini hendaklah dihentikan dengan serta-merta,” tegas Salleh lagi.

    Beliau dalam pada itu turut mengingatkan kepada pengguna supaya membuat pilihan yang bijak apabila memilih kandungan bahan untuk diakses terutama melibatkan pautan dari luar negara.

     

    Source: http://www.mynewshub.cc

  • Yaacob Ibrahim Luahkan Rasa Kecewa Dengan Kes-Kes Rakyat Singapura Yang Menjadi Radikal

    Yaacob Ibrahim Luahkan Rasa Kecewa Dengan Kes-Kes Rakyat Singapura Yang Menjadi Radikal

    Kes tangkapan Imran Kassim di bawah Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA) menunjukkan betapa pentingnya teman-teman dan orang-orang tersayang kekal bersikap waspada.

    Ia juga menekankan peri pentingnya bantuan pihak berkuasa didapatkan setelah mengetahui tentang sesiapa yang menunjukkan tanda-tanda menjadi radikal.

    Demikian komen Menteri Bertanggungjawab bagi Ehwal Masyarakat Islam, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim sebagai mengulas tangkapan Imran Kassim, yang didedahkan Kementerian Ehwal Dalam Negeri (MHA) petang tadi (7 Sep).

    Imran, 34 tahun, dikenakan Perintah Tahanan (OD) kerana merancang untuk mengangkat senjata dan melakukan keganasan di luar negara. Seorang lagi rakyat Singapura, Shakirah Begam Abdul Wahab, 23 tahun, pula dikenakan Perintah Sekatan (RO) kerana memulakan dan kemudian terus berhubungan dengan para pengganas asing.

    Komen Dr Yaacob Ibrahim yang dibuat dalam catatannya di laman Facebook hari ini (7 Sep) menarik perhatian bahawa mereka yang rapat dengan Imran tampil untuk meminta bantuan dan panduan semasa dia cuba mempengaruhi mereka.

    “Itulah adalah perbuatan yang betul untuk dilakukan,” tulis Dr Yaacob.

    Beliau turut meluahkan rasa “kecewa” dengan kes rakyat Singapura menjadi radikal itu.

    Menurutnya, Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) dan rakan-rakan masyarakat yang lain, dengan sokongan pemerintah, mesti dan akan terus membina sikap daya tahan masyarakat terhadap doktrin pelampau asing atau dorongan terpesong untuk menyertai konflik asing.

    “Saya juga ingin menekankan rasa terima kasih saya kepada rakyat Singapura secara umum yang sudah menunjukkan kesabaran dan kesatuan dalam memerangi kegiatan pelampau.

    “Kami terdorong oleh sokongan anda dan akan terus maju demi kebaikan Singapura dan semua rakyat Singapura,” tulis Dr Yaacob dalam catatan tersebut.

     

    Source: http://berita.mediacorp.sg/