Rilek1Corner

Tag: Malays

  • Dr Yacob Ibrahim: Quality Of Life Of Singaporean Malays Have Improved

    Dr Yacob Ibrahim: Quality Of Life Of Singaporean Malays Have Improved

    SINGAPORE: The quality of life for the Malay-Muslim community in Singapore has “improved tremendously” compared to 50 years ago, Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Dr Yaacob Ibrahim said on Friday (Jun 26).

    “Malays are now homeowners, we have a better educated population, wealth has been increasing in the Malay-Muslim community and we collected more ‘zakat’ last year compared to previous years,” he said to reporters at a Mendaki house visit.

    “By and large, the state of affairs of the Malay-Muslim community here is quite good.”

    Dr Yaacob, who is also the Minister of Communications and Information, was responding to comments made by former Malaysian law minister Zaid Ibrahim in his blog.

    On Wednesday, Mr Zaid wrote that he couldn’t “wait for Malays (in Malaysia) to be like Singaporean Malays”, saying that the latter enjoyed a “clean and transparent system of government and a good and fair housing policy, on top of reaping the benefits of the modern advanced economy that is Singapore”.

    Mr Zaid said he meant for the post to clarify a tweet he had posted earlier, responding to former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad’s criticism of current PM Najib Razak.

    “I think the most important thing for me as a member of the Malay-Muslim community is to be thankful for what we have in Singapore,” Dr Yaacob said.

    While the community does have its challenges, the important thing is to figure out how to go forward, he added.

    “We need to preserve what we have and maintain the standards that we have lived by to ensure that the succeeding generations can also enjoy a higher quality of life, for themselves and for their children,” he said, citing values such as meritocracy and the absence of corruption.

     

    Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

  • We Are Malay-Muslims, We Are Entitled

    We Are Malay-Muslims, We Are Entitled

    So you are fasting. The sun is bearing down on you, your stomach is growling and your throat is parched. It is only 12.30 in the afternoon; you still have hours to go before you may break your fast. All of a sudden, a non-Muslim person appears before you, enjoying an icy cold can of your favourite cola. He looks like he is savouring the cola. You could imagine the sensation of that very same cola filling your throat with diabetes-inducing caffeine goodness. So you flare up. How dare this person drink in front of you? Does he have no respect for the holy month of Ramadhan, to be wantonly quenching his thirst in full view of Muslims? Does he not know that Muslims form the majority of this country and therefore must be respected?

    This is the basic premise prevalent amongst many Malay-Muslims in this country. Muslims form the majority and therefore they are entitled to be respected. Malay-Muslim sensitivities must not be offended; the Malay-Muslim public must be protected from harm, confusion and many other bad and insidious things that may threaten the ummah. In recent times, these deep rooted sentiments are brought to the fore by opportunistic politicians. Thus it appeared as if Malay-Muslims have become more and more intolerant of minorities.

    Malay-Muslims are entitled not to have a Hindu temple in the vicinity of their housing estate. Malay-Muslims are entitled to dictate what names others may use to invoke the Creator. Malay-Muslims are entitled to stop the sale of alcohol beverages and deny the establishment of a cinema in Malay majority areas.

    Every Friday, Malay-Muslims are entitled to abandon their civic consciousness and park all over the place as if the streets belong to them. Malays-Muslims are entitled to blare religiousceramahs to every corner of the neighbourhood and into the wee hours of the night.

    The prime minister must be Malay-Muslim, the civil service must be filled with Malay-Muslims and government bodies are seen as Malay institutions, tasked first and foremost to safeguard Malay and Muslim interests.

    This premise of entitlement has also been used to justify the persecution and discrimination against sexual and religious minorities, purportedly because Article 3 provides that Islam is the religion of the Federation. So we say that LBGTs do not enjoy protection of the Constitution because their sexual orientations are against Islam, although we conveniently forget that other things, like gambling, are also forbidden in Islam but are still legal in this country. Books are seized and banned and fatwas are made absolute. In a recent decision, the Federal Court went so far to say that the integrity of the religion needs to be safeguarded at all costs. Does ‘at all costs’ include the supremacy of the Federal Constitution as the highest law of the land?

    Make no mistake, this is not about Islam. It is about how we justify the discrimination, persecution and blatant disregard for fundamental liberties, all in the name of religion. It is how we view and treat others as inferior to us because we believe that we are entitled to do so. We permit transgressions because we labour under this presumption that Malay-Muslims, by virtue of being Malays and Muslims, are entitled to the best of the country as they occupy a higher standing than the rest of the rakyat out there.

    There is no legal or constitutional basis for this. Article 3 does not make Malaysia an Islamic state and Article 4 expressly provides that the Federal Constitution is the supreme law of the land.  Article 8 provides that every citizen is equal before the law and enjoys equal protection of the law. The oft quoted Article 153 does not make Malay-Muslims superior in law or fact, it only provides for the reservation of quotas for Malays and natives of Sabah and Sarawak in certain matters.

    So what if Muslims are the majority? We have such a flawed understanding of democracy; as if in a democracy, the rights of minorities are inferior to the rights of the majority. That is why we have a Constitution, which protects and guarantees the fundamental liberties of citizens from the tyranny of the majority.

    We find ourselves up in arms at the fate of Muslims minorities in other countries like Thailand, Philippines, Myanmar and China.  We invoke freedom of religion when we hear of minarets being banned in Switzerland or burqas being banned in France. But if the rights of Muslim minorities should be protected in the face of the majority, why is it that we do not have the same vigour to protect the rights our non-Muslim minorities? Why must the rights of others here only be exercised if we deem those rights as exercisable?

    So before you take offence at someone who is drinking in front of you while you are fasting, take a step back and think of your religion. Put aside your sense of entitlement and think; just because you are fasting, does it mean that everyone else around you must stow away their food and drinks?

    Remember what Islam has instilled in you, not what Muslims have told you.

     

    Source: http://www.loyarburok.com

  • To My Dear Fellow Singaporean Chinese: Shut Up When A Minority Is Talking About Race

    To My Dear Fellow Singaporean Chinese: Shut Up When A Minority Is Talking About Race

    People of Chinese descent make up 70% of the population of Singapore. Singapore Chinese, as they are termed, enjoy systemic, racialized and institutional privilege in the country as opposed to the countries’ minorities (primarily racialized as Indian and Malay).

    “Chinese privilege”, as Sangeetha Thanapal has named it, functions very similarly to white privilege in the United States and Europe. To use Peggy McClintock’s notion of white privilege and the invisible knapsack, Chinese privilege functions like an “invisible package of unearned assets which I can count on cashing in each day, but about which I was ‘meant’ to remain oblivious. [Chinese] privilege is like an invisible weightless backpack of special provisions, maps, passports, codebooks, visas, clothes, tools and blank checks.” As a Singapore Chinese person, when I am in Singapore, I never need to think twice about whether my race/ethnicity is represented on mainstream media, whether my languages are spoken, whether my religions are allowed to exist, whether I can catch a taxi. All these things are little aspects of Chinese privilege which is very similar to how white privilege functions. You can find out more about the concept of white privilege here.

    Despite Chinese privilege in Singapore being very real, there is little or no recognition of this concept within the national public sphere and discussions of race. Attempts by minorities such as Thanapal to name this privilege often receive hostile attack from Singapore Chinese, who employ defensive mechanisms similar to deniers of white privilege—to name privilege is divisive, to name privilege is not a solution, to name privilege is rude, to name privilege is racist. In a stroke of unfunny irony, what happens then is that minorities who call out Chinese racism are then termed racist by their aggressors.

    This is very sad because Singapore Chinese themselves often complain how they are victims of racism themselves, particularly when they visit Western countries. They complain about being complimented on their command of English (don’t these people know we were colonized by the English?!), complain about being treated as second-class citizens while abroad. However, they are in complete denial of how they take on the very role of what they claim to be victim of at home. In other words, they complain about racist treatment while overseas while being racist towards minorities in Singapore.

    So if you are a Singapore Chinese person—and I am a Singapore Chinese person myself—if someone who is not white or not Chinese starts talking about race, you should really think about doing the following things.

    1. Shut up and listen. Because of your privilege, the speaker will be saying a lot of things that are foreign to your experience. But that you don’t think they are “true” doesn’t mean that they are untrue, it’s rather than your privilege shields you from seeing these things.

    2. Stop asking them to justify their thoughts and for facts, statistics, data, argument. It’s not the job of marginalized people to educate you.Undertake your own education.

    3. Your point of view is not important. If someone is speaking about race in Singapore who is neither white nor Chinese, their stories are not told as frequently as yours. So stop making their narratives about you and what you think. This is not your party.

    4. It’s also not up for you to decide whether the person speaking is “right” or “wrong.” That you think your opinion is important is already indicative of how much privilege you have, and how ignorant you are of it.

    5. Because you experience racism yourself in other locations, this should not inure you to your own racism at home, but rather, encourage you to have more *empathy* for those who are more marginalized than you are.

    6. EDITED TO ADD. If you want to help, next time someone asks you for a perspective on race, ask a minority who studies racial dynamics. That means asking people like Thanapal to speak rather than a Singapore Chinese like me.

    If you feel like you disagree with this article and are Singapore Chinese,please read this. And finally, if you are interested to find out more about why I think the way I do, please read: “White in One Space, Yellow in Another: Being Singaporean Chinese.”

    Source: https://medium.com

  • Why A Devout Catholic Is Fasting During Ramadan

    Why A Devout Catholic Is Fasting During Ramadan

    As the executive director of Interfaith Worker Justice, a national organization that builds power with workers through faith-rooted organizing and advocacy, my faith and values are what ground me and call me to do this work. I’m Catholic and feel deeply connected to my faith, which has been a constant presence in my life, and is the core to who I am.

    I know that the joy, hope and love I feel within my faith is no different from the joy, hope and love others experience within their own faith tradition. I feel this way because we share a set of common core values, such as respect, dignity, dedication, sacrifice and love.

    It is because of these shared values that I’ve decided to join my Muslim friends as they fast from sunup to sundown during this holy month of Ramadan. I also join them in embracing the blessings one receives during such an important time of fasting, charity, prayer and introspection.

    Fasting during Ramadan is not just about fasting from food but also from the things that can take us away from being our best selves, such as gossip, insults, lies, negativity & disrespect for others. Ramadan helps us look inward by challenging and encouraging us to be better people, by being more conscious and aware of our place in the world and how we relate to those around us.

    In my Catholic tradition I have fasted many times and have seen the benefits of choosing to go without in order to focus on what’s inside. Fasting helps make space for other things to come into greater focus, such as a deeper connection with those less fortunate, a greater emphasis on my relationship with God and being more disciplined about the choices I make.

    Similarly, fasting during Ramadan is as much about filling ourselves with prayer, empathy and love as it is about fasting from the things that separate us from our true nature. It is through Ramadan’s intentional sacrifice of food that we are fed an abundant spiritual buffet.

    Ramadan also gives us an opportunity to be more charitable to others. But it’s more than just about giving alms to the poor — it’s about broadening our awareness and understanding of the systems that make and keep them poor. More importantly, it is about deepening our connection with those less fortunate.

    We practice real empathy and compassion by reaching out and seeking to understand why people struggle, and acting on it. “Why are they hungry?” “Why are they homeless?” By asking these questions we also challenge ourselves to think of what we can do: “How can I do the most good for the most people?” “How do I impact the real problem and make ongoing change happen?”

    Fasting and Prayer

    As someone once told me; “Fasting without prayer is just going hungry.” How true! Many Muslims pray fives times a day, and especially during Ramadan. Prayer feeds the soul and helps sustain the meaning behind the fast.

    Several years ago, I was walking through the Minneapolis airport and saw a young airport worker go into a corner and pull out a small rug to pray. He wasn’t trying to draw attention to himself, but he caught my eye anyway. I was moved by his act of devotion, discipline and love. I then asked myself, “Why don’t I do that?” “Is my faith enough of a priority that I go out of my way to pray to make room for it?” Inspired by the young Muslim man’s public display of faith and prayer, I began to pray the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy at 3 p.m everyday, regardless of where I was. Now I also include my morning prayers, Rosary and evening prayers each day. The young man’s powerful example has inspired and challenged me to deepen my own faith and be a better Catholic.

    It is through sharing experiences and practices that we discover we have more in common than we have differences. One of the many values that we have in common is a shared sense of respect for workers and the value of the work they produce. Across faith traditions, the teachings are clear: respect workers and treat them fairly, as we would want to be treated, or even better. Kind of sounds like a golden rule doesn’t it? For good reason, as we all do better when we all do better.

    So as I begin Ramadan in honor of the values that it represents, I am filled with humility and gratitude for this blessed opportunity to deepen my relationship with God and those around me. It will give me chance to turn down the noise and focus on what’s most important in my life and once again, help me to be a better Catholic.

     

    Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

  • SAF Finally Accepts Malay Muslim Soldiers Into Armour Formation

    SAF Finally Accepts Malay Muslim Soldiers Into Armour Formation

    Dear editor

    I came across a series of photos posted by The Singapore Army Facebook page and I am glad to see a Malay soldier PTE Mohammad Jumadi who was awarded the best matador gunner in 42 Singapore Armoured Regiment (42SAR).

    Finally, our Malay brothers are accepted in the Armour formation.

    For the uninitiated, the Singapore Armour formation do not have Malay soldiers since its inception in 1968 for unspoken reasons. The formation uses armoured vehicles such as tanks and armoured carriers to spearhead advance movements and hold key objectives during times of war. From what I heard from my enciks, there were discomfort in the region after the AMX-13 tanks were first revealed during National Day Parade in 1969 but it was a source of pride among Singaporeans and assuring for those who chose to stay in the young nation. Our leaders then don’t have a choice, Singapore was a punching bag and her survival was at stake.

    But Singapore is turning 50 this year and she was built on the foundation of mutual trust, respect and harmony among difference races. Singaporeans are highly educated, well-travelled and most are able to understand Singapore’s stability doesn’t come easy. With social media, Singaporeans could see the mistrust among different races in first world liberal nations where white cops held bias against non-whites.

    I cannot deny there was mistrust towards Malays in the very early years of the SAF. It is impossible for me to understand the sense of injustice, discrimination and prejudice my Malay friends felt when they realized they were barred from certain “more sensitive” roles in the armed forces. I am a minority so sometimes I do feel some discrimination in the society but I never felt discriminated in the SAF because I’ve seen Indian Colonels and Sikh BGs around.

    Except for the very tiny segment of the Malay community (Thank to the misguided JI, ISIS and terrorism sympathizers), I am 100% certain our Malay Singaporeans are loyal to Singapore and they will put the country above blood ties, religious ties and fight to their death to defend the country like any Singaporeans would.

    Sanjay A

    Source: www.allsingaporestuff.com