History was made on Monday (April 25) as Saiyidah Aisyah became the first rower from Singapore to qualify for the Olympics.
The 28-year-old booked her ticket to Rio de Janeiro after finishing first in the B Final, and seventh overall, in the women’s 2,000m single sculls event at the Asia and Oceania Continental Olympic Qualification Regatta in Chung-ju, South Korea.
Only the top seven rowers in the event will qualify for the 2016 Olympics, at the sole qualifying event for rowers in the region. These include all six rowers from the A Final – hailing from Kazhastan, Vietnam, Chinese-Taipei, Indonesia, Iran and South Korea – and the winner of the B Final.
Aisyah, who is part of Race to Rio 2016 programme – a scheme started by sports authorities in Singapore to fund athletes who have qualified, or are qualifying for the Olympics and Paralympics Games – timed 7min 53.13secs to win the six-strong B Final field.
She beat 2015 South-east Asian (SEA) Games gold medallist (1,000m lightweight singles sculls) Phuttaraksa Neegree from Thailand who settled for second (7:54.22), and top Qatar rower Tala Aladin Abujbara (7:55.66).
The quest for Aisyah – who made history at the 2013 SEA Games in Myanmar by winning Singapore’s first rowing gold (2,000m lightweight singles sculls) since 1997 – to qualify for the 2016 Olympics has not ben an easy one, but Aisyah displayed sheer determination in overcoming the odds.
What made it more impressive is that Aisyah, double bronze-medallist in the over 1,000m and 500m lightweight singles sculls at the 2015 SEA Games, only made the switch to the 2016 Olympics event in the 2,000m openweight single sculls event last August. She also took to crowd-funding three months ago when she depleted her savings to fund her training expenses.
I was rushing to my car as I was late. So just right after I sat down in my car, I noticed this uncle was walking very slowly while pushing his trolley of cardboards.
Seconds later, this young Malay guy saw and immediately rush over to help push his trolley! He even went back to hold his hand after realizing the uncle couldn’t walk properly! My heart was melted right after what he did!
I was like what the hell am I still sitting here capturing this moment! So I left my car engine on, went over to introduce myself which somehow scared them at first. But after letting them known that I was really inspired by what this young man did and requested to take a picture with them. They were very happy especially the uncle! Thou shocked at the same time
After which I push trolley cross the road,up the stairs to where the uncle wanted, while this guy was holding the uncle’s hand crossing the road and all the way up. I could tell the uncle was deeply grateful and kept thanking us in Hokkien!
This young man went off right after, so I rushed up to him get to know him through my anyhow-hand-language + rojak Melayu. Doesn’t matter, what I want to say is, he’s really got an amazing heart and just acted it out! And he is just 20! Whao…
After bidding goodbye, I went to the washroom and ran into him again. I saw his expression was so full of joy while running back while waving to me…
Love, care & support is boundless. It does not matter whats our age, race or rank. I truly believe we can always make an impact in people’s life if “we want to” and lights up their day! Although I know these are little actions, but everyone is doing the same, little action will lead to BIG action! The world we are in will be much much more beautiful…
If you want to do it, just act it out. There isn’t any right or wrong if it’s coming from your heart.
Thank you for allowing me to learn such a precious lesson…
Two six-year-olds, a girl and a boy, are currently undergoing counseling as a result of an alleged molestation case at a PAP Community Foundation (PCF)-run childcare centre, the pre-school operator said in a statement early Monday morning (April 18).
The incident took place last Tuesday (April 12) at the PCF Sparkletots Child Care Centre at Blk 161 Taman Jurong.
According to PCF’s statement, the girl reported that the boy had touched her inappropriately. The centre’s staff immediately notified their parents.
A Facebook post by the girl’s father claimed that no teacher was present when the alleged incident took place, and that another child in the class had witnessed it.
Last Friday, a video was posted on YouTube showing a confrontation purportedly between the girl’s parents and PCF staff. The mother of the six-year-old girl was heard crying and asking: “Is that right or not? She’s my daughter okay? Of course I will get upset”.
In the video, which has been viewed over 61,000 times, police officers were also seen at the childcare centre trying to defuse the situation.
PCF Chief Executive Officer Victor Bay said the company’s headquarters was informed of the incident on Wednesday (April 13).
He added: “We deeply regret the incident and fully sympathise with the parents in their distress. Our top priority is the well-being of our young children.”
Mr Bay said a child psychologist and teacher have been assigned to engage the girl and look after her well-being.
A psychologist is also counseling the boy, whose parent has agreed not to send him to the centre for the time being. A teacher will also continue to stay in touch with the boy and his parent.
The PCF said it is also liaising with the Ministry of Social and Family Development and the Early Childhood Development Agency on the alleged incident.
“Based on the findings and recommendations of the child psychologists, PCF will take the necessary follow-up action. We will do everything we can to ensure our students’ well-being and to provide a safe and conducive environment for them,” Mr Bay said.
As can be expected, discussions of racism tend to elicit a variety of responses.
It is undeniable that institutional racism exists in Singapura. But we recognise that a lot of those who by virtue of their numerical advantage, do not suffer from racism, will assume that it does not exist.
And some others do not necessarily reject racism, but argue against its discussion.
We receive regular caution and criticism, especially from Chinese Singapurans against discussing racism. Some of them appear to be driven by good faith concern.
While others are simply trying to muzzle any discussion that may question their privilege.
We do not believe that those who promote the system, do so because they intentionally want to discriminate. But they believe in the system.
And for some, they take comfort in believing that their superiority is manifested in the outcome of the system. Because the PAP claims it is meritocratic, then if the Chinese community does better than the others, it is only because the Chinese are genetically or culturally superior.
To then point out how the system privileges them and discriminates against the other races, is to force them to reject an important part of their identity.
Their reactions tend to be from justifying racism to insults.
Such as PAP’s Jaro Gee’s claim that Malays are just looking for handouts
Or PAP’s Maydeline Tan’s association of Muslims and the ban on hijab with terrorism.
These are not isolated responses. Read the mainstream media comment section whenever Malays or Islam are discussed and we can see how much racism exists in Singapura.
Most Malays in Singapura have experienced racism. That many do not speak about it is testemant to the climate of fear whenever we discuss issues about race and religion and for some, the sense of resignation.
Does this mean only the Chinese are racist?
No it does not. There are racist Malays, Indians, Eurasians too. The difference between a racist non-Chinese and a racist Chinese is that the non-Chinese are not institutionally privileged.
And they do not create systems that perpetuate the racism.
Given that the political elites are Chinese, racism from among the Chinese community (which appears to be over represented among PAP members) become systemic and institutional.
Does this mean the Chinese in Singapura are necessarily and naturally racist?
Not at all. We know a lot of Chinese Singapurans who not only reject racism, but advocate against it.
There are some who are worried that discussions about racism may cause fractures in society. We recognise their concern.
Some of them try to understand and promote accomodation and respect.
And of course, there are also Malays who justify racism against their own community.
It is thus important to recognise that the problem is not the individuals.
It is not the Jaro Gee or Maydeline Tan who display their racism.
Or the Hawazi Daipi who justify it.
Our focus should be on the system that not only privileges one race over the others, but promote and justifies racism.
We believe most of the Chinese in Singapura, just like the Malays, Indians, Armenians, Jews, Sikhs, are good.
A lot of those who promote or justify racism do so because it affects their identity. Hawazi Daipi justify it out of his responsibility and loyalty to the PAP.
The same with Jaro Gee and Maydeline Tan.
To overcome racism, we need to keep the conversation going.
And remember that the problem is not the Ah Hui or the Ah Hiang that live next door or across the island.
It is the system that the elites have set up to privilege themselves and their community.
