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Tag: Malays

  • Most Singaporeans Want Someone Of Same Race As Prime Minister, President: CNA-IPS Survey

    Most Singaporeans Want Someone Of Same Race As Prime Minister, President: CNA-IPS Survey

    If given a choice, most Singaporeans prefer someone of the same race as the nation’s Prime Minister or President.

    This was one of the findings in a nationwide survey of 2,000 citizens and permanent residents on their views on relations between the country’s four major races. The survey was commissioned by Channel NewsAsia in partnership with the Institute of Policy Studies, and was one of the largest of its kind.

    The survey, conducted between June and July this year, was done through a random sampling of dwelling types. Malay and Indian respondents were oversampled to ensure sufficient minority representation. Selected households completed a survey questionnaire then returned it to a surveyor at a stipulated time, to reduce the possibility of interviewer bias.

    The results were then statistically weighted to ensure that the final sample resembled the national population in terms of racial composition, dwelling type and gender.

    According to the survey, the vast majority of Chinese respondents – 98 per cent – would accept a Singaporean Chinese as Prime Minister, while 96 per cent preferred a Singaporean Chinese as President.

    Malay respondents also overwhelmingly wanted a Singaporean Malay to be Prime Minister or President. A total of 93 per cent of Malays surveyed said they preferred a Singaporean Malay to be Prime Minister, while 94 per cent would accept a Malay as President.

    Among Indian respondents, 89 per cent would accept a Singaporean Indian as Prime Minister and 92 per cent said the same for the role of the President.

    The majority of respondents of all races were agreeable to a Singaporean Chinese in both positions, with more than 80 per cent of Malays, Indians and Others saying they would accept a Singaporean Chinese as Prime Minister and as President.

    A smaller number of respondents said they would accept a minority race in the positions – around 60 per cent of Chinese, 75 per cent of Malays and around 68 per cent of Others said yes to a Singaporean Indian Prime Minister or President. When it came to a Singaporean Malay Prime Minister or President, just over half of Chinese, around 70 per cent of Indians and about 80 per cent of Others said yes.

    The older a respondent, the less likely he or she would accept someone of a different race to hold the nation’s highest positions, the survey found.

    Among Chinese respondents who were below 30 years old, more than 60 per cent would accept a Singaporean Malay as Prime Minister or President, while more than 70 per cent would accept a Singaporean Indian.

    Among those over 60 years old, about 40 to 42 per cent would accept a Singaporean Malay, while between 45 and 50 per cent would accept a Singaporean Indian in the two positions.

    Source: ChannelNewsAsia

  • Penggiat Seni Zai Kuning Dipilih Wakili Singapura Di Venice Biennale

    Penggiat Seni Zai Kuning Dipilih Wakili Singapura Di Venice Biennale

    Penggiat seni pelbagai disiplin, Zai Kuning serta kurator dan sejarawan seni, June Yap dipilih oleh Majlis Seni Kebangsaan (NAC) bagi mewakili Singapura di pameran Venice Biennale, pada tahun depan.

    Hasil kerja seni dipanggil “Dapunta Hyang”, nama Maharaja pertama kerajaan Srivijaya yang berkuasa di Asia Tenggara pada kurun ketujuh.

    Struktur itu diperbuat daripada rotan dan benang disaluti lilin.

    Ia merupakan sebahagian hasil kerja awal Zai dan memberi sedikit gambaran mengenai kerja seni yang bakal dipamerkan di Venice Biennale.

    Ruang itulah di mana Zai dan June akan menghabiskan masa enam bulan selanjutnya bagi mempersiapkan kerja seni itu sebelum ia dipindahkan ke Venice.

    Berbekalkan lebih 20 tahun penyelidikan tentang budaya, sejarah dan bahasa Melayu di Asia Tenggara, Zai berharap para pengunjung asing akan melihat Singapura dan rantau ini dengan perspektif berbeza.

    “Kalau kita cakap Melayu, mereka cakap Malaysia. Tetapi, Melayu lebih lebar, lebih besar daripada itu. Melayu daripada Sumatera, Melayu daripada Filipina, Melayu daripada Thailand, Melayu itu lebih luas daripada apa yang orang tahu tentang dunia Melayu,” kata Zai.

    Source: Berita MediaCorp

  • Mohamad Jonit Adnan Dituduh Bunuh Bekas Isteri Di Yishun Ring Road

    Mohamad Jonit Adnan Dituduh Bunuh Bekas Isteri Di Yishun Ring Road

    Seorang lelaki berusia 37 tahun didakwa dengan tuduhan membunuh pada Isnin (15 Ogos), setelah seorang mangsa berusia 29 tahun meninggal dunia di hospital semalam (14 Ogos).

    Mohamad Jonit Adnan didakwa membunuh Sri Idayu Ghazali di sebuah flat di tingkat tiga Blok 342B Yishun Ring Road pada Sabtu (13 Ogos) sekitar pukul 9.00 malam.

    Mediacorp difahamkan, pasangan itu sedang dalam proses untuk bercerai.

    Cik Sri Idayu dijumpai cedera di rumah tersebut dan dikejarkan ke Hospital Khoo Teck Puat, menurut polis.

    Bagaimanapun, beliau meninggal dunia beberapa jam kemudian sekitar pukul 4.30 pagi semalam.

    Mediacorp juga difahamkan, saudara perempuan Cik Sri Idayu, yang juga merupakan jiran sebelah rumah beliau, menghubungi ambulans dan polis.

    Di mahkamah pagi tadi, Jonit tidak menunjukkan sebarang emosi apabila pertuduhan terhadapnya dibacakan.

    Pendakwa raya polis meminta supaya dia ditahan reman untuk membantu siasatan.

    Kes Jonit akan dibicarakan lagi pada 22 Ogos.

    Jika sabit kesalahan, Jonit boleh dijatuhi hukuman mati.

    Source: Berita MediaCorp

  • 5 Things To Know About Badang, Our Rediscovered Singapore Hero

    5 Things To Know About Badang, Our Rediscovered Singapore Hero

    Move over Sang Nila Utama – here comes Badang.

    Badang who?

    That was on the lips of many puzzled spectators and TV audience after they saw the dazzling portrayal of a local legendary folk hero played by actor Rizman Putra Ahmad Ali at the National Day Parade on Aug 9.

    It was the first time that they learned about Singapore’s version of Hercules and the huge rock that he reportedly tossed into the mouth of the Singapore River eons ago, according to Malay folklore.

    Bringing the worlds of myth and reality together is a stone fragment called the Singapore Stone that has been on display at the National Museum of Singapore after it was declared a historic relic.

    Apparently, the fragment came from a larger rock which once stood at the Fullerton Hotel site. It was blasted into bits by one ignorant British engineer in the 19th century, who ordered workers to use the debris to pave a trail to Fort Canning Hill.

    The depiction of the Badang story at Singapore’s 51st birthday celebrations saw the National Stadium crowd howl in approval as Rizman smashed through a huge ‘rock’ while soaring through the air.

    Culled mostly from folktales and history records, here are 5 things to help you reacquaint with our rediscovered local hero:

    1) Who is Badang?

    Badang was a poor fisherman who lived on the banks of the Sungai Singapura (Singapore River). Thin, weak and hunchbacked, he dreamed of becoming a strongman.

    He reportedly had royal blood, having descended from a Bugis prince who married a woman from a Malay tribe in Bintan. His father also had the blood of a Chinese prince from the Ming Dynasty who married a woman also from the same Bintan tribe, according to one legend.

    Badang later became the army chief under the then-Sultan of Johor and created a lineage of army chiefs. One of his descendants was Hang Mahmud, the father of legendary hero Hang Tuah, whose cousins and children also became great warriors of Johor and Malacca.

    2) How did Badang get his superhuman strength?

    Badang was furious with a water jinn (spirit) for eating the fish that he had caught in his trap. He managed to seize the spirit who offered to grant him any power if he set him free and on the condition that he eat whatever the water jinn threw up.

    Badang agreed and asked that he be given superhuman powers and abilities. True to the jinn’s words, Badang was able to uproot a tree effortlessly after consuming his vomit.

    From then on he used his new-found might to help fellow villagers and was later made a court warrior by the sultan, who also ruled Singapore.

    3) How did he become so famous?

    The amazing feats of Badang spread by word-of-mouth, and reached the royal palace. After he was appointed a court warrior, his fame went as far as India.

    A ruler of India sent the kingdom’s strongest man, Wadi Bijaya, to Singapore for a showdown with Badang.

    Wadi Bijaya set sail with seven ships filled with valuable prizes for the winner. Should he win, the Singapore ruler would have to award him with seven ships with the same valuables.

    Badang emerged victorious in all the matches, the last of which comprised a rock-throwing contest.

    While Wadi Bijaya could only lift the enormous rock up to knee-level, Badang was not only able to hoist it above his head, he also flung it into the mouth of Singapore River.

    After he died, Badang was believed to be buried at the same area where the rock he threw landed.

    4) Badang and the Singapore Stone

    In June 1819, news on the discovery of an old rock, fabled to have been the one hurled by Badang at the mouth of the Singapore River, set the island abuzz.

    Employed by Captain Flint, Bengal workers who found the rock were terrified by the inscriptions on it.

    The islanders and British founder of Singapore, Sir Stamford Raffles, all failed to decipher the script, believed to be an indecipherable Tamil dialect.

    As the enormous rock was seen as a danger to passing ships, it was blasted in 1843 when the colonial government built a sea wall round Fort Fullerton.

    A fragment of the stone, called the Singapore Stone, is now showcased in the National Museum of Singapore. A few other fragments were sent to Calcutta.

    Ancient inscriptions on the rock probably highlighted Badang’s achievements and supernatural power.

    5) Film highlights the legend of Badang

    The awe-inspiring story of Badang was turned into a Malay movie by Cathay Kris Productions in 1962. Playing the role was comedian-singer Wahid Satay (above).

    The movie is available on YouTube while a spoof version was created by polytechnic students a few years ago.

    The National Day re-enactment by Rizman Putra Ahmad Ali saw him flying over an army of enemies – 600 warriors brandishing bamboo poles, shields and fire torches in battle scenes.

    The segment was shown during a recap of Singapore’s colourful history. Now, many Singaporeans know that they have a heroic abang called Badang.

     

    Source: AsiaOne

  • Malaysian Fireman Responds To Car Crash, Finds Own Family Dead In Car Accident

    Malaysian Fireman Responds To Car Crash, Finds Own Family Dead In Car Accident

    A Malaysian auxiliary fireman was shocked to find out that the dead accident victims he was helping to remove from a wrecked car were his father, twin brother and two relatives.

    Azlan Mustapha almost collapsed at the scene when he checked the identification card and discovered the horrific truth, and had to be consoled by his colleagues.

    The four were killed in a freak accident after a three-tonne lorry went out of control and rammed their car in Tepoh in Terengganu on Thursday.

    They were identified as Mustapha Abdullah, 56, his 32-year-old son Azman Mustapha, and two relatives, Mohd Sabri Ngah, 48, and Alif Ibrahim, 26.

    State Fire and Rescue Department operations management chief Zulkhairul Mohamed Razilah said the 12.40am accident took place when a lorry rammed the car, which was going in the opposite direction.

    “The Fire and Rescue Department, together with some volunteer firemen, took some 30 minutes to extricate the deceased from the wrecked Proton Saga.

    “The victims were all pronounced dead at the scene by the paramedics,” he said.

    Zulkhairul said the lorry driver escaped without any injuries but had been detained at the Kuala Terengganu district police headquarters to assist in investigations.

    Speaking to reporters at the Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital in Kuala Terengganu, Azlan said that he was still in shock and disbelief.

    “I never even thought that such a day would come. My father, twin brother and our relatives often go out for supper and they were returning from supper when the tragedy happened,” he said.

     

    Source: The Straits Times