Tag: Islam

Some Muslims Want To Withdraw CPF Before 65 To Perform Haj

SOME Muslims would like to withdraw a larger portion of their Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings before turning 65 to perform the haj – and Minister of State for National Development and Defence Maliki Osman hopes the Government will consider this wish when it reviews its policies.

At a post-National Day Rally dialogue attended by over 100 Malay residents of the East Coast GRC on Wednesday night, participants asked if they could be given the option of tapping into their CPF savings at age 55 to fund the pilgrimage.

“We don’t know whether we’ll be well enough to do our haj, or if we can even move if we wait till 65,” said a 50-year-old Changi resident who wanted to be known as Sofea.

According to the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, haj packages cost from about $7,000 to over $13,000.

Speaking in Malay to reporters after the dialogue, Dr Maliki said: “This is a concern in our community, and we can channel these worries… And I hope when the Government tries to draft new policies related to the CPF, the concerns voiced by our residents will be taken into account.”

The Government, he added, acknowledges that people want more options when it comes to their CPF savings, “but this choice must also be limited, so it does not reach a stage where people don’t have savings after they retire”.

As residents discussed the announcements Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had made in Sunday’s National Day Rally, some were still riled up over retirement funds.

There were raised voices and demands to know how many Singaporeans could meet the CPF Minimum Sum.

But dialogues like this are a platform for the Government to soothe such fears, said Dr Maliki.

“When I clarified the reasons and ways we draft government policies, they showed understanding… their feelings of anger started to recede.”

He told participants about his late father, who died this February at age 91.

There was no Minimum Sum in place for his cohort – when life expectancy was 65 years. He withdrew all his CPF savings at 55 and spent them all by age 60, when he stopped working.

“He had nine children to help him… but how many children do you have, and do you want to continue depending on them?” asked Dr Maliki, adding that life expectancy has gone up, making the Minimum Sum scheme necessary.

Residents also asked about the future of young Malays without university degrees.

Ms Mardina Aziz, 27, who has a polytechnic diploma, said she has the skills and hands-on experience some university graduates lack.

But she cannot qualify for most government jobs, which require degrees.

At this year’s rally, Mr Lee said the public sector will take the lead in shifting the focus away from paper qualifications to take skill and experience into account in hiring and promotions.

Dr Maliki said parents and students also need to change their mindsets.

“We want (students) to change their mindsets, to ensure that they keep on believing that they are able to succeed.”

Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/more-singapore-stories/story/some-muslims-seek-option-tap-cpf-55-go-haj-20140822

YOUTUBE: youtube.com/user/rilek1corner

FACEBOOK: facebook.com/rilek1corner

TWITTER: twitter.com/Rilek1Corner

WEBSITE: rilek1corner.com

EMAIL: [email protected]

FEEDBACK: CONTACT RILEK1CORNER

August 25, 2014
Ragu-ragu Jika Terkentut Ketika Solat

Pernahkah anda mengalami rasa ingin terkentut hilang secara tiba-tiba dan tidak dipastikan sama ada angin tersebut sudah keluar atau tidak? Entri ini boleh membantu anda yang ragu-ragu untuk memastikan solat sah dan adakah benar terkentut.

Seringkali ragu-ragu mendatangkan kesulitan kerana ia terikat pada keadaan sah atau tidak sesuatu ibadah khususnya solat. Rasulullah s.a.w bersabda, “Jika salah seorang di antara kalian merasai sesuatu di perutnya, lalu ia ragu-ragu apakah keluar sesuatu ataukah tidak, maka janganlah ia keluar dari masjid hingga ia mendengar suara atau menghidu bau.” (Riwayar Muslim no.362).

Melalui hadis ini dapat diambil satu kaedah fiqh yang mengatakan “Keyakinan tidak akan hilang dengan ragu-ragu”, iaitu ragu-ragu tidak sekali-kali akan wujud dalam suatu keyakinan. Dalam erti kata lain, kita yang berwuduk akan kekal berwuduk sehinggalah kita benar-benar yakin berlaku hadas dan sekiranya kita berhadas maka kita akan kekal berhadas sehingga berwuduk kembali.

Dalam hadis lain, Baginda s.a.w bersabda “Janganlah berpaling hingga dia mendengar suara atau mendapati bau.”(Riwayat Bukhari no. 177 dan Muslim no. 361). Maka bagi kita yang ragu-ragu tentang hadas, tidak harus untuk kita berwuduk bahkan kita perlu tetap meneruskan solat. Namun, jika telah yakin berlakunya hadas samada dengan mendengar atau menghidu bau maka hendaklah kita berwuduk.

Sumber: http://majalah-i.karangkraf.com/baitul-muslim/ragu-ragu-keluar-angin-ketika-solat-1.307679#main-section

YOUTUBE: youtube.com/user/rilek1corner

FACEBOOK: facebook.com/rilek1corner

TWITTER: twitter.com/Rilek1Corner

WEBSITE: rilek1corner.com

EMAIL: [email protected]

FEEDBACK: CONTACT RILEK1CORNER

August 19, 2014
China Punishes Xinjiang Muslim Officials For Openly Practicing Faith

BEIJING – China has reprimanded 15 Xinjiang officials for violations that include adhering to religious faith, state media said on Tuesday, amid a crackdown on what the government calls illegal religious activities in the unruly western region.

Xinjiang, home to the Muslim Uighur people who speak a Turkic language, has been beset for years by violence that the Chinese government blames on Islamist militants and separatists.

One official in the southern city of Kashgar, where a state-backed imam was killed last month, had “worshipped openly”, the official Xinhua news agency said, behavior which violated rules that state workers not be religious.

“The punishment of expulsion from public office was handed to surnamed Mai who violated the clear regulation that state workers must not have religious faith,” Xinhua said, citing the city’s Uighur mayor, Ainiwaer Tuerxun. Mai had “remained devout and incorrigible, and had a poor attitude,” the report added.

Tensions are running high in Xinjiang, after officials told Muslims to eschew religious customs during the fasting month of Ramadan, which rights groups saw as an bid to repress Uighurs.

Another official was punished, according to Xinhua, for having “ambiguous understanding and attitudes, sluggish action, and ineffective implementation toward counter-terrorism operations”.

Punishments for violations, which included spreading information that was harmful to ethnic unity, ranged from expulsion from government positions to stern warnings.

All of the officials were from Kashgar, an old Silk Road city with a largely Uighur population, though the abbreviated surnames given by Xinhua made their ethnicities unclear.

Hundreds have died in violence in Xinjiang in the past year and a half, prompting a sweeping crackdown by authorities.

Exiled Uighur groups and human rights activists say the government’s repressive policies in Xinjiang, including controls on Islam, have provoked unrest, a claim Beijing denies.

State media reported last week that authorities in Xinjiang’s capital Urumqi closed 27 places used for “underground” preaching and detained 44 illegal imams as part of an operation to “rescue” 82 children from religious schools known as madrassas.

China punishes the study of Islam outside the confines of tightly controlled state mosques and children are prohibited from attending madrassas, prompting many parents who wish to provide a religious education to use underground schools. REUTERS

Source: http://www.todayonline.com/world/china-punishes-xinjiang-official-openly-practicing-faith

YOUTUBE: youtube.com/user/rilek1corner

FACEBOOK: facebook.com/rilek1corner

TWITTER: twitter.com/Rilek1Corner

WEBSITE: rilek1corner.com

EMAIL: [email protected]

FEEDBACK: CONTACT RILEK1CORNER

August 19, 2014
Could ISIS Launch Attacks on Malaysia and Indonesia?

ISIS, which now refers to itself as the Islamic State and has claimed the title of Caliphate, has already made it clear that it wants to claim rule over the Muslim world. Now, security officials in both Malaysia and Indonesia claim that ISIS is attracting followers in said countries. How serious is the threat? And could ISIS actually launch global strikes?

Hundreds of years ago caliphates did rule over most of the Islamic world, though they were often more well-known for their moderation, rather than extremism. ISIS is trying to revive the wide sweeping power of the Caliphate, though they are bastardizing it with extremism and increasing attacks against non-Muslims.

Security Threat Real Even If Challenge To Power Isn’t

Whatever ISIS might dream of, the organization simply isn’t in the position to build a global empire. The organization is still small, and its scope is largely limited to Syria and Iraq. Its followers are radicalized and ready to die for their cause. This does allow ISIS to exert a lot of power locally, but expanding that power internationally will be difficult.

That doesn’t mean, however, that ISIS won’t find supporters abroad. Radical groups tend to attract alienated individuals, and every society has its alienated individuals. Authorities in Malaysia and Indonesia now fear that ISIS will be able to use these individuals to launch attacks within South East Asia.

Terrorist attacks, by their very nature, focus on creating fear, rather than high casualties. While ISIS might not be able to ever sieze control of territory in Malaysia or Indonesia, that doesn’t mean the organization can strike fear into the hearts of citizens. Indeed, it only takes a single radical to launch an attack.

Malaysia Is A Prime Targeting

Malaysia is recognized across the world for being a moderate Muslim country. The rights of other religions and minorities are generally respected, even if tensions do exist. The brand of Islam practiced in the country tends to be more moderate, and individual choices are usually left to individuals.

Terrorist activities, however, appear to be on the rise. Over the last several months Malaysia has managed to arrest 19 different suspects for being involved in terrorist activities. There are fears, however, that this may just be scratching at the surface.

Malaysian security officials claim that the government is among the prime targets of the terrorists. As a moderate Islamic government that offers a clear alternative to the extremism espoused by ISIS, the Malaysian government would indeed be a prime target.

At least 20 Malaysians have gone to fight for ISIS.

Indonesia Also Worried About ISIS

Indonesia is the world’s largest Muslim majority country, home to nearly 250 million people. Over 87 percent of Indonesians are Muslim, so the country is a prime target for radical groups like ISIS. Indonesian authorities have already had to deal with radical threats in the past, though usually they’ve been domestic groups.

Perhaps the most famous domestic terrorist, Abu Bakar Bashir, the now jailed leader of Jemaah Islamiyah, an Al Queda-linked terrorist group, has expressed support for ISIS. Jemaah Islamiya carried out the 2002 Bali bombings that claimed the lives of more than 200 people.

Indonesia is undergoing a rapid period of modernization, which is likely creating a clash of cultures. With rampant poverty and a growing gap between the rich and the poor, the country is also a fertile recruiting ground for radicals looking for new recruits. It should come as no surprise then that at least 56 Indonesians have joined the ranks of ISIS.

Indeed, ISIS is reportedly able to pay each of its fighters up to $250 dollars a month. While this wage might not seem like much, for people from poorer countries, like Indonesia, this can be quite substantial.

Source: http://www.valuewalk.com/2014/08/malaysia-and-indonesia-in-cross-hairs-of-isis-terrorists/

YOUTUBE: youtube.com/user/rilek1corner

FACEBOOK: facebook.com/rilek1corner

TWITTER: twitter.com/Rilek1Corner

WEBSITE: rilek1corner.com

EMAIL: [email protected]

FEEDBACK: CONTACT RILEK1CORNER

August 16, 2014
Vicious Cycle Cause Malays To Be The ‘Pariahs of Singapore’

Atan Flybaits

Atan Flybaits

Dear Mr Prime Minister Sir,

With all my respect Sir,

I congratulate you and your government for the generous recognitions of the pioneer generations, however, I would also like to bring to your attention on some issues which have been bugging the minds of fellow Singaporeans, I hope you would spend sometimes thinking about it

When I was doing business in Indonesia they called me as ’ orang Singpore’ there were some Chinese and Indian Singaporean, they all were also called ‘ orang Singapore’ not ‘orang Cina Singapore‘ or ’ orang India Singapore’ although it is different here in Singapore we are segregated into different racial groups for whatever reasons are
It is the same in Taiwan, although we rarely seen Malay Singaporean in Taiwan and we all know why
In USA they have progressed from treating the black people as slaves to their current social status as equals, during the world war two, it is amazing that the black people who were treated as second class citizens where they were not allowed to go to certain school, swimming pool restaurants and so on, but when they were drafted into the army they would fight for the country, now even the President of the USA is a Black man, how amazing !!

After fifty years we have come a long way as citizens of Singapore but yet we were still being treated like a second class citizen, we were prevented into certain area in the Army installations, not to mention the Air force and the Navy, it is ironic that the government would accept foreigners to even work as a police officers but are still suspicious of the Malays who has been born and bred here

T he question is how do you know that the people you would employed as police officers are not extremist from Xinjiang or Southern part of Philippine or rapist from India ? And how do you know that they would not bring their culture of corruptions into this country?

Although during the Japanese occupation the Malays were the one’s fighting hand in hand with the British Soldiers against the Japanese invasions

With the current immigration policy where foreigners from other Asian countries readily admitted to Singapore except for the Malay stocks, they would come with a minimum of a diploma or a degree, whereby due to high unemployment of a lower paying job held by the Malays due to your current policy of not allowing the Malays to work in the defense sectors where, thousands of jobs could be offered to us with a reasonably paying salary, as a result our kids were not able to compete on a level playing field with all other races, not even with the new immigrants, because their fathers would be either out of job or holding a lower paying job, as a result there are 70% of our kids are in the ITE instead of the institute of the higher learning !

As a result of your government suspicions on the Malays, the sentiments had transpired into the private sectors too, because the people running the defense sectors would eventually being released into private sectors and the suspicions continues

Of course you will have some Malays in certain places just to show that you are truly practicing what you preach, a meritocratic system of government, however don’t you know that the world is getting smaller with the existence of internet media and the people around the world would not be bluff anymore ?

My estimation is that this vicious cycle would continue and we would remain as the Pariahs of Singapore for a very long time

There are so many Malay MPs in parliament, however none of them have the guts to tell our three Prime Minister about what they should not do for the well being of our country, they should have told our Prime Ministers ? racial segregation is bad for the country, politics of the sixties are not relevant anymore to Singapore, we have come a long way, we speak the same lingo in which we called Singlish, we have grown to accept ever y body’s habit and culture

For economic viability the defense sector should remove their suspicions against the Malays, are we not your true blue Singaporean brothers and sisters ?

The Malays are not known to be a business man, but we are a good and well discipline employees, and has been proven time and again Malay soldiers and police officers don’t back out on their duty to protect their country
I see the defense sectors as a good job opportunity and an opportunity to protect our beautiful country

I have some Filipino friends who spoke Singlish like us, some PRCs nurses who speak with the word ‘lah’, my doctor from India spoke with the word ‘lah’ too these are all genuine people who genuinely wanted to live and build our country together with us, and we have accepted them, if we can accept these people why cant the PAP accept us and remove all their suspicions ?

Source: Atan Flybaits

YOUTUBE: youtube.com/user/rilek1corner

FACEBOOK: facebook.com/rilek1corner

TWITTER: twitter.com/Rilek1Corner

WEBSITE: rilek1corner.com

EMAIL: [email protected]

FEEDBACK: CONTACT RILEK1CORNER

August 12, 2014