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  • Meet Sharifah Nadirah Syed Ali – A SportCares ChangeMaker

    Meet Sharifah Nadirah Syed Ali – A SportCares ChangeMaker

    If Sharifah Nadirah Syed Ali was nervous being interviewed onstage at the President’s Challenge 2015 Appreciation Night at Istana, the feisty 19 year-old didn’t blink an eye.

    Sharifah, a SportCares ChangeMaker, issued a poignant call to action to the audience. “Not everyone is as lucky as we are,” said the final-year student from Republic Polytechnic. “Everyone can do your part to make a difference, and you can start by donating your time,” Sharifah implored the sponsors, partners, charities and volunteers in the room.

    Sharifah and Laura Reid, Deputy Director of the SportCares Foundation, were onstage to thank the President’s Challenge for selecting SportCares ChangeMakers programme as one of the beneficiaries of the Challenge this year. Sharifah has been a mentor in our ChangeMaker social integration programme, which deploys students from tertiary school to work with younger children from hardship backgrounds.

    As a volunteer with the SportCares Love Singapore tennis programme for girls, Sharifah has seen first-hand the impact that a good volunteer can have on children and youth. “I try to inculcate good values to the youth and children I’m helping because they get discouraged easily, especially so when they are unable to complete a task well. I encourage and advise them to stay strong and never give up,” said Sharifah. She also highlights the importance of education. Sharifah has just completed a Diploma in Sports Coaching and is finishing her internship with ITE College East and applying for university.

    During the post-ceremony cocktails, Sharifah and Laura spoke candidly with President and Mrs Mary Tan about the work being done with children, youth and their families, in partnership with great partners like Beyond Social Services. Although Sharifah easily demonstrated the composure of an older woman, she also had her moments of pure teen spirit. She didn’t hesitate to snap a we-fie with President and Mrs Mary Tan.

    ‪#‎LiveBetterThroughSport‬‪#‎SportWithoutBoundaries‬‪#‎FutureReadyThroughSport‬‪#‎PresidentsChallenge2015‬‪#‎ProudVolunteer‬‪#‎TeamNila‬‪#‎SoFun‬‪#‎SoProud‬‪#‎LoveSingapore‬‪#‎SportCaresChangeMaker‬‪#‎SportCaresSG‬

     

    Source: SportCares

  • Lee Hsien Loong Writes To Appeals For Increased Haj Quota From Saudi King

    Lee Hsien Loong Writes To Appeals For Increased Haj Quota From Saudi King

    Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has written a letter to the Saudi King, appealing for Singapore’s official haj quota to be increased.

    The letter was presented to a Saudi minister by Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, on Thursday.

    Dr Yaacob is in Saudi Arabia till Friday (Feb 12) with chief executive of the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis), Haji Abdul Razak Maricar, and other officials for the annual Haj ministerial meeting to discuss the haj quota and operations, as well as the welfare of Singaporean pilgrims.

    In the letter, PM Lee said that he is seeking King Salman Abdulaziz Al Saud’s consideration in changing the quota from 680 to 800, in line with Singapore’s growing Muslim population.

    He said that Singapore’s current quota of 680 was based on the formula decided by the Organisation of Islamic Conference in 1987, which determined that the haj quota will be set at 0.1 per cent of the Muslim population.

    “Since then, Singapore’s Muslim population has grown by about 20 per cent but our quota has remained unchanged,” he wrote. About 15 per cent, or 800,000 of Singapore’s current population, are Muslims, he said.

    He also made a personal appeal to the King to grant an additional 200 places on top of the revised quota this year.

    PM Lee also conveyed his appreciation for King Salman’s generous hospitality accorded to Singaporean pilgrims over the years.

    “I appreciate the heavy responsibility and complexity of the Haj operations undertaken by the Kingdom,” he wrote.

    PM Lee added that ongoing efforts to enhance the infrastructure and the Haj management system have benefitted the welfare and safety of pilgrims.

     

    Source: www.straitstimes.com

  • Disapproving Family And Distance Could Not Stop This Malay Abang And Chinese Gf From Getting Married

    Disapproving Family And Distance Could Not Stop This Malay Abang And Chinese Gf From Getting Married

    Nizam encountered a lot of difficulties while dating his Chinese partner, Margaret. From her parents disapproving their relationship to Margaret being sent overseas, the couple have gone through multiple ups and downs together but are now married and have a 5-year-old daughter.

    This is his entry for the contest:

    “My name is Nizam and I’m 26 years old this year and I’m married to a Chinese girl, her name is Margaret Soh, she is 23 this year.

    “We have a daughter name Nurshiyumie and it sounds like Japanese name.

    “So our love story started in 2008. When I knew this girl (my wife) I was only 18 years old. She was chubby, innocent and full of fun. She always smiles.

    “We dated for couple of months. We were so happy. I never felt so much happiness before I knew this girl.

    “Her laughter brings hope in my life. But the good times did not last and we got a serious dose of parental disapproval and judgmental side-eyes from our relatives.

    “When her parents got to know that she was dating me, a Malay guy that had nothing, they sent her overseas to avoid me seeing her.

    “My heart broke into pieces. I called her every night when she was overseas to hear her voice.

    “I couldn’t eat and I couldn’t sleep. It was like the world was ending.

    “She tried to escape from there and wanted to come back here, but she failed.

    “Her relative kept away her passport and she actually tried to commit suicide.

    “My mind went blank, my heart was aching, it felt like millions of needle poking through my heart, I felt like dying.

    “After a month of being separated, she finally came back to Singapore.

    “She ran away from her family. She called me immediately and I told her to come to my office.

    “I was so happy. No words could describe how happy I was.

    “When I saw she came out from a car, we ran to each other and I gave her a tight hug.

    “Later as we predicted she was reported missing.

    “Eight months of wanted life. Nothing can describe how grateful I am to have a girlfriend like her staying by my side when I really had nothing.

    “She cried awake every night, having nightmares and was traumatized.

    “I didn’t know what to do. What I thought of is to have a family with her, to take care her for life.

    “Since her parents couldn’t do anything, I held her tight, held her and I made a vow to make her my wife and take care of her until the day I was gone.

    “We planned to have a kid. I ask her ‘Will you marry me and have a kid with me?’

    “She cried and held me tight. She was willing to marry me, give me her future and trust me.

    “Time flies and she finally got pregnant. We were so happy and excited.

    “We went back to look for our families. She converted to Islam.

    “Her willingness made the decision to convert to Islam easier, it’s not about race. It’s about initiative and finally we were married, she put her trust all on me.

    “She moved to my parents place. We had to sleep on the floor in the living room where there is no more room for us.

    “All was occupied by my sibling. But she did not even complain with her pregnant stomach.

    “Because she knew she chose this path with me.

    “Until she given birth to our previous baby girl, she was natural birth.

    “Looking at her enduring the pain alone, the pain, the look on her face and she sleeps on the floor when she need to stand up to go toilet.

    “Sometimes I even saw she cry in the middle of the night. I try my best take care my little sweetheart when she was about few months old.

    “I try my best to balance out NS and home. No family support.

    “Sometimes, we even have to share one packet of rice together.

    “At this point of time, I cannot afford luxury for her. But finally she achieved her dream as a makeup artist.

    “Things went smoothly, finally my baby girl is 5-years-old this year.

    “I have taken a course and work at a better benefit company.

    “I tell myself I am so happy and lucky to have this girl as my wife.

    “I want to give her everything, no matter what it takes, I will give her all that I can.

    “She deserves all the love from me, my daughter and my wife. No one can replace them.

    “We have gone through ups and downs. We love, we cry, we fight.

    “Now we celebrate Chinese New Year and Hari Raya together.

    “Our daughter look so cute wearing baju kurung and Chinese qi pao.

    “Just to share with you, love does not only mean the race or religion.

    “Don’t be judgmental toward inter racial love, its about compromising. We need to understand that true love takes time and effort to dismiss all obstacles among us. Race is just a race. Religion is religion.

    “All that matters is that those involved are willing to make the sacrifices necessary to be together.

    “Compromise each other. Time flies and we both know that we want to spend the rest of our lives together.

    “I love you my wife and I will take care of you and your family forever.

    “I don’t encourage people to follow us, but I hope in this world there will be more true love relationships, inter racial love because only love can hurt like this.”

     

    Source: http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg

  • Almakhazin SG: What Is PAP’s Tudung Policy Really All About?

    Almakhazin SG: What Is PAP’s Tudung Policy Really All About?

    The hijab ban is not because interracial harmony or relationships.

    The ban…which Masagos Zulkifli supported..

    Is about a group of secular fundamentalists trying to control Islam.

    Two nights ago, PAP Minister, Masagos Zulkifli justified his party’s ban of the hijab.

    He claimed that the ban is part of the PAP’s way of ensuring harmony by making every community sacrifice what is important to them.

    He is not alone in the PAP in making such comments.

    Former Prime Minister, Goh Chok Tong said the hijab affects integration.

    Yaacob Ibrahim claimed it is problematic.

    But the claim that the hijab affects harmony or integration does not stand scrutiny.

    According to Assoc Prof Lily Zubaidah Rahim

    “To date, the government has not provided any empirical evidence to support the presumption that allowing Muslim headscarves in primary and secondary schools impedes national unity.

    Indeed, some school principals contend that students who had donned the tudung in the past did not disrupt social integration in class.”

    If harmony and integration are not the reasons for the hijab ban..

    then what is?

    Lily Zubaidah argued the “no-tudung policy for Muslim schoolsgirls bears many similarities to Turkey’s headscarf restriction policy…

    Both states exhibit secular fundamentalist and authoritarian tendencies…”

    As Lily Zubaidah noted “An Naim has observed that this form of authoritarian state secularism is ‘often designed to enable the state to control religion…”

    The PAP’s ban is not about a creating a multiracial, multireligious Singapura.

    It is about a group of secular fundamentalists trying to subjugate Islam.

    Reference:
    Rahim, Lily Zubaidah. Governing Islam and regulating Muslims in Singapore’s secular authoritarian state. Murdoch university. Asia research centre, 2009.

     

    Source: Almakhazin SG

  • Damanhuri Abas: Government’s Policy Of Religious Harmony Based On Mutual Tolerance And Acceptance Is A Failure

    Damanhuri Abas: Government’s Policy Of Religious Harmony Based On Mutual Tolerance And Acceptance Is A Failure

    During the malay program ‘Bicara’, Minister for Environment and Water Resources, Masagos Zulkifli reiterated the continuation of the discriminatory policy that has prevented the employment of Malay/Muslim women who wants to don the Tudung/Hijab in jobs such as nursing and other uniformed group services. Throughout the program, the Minister tried his level best to defend the continuation of the discriminatory policy on several grounds in order to justify it.

    His reasoning ranges from the need to be sensitive to the feelings of other races, namely the majority Chinese population which he implied will be upset when they see Malay/Muslim women donning the Tudung/Hijab as nurses, police officers, military personnel, etc., right up to the fear-mongering scenario of the potential opening a Pandora box of misunderstanding and conflict that may lead to undesirable consequences such as racial conflicts for reasons that he deemed too sensitive to be shared to the public. It is unbelievable that a Minister reasoned almost similarly to a US politician that recently justified the call to ban the entry of all Muslims into his country on grounds that its better to play safe than sorry because Islamophobia is justified.

    It is indeed disappointing to hear such unsubstantiated and almost simplistic justification by a person in the position of a Minister in a public broadcast in this time and age essentially addressing the very community that feels discriminated against and who has tolerated patiently to see wisdom from the government to discontinue the archaic policy that has essentially outlived its shelf life.

    In truth, Singaporeans of all races have grown accustomed to the presence of Tudung wearing Muslim women in public. They are present as teachers in our schools, as employees in the public and private sectors too and raises no concern whatsoever. The implied suggestion that their presence is undesirable on grounds that essentially are Islamophobic are disrespectful to those women specifically and insulting to the whole Muslim community in Singapore.

    It is dishonest of the Minister to mention that any attempt to challenge this outdated discriminatory policy as dangerous and fiddling with religion and politics. The reality is the Minister and the government is precisely politicizing the issue by not dealing with it as a discrimination matter. Instead of addressing the growing anger and frustration of the community being discriminated against by this policy, the Minister chooses to confuse it by comparing the government so-called stand on the LGBT community as further justification. The comparison and a zero-sum approach vis-à-vis the LGBT community, to the issue of discrimination against Muslim women wanting to don the hijab for uniformed group is disingenuous.

    Once again, Singaporeans must honestly ask ourselves whether the efforts of the government all this years to ensure the growth and maturity of our different races and religious communities to mutually tolerate and accept one another and celebrate both our similarities and our differences, has indeed succeeded. By one Minister after another highlighting evidence of failures, it only supports the view that the policies aimed to unite our different communities are flawed and have not produced the desired results and thus have to be reformed and changed to reflect the present times where the communities are no longer separated like in the past and the majority of us, the common folks do live together in HDB flats and chat and interact with one another harmoniously.

    Finally, the Malay community has been quoted by 2 studies done by the government’s own think-tank institution namely the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and the Institute of Policy Study as being the most tolerant and accommodating of all communities when it comes to acceptance of diversity and differences. Maybe it is time that the focus of the effort to educate our society on tolerance and understanding be on the majority community rather that on the minority. Only then, wisdom based on grounded evidence will prevail instead of baseless justification that borders on political expediency.

     

    Source: Damanhuri Abas

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