Tag: malay

Jafri Basron Will Contest as Independent Candidate for GE2016

Credit: https://www.facebook.com/jafri.basron

I found a comment which is a follow up on Tan Kin Lian’s article Loss of Foreign Minister, which appears to give us an insight to what happened that caused Aljunied GRC to fall.

If what the writer claims is true (ie he has been working on the ground with the WP), this gives us an opportunity to see what were the goings on of WP’s plan, which was not seen by the public before.

Here is his comment.

I happened to be one of those who’re familiar with WP Hougang and Aljunied groundworks and feedback. The decision to contest Aljunied was a foregone conclusion, it was just a matter of who joined Sylvia there. The boundary map was so drawn that Hougang is an island within Aljunied that incorporates about a third of old dismantled Cheng San. Hence PAP made Aljunied a must-contest for WP and believed George Yeo popular enough to defend it. However LHL compromised laymen perception of his foreign affairs competency by having LKY and GCT handling almost all the heavyweight foreign affair issues. As for grassroot groundworks and popularity of WP in Aljunied, PAP complacently forgot that Hougang is in Aljunied containing a huge chunk of Cheng San. The gerrymandering backfired this time. The LTK effect wouldn’t have been of this magnitude in another GRC where he’s not so well known. In any case, it was LKY himself who challenged LTK that if he’s a good leader, stop hiding in SMC, come out and contest GRC. And it was also LKY himself who pre-declared that by-election shall be held to save any minister lost.

Very interesting insight. For those who can’t recall, Cheng San was contested by the WP, headed by Tang Liang Hong in 1997. Tang Liang Hong was smeared by PAP as a Chinese Chauvinist. His team was the highest scoring losing team.

I agree that George Yeo’s position was highly compromised as foreign minister. One of the most difficult issues we had and still have is our relations with Indonesia.

We harbour Indonesian criminals which Indonesia wants extradited, as well as billions of ill-gotten funds that rightfully belongs to them. An extradition treaty that was to be signed between Indonesia and ourselves have been shelved and that is causing a lot of strained ties. I have discussed that in detail here – Our Bad Foreign Relations with Indonesia

It looks like WP had weighed carefully the options they had and decided to go for a calculated gamble. It paid off.

Authored by Jafri Basron

EDITOR’S NOTE

Supporters of Jafri Basron can help make his dream come true by giving him a small donation and also moral support. Not an easy task to be an independent candidate. Rilek1Corner wishes Jafri all the best and may you succeed in GE2016.

June 3, 2014
Masyarakat Islam Semakin Kurang Yakin Pada MUIS?

Credit: Osman Sulaiman

Credit: Osman Sulaiman

Tempoh hari, saya telah mengadakan tinjauan kecil di sini untuk mengumpulkan data sedikit sebanyak akan sokongan masyarakat terhadap MUIS. Meskipun tinjauan ini tidak boleh digunakan sebagai kaki pengukur, rata2, kita dapat menggambarkan sentiment sebilangan rakyat terhadap MUIS.

Tinjauan ini hanya terhad kepada ahli2 SMIS, ahli yg aktif dan kepada pengguna internet sahaja. Dari itu, ia sangat berkurangan untuk dijadikan landasan sebagai mempamerkan sentiment seluruh Singapura.

Hasil tinjauannya adalah seperti berikut:
Total pengundi – 61

Tidak menyokong – 24
Memberi MUIS masa – 22
Sokongan tipis – 10
Menyokong total – 5

Kita dapat lihat bahawa sebanyak 39% sudah tidak memberi sokongannya terhadap MUIS. Dan hanya 8.2% sahaja yg masih memberi sokongan total kepada MUIS. Yg selebihnya, boleh dianggap sebagai menunggu dan mahu melihat prestasi MUIS. Prestasi MUIS akan menentukan sama ada MUIS akan terus relevant atau sebaliknya.

Jikalau MUIS tetap masih tidak menunjukkan peningkatan kepada prestasinya, saya takut tidak lama lagi, MUIS akan menjadi gajah putih dan tidak lagi mewakili masyarakat orang islam di Singapura.

June 3, 2014
WEAR WHITE ON TAUBAHCALL DAY: 1st Day of Ramadhan – 28 June 2014

Ustaz Noor Deros

Assalamualaikum wr wb,

Bismillah, walhamdulillah, the blessed month of Ramadan is just around the corner, if Allah wills, it will descend on the night of 28th of June around 7pm+.

We ask Allah that He allow us to be among those who will be blessed with His pardon & mercy in that month of rahmah and maghfirah. Amin.

Yet, it seems that there is another group of people who are also looking forward to that day. That very same date and time (5pm-7pm) was chosen by the PINK DOT activists (Lesbian,Gay,Bisexuals & Transexual activists and symphatisers) to organise their biggest event ever. They will come together in thousands to make a call to the Singaporean society to accept LGBT individuals (of course together with their lifestyle) without any kind of discrimination, intolerance nor judgement.

It is important to note here that it is through such nuanced events that the idea, philosophy and lifestyle of LGBT is subtly promoted and normalised, most of the time through the call to accept the VEHICLE (the LGBT individuals).

Oh Muslims! The gates of heavens and mercy will be opened in Ramadan, we do not want It to be blocked by our sins and our inaction towards munkar.

Muslims and straight-minded human beings must stand up and state our stand clearly.

No, not even as a response to this or that party, what more a reaction, but as an education first and foremost to our fellow Muslim brothers and sisters out there who still think that the LGBT lifestyle is a personal right and that the Quranic and Prophetic guidance on the LGBT issue is boundlessly flexible and ever-open to “progressive” interpretations.

For the sake of our collective spiritual, mental, emotional, social & physical health we have to MAKE CLEAR WHAT IS EVIL AND PROHIBIT IT. Be it through a small one time event or mega ones, collectively or group based. Whats important is that it must be continuous and ever present.

This is of course not a new call nor a unique one, this is just another of that small yet continuous calls. We have to keep them coming.

PERGAS have stated our stand, may Allah reward them for that, and I believe that MUIS already have something wise and farsighted in mind, many of us are waiting for that something with good opinion, but waiting is just another excuse to avoid commitment and responsibility, no, waiting is not enough, we, the people on the ground have the right and responsibility to do and say something.

———————

SUGGESTIONS :

In my discussions with many muslims about this issue I managed to gather some good suggestions, these are some of them :

– Organise an easy, simple, yet clear and easily viral event such as WEAR WHITE DAY ON THE FIRST OF RAMADAN.

Together with this, all/some of the mosque in Singapore – on the first of ramadan especially – should deliver a clear call to taubah, explaining the concept of fitrah, freedom & sexuality in Islam.

In my opinion, this is the most viable, I and my friends will take this on, you are invited to lend a hand. Please contact me if you are interested.

– Veterans and experienced Mega Maulid/Islamic Events organisers especially the lead and crowdpulling asatizahs should come together and organise a mega program on the first of ramadan, maybe a mega terawih session in a stadium. FOR THE LOVE OF THE PROPHET S.A.W. We will give our support.

– Short videos stating our stand on this issue as Muslims living in Singapore. (This is a must)

– Continuous series of talks and seminars on Islam and the LGBT. (Such programs have started, but we need more of it)

– Talks on Islamic Worldview/ Islamic View of Existence. (This is the most important)

Oh Muslims! Our amal ma’ruf nahi munkar is never and should never be restricted to only Muslims. If your non-muslim neighbour tries to kill an innocent life in front of you what do you do? Harm should not be restricted to physical, for we muslims strongly believe in the reality of spiritual harm.

Oh Muslims! We have been fighting about petty issues for too long, Isn’t it high time for us to come together for something that is common between us?

Come come! Let us all together make taubah!

Scholars should make taubah of their muteness and inaction!

Those who have fallen into the pit of LGBT lifestyle should make taubah of their transgression!

Those of us who think that we are clean and are guarenteed salvation because we are religious, should make the most istighfar! For that is the worse kind of delusion!

Welcome! Welcome oh ye month of Maghfirah!

Zulfikar Shariff Walid J. Abdullah Syed Danial Khairul AR Syed Muhd Khairudin Aljunied Mohamed Saiddhin Gene Sha Muhammad Azry Azmi Abdul Samad

Source: Ustaz Noor Deros

EDITOR’S NOTE

In full honesty, Rilek1Corner has to applaud these Singapore Muslims who have come together to educate the public. This is perhaps the first time in a long time that the Muslim community have witnessed how a small group of dynamic individuals are able to move a community. Hopefully, there will be more of such efforts so that both our Malay and Muslim can also move forward in tandem with rest.

Yet another history in the making.

June 2, 2014
Muslim Couple Explore Halal Food and Share Reviews on Blog

Credit: https://www.facebook.com/TheHalalFoodBlog

Adam Shah and wife, Maryah, saw the issue and the duo decided to embark on a journey of Halal food blogging on June 2012. The idea was to stop by any restaurant, cafe or even coffee-shop selling Halal meals and review on their experience for netizens out there.

“The reason we started the blog was actually quite simple. We ate out quite often and were running out of new Halal places to makan but every time we searched online, there was little information for us to go on. Se we thought ‘Why not every time we makan outside, we just blog about it?’ hoping that the information would be useful to someone,” Adam said.

“I think the biggest challenge we faced was when my wife was pregnant with our first child. This meant less opportunities for us to eat out and when we did, my wife’s appetite was a big factor. That and having to manage our time, especially now that we have a daughter, definitely a challenge.

“This is actually just a hobby and we’re glad that it does benefit our readers somehow … We love to eat and we are going to keep doing it for as long as we can,” Maryah quipped.

Read more on them here and here

Source: Vulcanpost and HalalFoodBlog

READ MORE ON HALAL RELATED ARTICLES HERE

May 30, 2014
Workers’ Party: Set Up Committee to Address Malay-Muslim Concerns

SINGAPORE – Mr Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap of the Workers’ Party yesterday called for the formation of a committee to address concerns of Malay-Muslims over how their loyalty to the nation is viewed.

But in a swift rebuttal, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education and Manpower Hawazi Daipi deemed his suggestion unnecessary as this was an issue that could be overcome by strengthening inter-racial ties.

The exchange began with Mr Faisal saying that more needed to be done to “address and find solutions” to community concerns highlighted in a recent report. He quoted the findings of the Suara Musyawarah committee, which said Malay-Muslim participants felt left out in certain policies and practices which “question the loyalty of Malays to the country”.

The committee was formed in 2012 to gather feedback on the thoughts, concerns and aspirations of Malay-Muslims. Its report highlighted personal accounts of employers expressing a preference for non-Malay workers and surfaced concerns over exclusion from certain parts of the Singapore Armed Forces.

Mr Faisal acknowledged that progress has been made in terms of opportunities afforded to Malay-Muslims in education and national service, but said the committee’s formation could offer a “quick solution” to achieving a “more inclusive and open Singapore society”.

Responding to his speech, Mr Hawazi and Mr Zainal Sapari (Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC) later asked Mr Faisal if the latter had ever felt that his loyalty to the country was questioned, and what his own views on the issue were.

“I’m concerned (that) if we highlight the differences, we will be widening (them) not only among one community but all communities,” said Mr Hawazi, adding that schools and community activities are means to forge greater social cohesion.

In response, Mr Faisal stressed that the issue of loyalty among Malays was surfaced by the Suara Musyawarah report, and not him.

Mr Hawazi then suggested that Mr Faisal had cherry-picked portions of the report, failing to highlight, for example, that Malay-Muslim participants also said they were “very committed” to Singapore on issues that include defence and security.

Maintaining that he was reflecting concerns on the ground, Mr Faisal said: “I have said in my view that I am aware and agree there is progress made, but because there are still many people who say that this issue is present, I, as a voice of the people, would like to voice it out.”

Source: The Straits Times

READ MORE ON WORKER’S PARTY RELATED ARTICLES

May 29, 2014