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  • Halimah Yacob: “The idea of doing good is something that is so expansive”

    Halimah Yacob: “The idea of doing good is something that is so expansive”

    Addressing criticism of her ungrammatical campaign slogan for her presidential bid, Madam Halimah Yacob said that she settled on “Do Good Do Together” because “it’s catchy, it’s easy to understand, easy for everyone to relate”. She was speaking to the media after submitting her application forms to the Elections Department (ELD) to stand in next month’s Presidential Election (PE) — the last of three aspirants who have publicly announced their intention to take part in the race. On Tuesday, the former Speaker of Parliament unveiled her campaign slogan — “Do Good Do Together”. Touted as a call to action, she said that the tagline embodies her goal to create an inclusive society for all. It has since received criticism from netizens for being ungrammatical.

    Defending her choice of words on Wednesday, Mdm Halimah, 63, said: “I do know that there are also people who support it. (They) find it very good, very impactful. The idea of doing good is something that is so expansive. It covers many things — wanting to see Singapore doing better, Singaporeans doing better, getting the collective support of everyone to stay united so that we can progress together.” Arriving at the ELD building at Prinsep Link in a black Toyota car at 10.40am on Wednesday, Mdm Halimah, clad in a yellow headscarf, orange blouse and black slacks, was accompanied by five members of her campaign team. They included Mr Lawrence Leow, former president of the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises and Mr Bob Shaw, Marsiling Citizens’ Consultative Committee chairman. The submission process ended in 20 minutes, and she had left the building by 11.05am.

    So far, two other potential contenders for the PE have emerged: Mr Mohamed Salleh Marican, 67, chief executive of Second Chance Properties and Mr Farid Khan Kaim Khan, 62, chairman of marine services provider Bourbon Offshore Asia Pacific.  Mr Marican was the first to drop off his forms at the ELD on Aug 23, followed by Mr Farid the next day. This PE has been reserved for the Malay community, following changes to the Elected Presidency passed by Parliament in November last year. The writ of election was issued on Monday, giving presidential hopefuls five working days, until Sept 4, to apply for a certificate of eligibility and a community certificate.

    Nomination Day is on Sept 13 and Singapore will head to the polls on Sept 23 if there is more than one eligible candidate. In a press release on the campaigning rules issued on Tuesday, the ELD stressed the need to maintain the dignity of the presidential office during the campaigning period.  This was a timely reminder for all potential candidates to conduct themselves properly throughout the election, Mdm Halimah said on Wednesday. Asked for her thoughts on the lead-up to Nomination Day, she said: “So far I think the (process) has been pretty good … From the time the candidates announced their intention to take part in the election till now, I think it’s gone on very well.” More details about her campaign strategy will be unveiled later.

     

    Source: Today

  • Salleh Marican: “I Have Never Worked For Anyone In My Life… I Am My Own Man”

    Salleh Marican: “I Have Never Worked For Anyone In My Life… I Am My Own Man”

    As a young boy, Mohamed Salleh Marican was already looking to earn his own keep. When he was eight, he asked his mother to pay him S$0.90 to collect bread from the bakery instead of having it delivered to their home. At age 12, he walked 2km to and from school every day to save money on transport. He wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father, a textile merchant. That aspiration did not sit well with his mother, who had to raise six children single-handedly after her husband died of illness when Mr Marican was only 15. She was furious when he rejected an offer to sign on as a Lieutenant in the army as he would rather run his own business.

    “My mother said to me: ‘Do you think it’s easy to be a businessman?’” the 67-year-old recalled. “She said: ‘Look at your father. His 50 years of running a business had many ups and downs. Why give up a good job with a good position?’” But Mr Marican stuck to his guns and set up a tailoring shop in 1974, when he was in his early 20s. M Salleh Enterprise was located in Peninsula Shopping Centre.  After an unsuccessful stint, Mr Marican sold the store for S$15,000. He bought it back five months later for half the price, and named it Second Chance. By 1988, Mr Marican had opened 25 clothing stores in Singapore and Malaysia. But the good times did not last. He had to close 21 stores in four years.

    “It caused a lot of uneasiness and fear, in my family, my directors, my management team. I realised how much many people depended on me. I began to feel more for people in trouble, people who are down and out,” Marican said. Still, he was undeterred and Second Chance later became the first Malay-owned firm to be listed on the Singapore Exchange in 1997. These experiences, said Mr Marican, have helped him become more compassionate. “I went through the school of hard knocks. This is when you learn much more about life, about interacting with all types of people. I have never worked for anyone in my life. I never had to answer to any superior or boss. I am my own man. I’ve never been affiliated to any political party or (been) backed by any business or organisation. This is what I can bring to the table.”

    “MY MALAY IS YOUR EVERYDAY MALAY”

    Despite his successes in business, Mr Marican is well aware that running for the Presidency will not be easy. When he announced in June his intention to contest the election – reserved this year for candidates from the Malay community – many criticised him for his poor command of the Malay language. This was after a video of him stumbling over a Malay word made its rounds on social media. “Actually, I can speak Malay. But my Malay is your everyday Malay,” Mr Marican claimed. “What happened that day is I did not realise they were recording it on Facebook Live. I thought it was done a normal way, that it will be edited later on. So I wanted to use a better Malay word. That is what happened. I learnt a thing or two about the media.”

    Mr Marican has since been taking classes to improve his Malay. But that isn’t the only aspect of his life that’s changed since he started preparing for his campaign. He now has less time to read the newspapers, and only recently bought his first mobile phone. “There are so many things to think about and there are so many messages coming in from my team members. Now I realise why they say I must have a handphone … Now I cannot leave home without the handphone,” he said. The businessman’s priorities have also shifted over the years. While making money was the main goal in his younger days, the father of four – three daughters and a son – said he now wants to give back to society.

    If elected, Mr Marican said he will donate his entire salary as President to charity. His team has also been working on a social movement called Mind The Gap which hopes to raise funds and awareness of smaller charities in Singapore. “Many people tell me you can also do this if you’re not President. It’s true. But you see the difference – the influence of the President can have a great impact on any activity he or she chooses to promote. For example, if I write to all the CEOs of the big companies in Singapore to donate to this cause, most of them will do so. But as an ordinary citizen, if I do that, how many will even read the letter?”

    Mr Marican was the first of the three potential candidates that have come forward so far to submit their application forms to the Elections Department. The other two are former Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob and chairman of Bourbon Offshore Asia Farid Khan.  All potential candidates will have to apply for the Certificate of Eligibility, providing details such as employment history and submitting supporting documents. Applicants from the private sector like Mr Marican and Mr Farid will have to show that they have helmed a company with at least S$500 million in shareholders’ equity. Mr Marican said he spent “more than 100 hours” thinking how best to convince the Presidential Elections Committee that he is a qualified candidate. “So now it’s in their hands, but I’m confident that they will qualify me,” he said.

     

    Source: CNA

  • Farid Khan: “Kerana saya memang dari rakyat jelata, saya bukan elit…”

    Farid Khan: “Kerana saya memang dari rakyat jelata, saya bukan elit…”

    Membantu belia-belia bermasalah untuk membaiki kehidupan mereka menjadi fokus Encik Farid Khan, pengerusi syarikat perkhidmatan marin yang mengumumkan hasrat untuk bertanding dalam Pilihan Raya Presiden, bulan depan. Sebagai seseorang yang terpaksa berhenti sekolah semasa berusia 14 tahun, beliau begitu faham erti hidup dalam keadaan “tidak berdaya”. Encik Farid juga menyentuh tentang pertikaian mengenai keturunan dan kemelayuannya. Malah, beliau mengaku agak “terasa” dengan cakap-cakap masyarakat.

    “KENAPA ORANG MELAYU S’PURA TAK BOLEH TERIMA SAYA”

    Sebagai seorang yang tidak biasa menjadi perhatian ramai, kritikan dan persoalan-persoalan yang dilemparkan kepada Encik Farid Khan, pada awalnya membuatkan pengerusi syarikat Bourbon Offshore Asia Pacific ini berkecil hati. “Dari awal saya sudah bilang, itu adalah saya, IC saya Pakistani. Tapi kalau kita lihat balik cara saya cakap, memang saya orang Melayu. Kalau dari telefon mungkin orang tak tahu ini orang Pakistan mungkin, orang Peranakan yang cakap. Jadi saya mula-mula terasa juga sedikit, kenapa orang Melayu Singapura macam tak boleh terima saya, tapi akhirnya saya rasa, setelah kita tunggu satu dua hari, yang positif mulai memberi reaksi.”

    Malah, Encik Farid berkata pengalaman membesar dalam kalangan orang Melayu dan liku-liku kehidupan yang diharunginya sendiri membuatkan beliau begitu faham dengan isu-isu yang menjadi keprihatinan masyarakat Melayu. “Kerana saya memang dari rakyat jelata, saya bukan elit, tidak. Dari rakyat, jadi saya tahu benar masalah kita, satu seperti perjuangan yang dilakukan sebagai rakyat biasa, banyak itu, saya tahu, saya tahu benar. Seperti belia-belia bermasalah, di situ saya banyak menaja mereka, ada yang kalau tak salah, dua yang agak bagus itu, memang the pelajar cemerlang, kata mereka, pelajar terbaik, kita hantar pergi Umrah,” ujar Encik Farid.

    HAMPIR 14 TAHUN BERHENTI SEKOLAH, IBU MENANGIS

    Encik Farid turut berkongsi pengalaman paling pahit semasa membesar, apabila terpaksa berhenti sekolah demi membantu menyara keluarga dan keputusannya itu membuatkan ibunya menitiskan air mata. Susulan itu, Encik Farid menanam azam untuk kembali ke sekolah dan meskipun sukar, tekadnya yang kuat membuahkan hasil. “Masa saya berhenti sekolah itu saya berjanji dengan ibu. Saya berhenti, umur saya 14 tahun. Ibu saya tidak kasi, bilang jangan, menangis tidak kasi, itu susah. Tapi saya janji, saya akan simpan wang dan balik ke sekolah. Jadi makan masa lebih daripada 12 tahun, hampir 14 tahun untuk saya kembali ke sekolah. Itu janji saya kepada ibu saya. Itu pertama kali saya masuk sekolah itu, itu sangat berkesan pada saya,” kongsi Encik Farid.

    Meskipun sukar, istilah putus asa jelas tidak wujud dalam kamus kehidupan Encik Farid. Setelah hampir 14 tahun meninggalkan bangku sekolah, beliau boleh berbangga dengan kejayaan yang dikecapi. “Susah, memang susah. Tapi kerana tekad itu agak kuat, jadi azam untuk berjaya agak kuat. Jadi saya belajar bersungguh-sungguh, jadi kita tak tahu tanya orang sana, tanya orang sini, telefon sana, telefon sini sampai saya faham. Waktu nak ambil peperiksaan itu, saya panik sebentar, sudah lama tak balik sekolah. Tapi Alhamdulillah, pertama kali saya masuk, saya lulus! Itu adalah satu-satu, boleh kita katakan, kenangan yang sangat- sangat berkesan, pertama kali pegang sijil,” kata Encik Farid dengan nada ceria.

    BUKAN MUDAH, PERLU FOKUS

    Walaupun Encik Farid sudah boleh disifatkan sebagai orang yang berjaya dan dapat hidup senang, hatinya masih mahu menyumbang lebih banyak kepada negara yang begitu dicintainya. Oleh sebab itu, pada 11 Julai lalu, beliau mencetuskan tanda tanya dalam kalangan masyarakat mengenai siapakah gerangan pengerusi eksekutif sebuah syarikat perkhidmatan marin yang melahirkan hasrat untuk bertanding dalam Pilihan Raya Presiden pada bulan depan. Apakah yang menjadi motivasi kepada bapa dua orang anak itu untuk berani menggalas tanggungjawab baru dan besar, sedangkan beliau tiada pengalaman dalam bidang politik sebelum ini?

    “Waktu pertama kali yang kita mulai fikirkan untuk bertanding, itu bulan Mei. Perjalanan ini memang bukan semudah yang kita fikirkan, tak semudah itu. Banyak cabaran. Tapi kalau kita sudah mulai fokus, tumpuan kita itu agak jelas. Jadi banyak yang boleh kita atasi. Jadi ada, terutama sekali sokongan daripada teman-teman dan kita lihat juga dari catatan Facebook yang kita terima daripada rakyat, orang yang kita tak kenal, jadi sangat terharu saya. Jadi saya rasa dari situ motivasinya makin kuat,” ujar Encik Farid. Dengan Pilihan Raya Presiden yang semakin hampir, Encik Farid berharap masyarakat dapat melihat dirinya sebagai seorang yang berkorban demi Singapura. “Lihat saya sebagai seorang yang benar-benar maju ke hadapan untuk negara, bukan untuk sanak-saudara, bukan untuk saya, bukan untuk keluarga saya. Saya akan berkorban untuk rakyat Singapura, seluruhnya, bukan rakyat Melayu sahaja. Seluruh rakyat Singapura,” ujar beliau.

     

    Source: Berita Mediacorp

  • [Jakarta] Blue Bird Taxi Driver Disciplined After Scolding Foreign Motorist Using Indonesian And Broken English

    [Jakarta] Blue Bird Taxi Driver Disciplined After Scolding Foreign Motorist Using Indonesian And Broken English

    Blue Bird taxi company has disciplined one of its drivers after a video recording him scolding a foreigner went viral on Monday.

    The driver’s anger was apparently triggered by an accident involving the taxi and the foreigner’s car, which caused damage to the taxi’s front fender.

    The details of the accident remain unknown. The foreigner vehicle’s plate indicated that it was a diplomatic car.

    In the video, the taxi driver cursed the foreigner using Indonesian and broken English.

    “Do you think I am afraid with you? This is Indonesia you know, think, think, think,” the driver shouted.

    The driver also asked the foreigner to do something about the damage to his car.

    “You must compensate it, the bumper is broken, you must replace it, this one, Indonesia,” he said.

    Meanwhile, the foreigner looked busy on his cell phone. “No England, no USA, you know. I am no crazy, you crazy. I am not afraid with the police,” he added.

    Blue Bird spokesperson Teguh Wijayanto said the incident occurred on Saturday in the Senayan area, South Jakarta.

    “We have tried to resolve the problem,”Teguh said Monday, as quoted by kompas.com.

    The taxi driver, Teguh added, had been disciplined but he declined to give further details about the matter.

    “If we look at the damage, it might have been caused by grazing because the [foreigner’s] car is higher. The damage is on the right side. Compensation will be handled internally. We regret this incident but it can be resolved with care,” Teguh said.

     

    Source: http://www.asiaone.com

  • Commentary: Reserved PE For Malays Akin To China’s The Voice For Chinese; Both Exclude Certain Communities From Contesting

    Commentary: Reserved PE For Malays Akin To China’s The Voice For Chinese; Both Exclude Certain Communities From Contesting

    For those who dont understand why it’s a bad call to reserve the presidential race for Malays, let me bring you back to a similar incident.

    Remember when ‘The Voice’ came to Singapore but was looking only for Chinese singers to participate in its competition? Many were livid. For what? For the same reason why people are sickened when the presidential election exclude certain community from contesting.

    That’s what this presidential system has created. Unhappiness among the people.

    If for such an inconsequential singing competition can make us feel upset because we are excluded from participating it, the presidential election is on a national scale and such policies from the government creates ill-will between the community.

    Race based policies create division instead of strengthening our social fabric.

    Let me take you further to an environment where you can resonate better.

    Supposed the principal of the school where you send your children to study, decides to bar your child from participating in the school 100m race as he wanted a particular person to win it. What would you have done?

    Your answer to the above will guide you to what you would do today and understand why such policies are destructive and we have to move away from it.

     

    Source: Khan Osman Sulaiman