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Tag: masagos zulkifli

  • Call To Preserve Unique Singapore Malay Culture

    Call To Preserve Unique Singapore Malay Culture

    Malays in Singapore have their own special version of Malay culture, which melds with the country’s multiracial setting, and the community must put in greater effort to grow and preserve this unique culture, said Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli.

    He made this call yesterday as he announced new plans for Malay grassroots groups under the People’s Association to focus on building stronger bonds within the community, and between the community and other races.

    Speaking at a dinner celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Malay Activity Executive Committees (MAECs), Mr Masagos said the local Malay identity provides a “bulwark against the threat of incoming doctrines which are… very inimical to our multiracial society”.

    He noted in a speech that external influences have threatened to erode this culture, adding that some local traditions have come under attack by extremists.

    He pointed to how they have labelled the Malay wedding practice of persandingan, where newlyweds sit together on a dais, as having Hindu influences. Some have also claimed that the Arab way of dressing is “more superior” to the local Baju Melayu.

    “Extremists know they must first supplant our confidence in our identity, both in our religious practice and culture, before they can replace it with one of their own,” he said.

    He urged people to guard against such insidious influences, saying that failing to do so could result in the erosion of Malay culture and the rejection of local teachings of Islam that embrace harmony.

    He added that Malay Singaporeans should be confident of their cultural and religious practices.

    The 97 MAECs and their coordinating body, the Malay Activity Executive Committees Council – known by its acronym Mesra – can also help to guard against this threat of radicalism and exclusivism, he said, by helping to foster a sense of cohesion among the different races. Mr Masagos is adviser to Mesra.

    The committees, which were formed as Malay cultural groups in 1997, will expand their focus to “get people out into common spaces, where people across all walks of life have the opportunity to interact and get to know one another”, Mr Masagos said to about 900 MAEC members and community partners.

    As part of this effort, Mesra will also be managing programmes in the upcoming Wisma Geylang Serai, a new five-storey civic centre in Paya Lebar slated to open next year, which will be a hub for Malay heritage.

    Senior Minister of State for Defence and Foreign Affairs Maliki Osman, who will lead the initiative, said the centre will host the annual Hari Raya Bazaar and Hari Raya light-up, and also work with the National Arts Council to bring in cultural groups, among other things.

    He added that he hoped the new hub will help preserve and grow the Malay culture and become a space where people of all communities will “gravitate” to learn about Malay heritage.

    Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who also delivered a speech in Malay at the dinner, welcomed the plan by the Malay-Muslim community to “work more closely with all communities to build a more secure, cohesive multiracial and multi-religious Singapore”.

    He added that all communities here can see the significant steps the Malay-Muslim community has taken to counter exclusivism, extremism and radical teachings.

    “I am glad that other communities in Singapore have expressed their support and solidarity with our Malay-Muslim community… All communities have to reach out, strengthen understanding and build trust,” he said.

    Yesterday, eight MAEC members were given awards for their contributions to the community.

     

    Source: http://www.straitstimes.com

     

  • Keunikan Bazar Raya Tampines Kali Ini

    Keunikan Bazar Raya Tampines Kali Ini

    Portal BERITAMediacorp sejak seminggu lalu menjalankan undian atau tinjauan rambang tentang 5 Bazar Hari Raya utama dengan bertanyakan kepada orang ramai, bazar mana yang paling menarik tahun ini.

    Ternyata daripada 4,300 undian sejauh ini, Bazar Raya Tampines sedang mendahului di tempat pertama sebagai yang paling menarik, dengan mendapat sekitar 2,200 undi atau 50% pengundi.

    Maknanya, separuh pengundi memilih Bazar Raya Tampines.

    Menurut AP GRC Tampines Masagos Zulkifli sudah lama GRC itu mengadakan bazar namun ini adalah kali pertama ia diadakan di OTH.

    “Kita ada gerai-gerai kekitaan di mana kita cuba menyampaikan bantuan kepada mereka yang memerlukan,” ujar beliau.

     

     

    Source: http://berita.mediacorp.sg

  • Koh Eng Khoon – A Man Undeterred

    Koh Eng Khoon – A Man Undeterred

    While the police raid on Mr Koh Eng Khoon’s one-room rental flat on 29 April leaves some questions to be answered, Mr Koh himself is unperturbed, as he told The Independent (TISG).

    The police action came after letters were sent to the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister, with hell notes attached, expressing disappointment with the upcoming closure of the Sungei Road flea market.

    The letters had been signed off with Mr Koh’s name.

    “Don’t forget the 200 people and supporters. We only ask for this place. That’s not much,” wrote the letter which was signed off by “Koh Eng Khoon (Friend)”.

    The raid, which reportedly took place around midnight, caught Mr Koh by surprise. When asked by the police if he had sent the letters, Mr Koh denied having done so. He has also since made a police report about the use of his name.

    “The police took photos, searched my things and opened my cupboards,” he told the media. “They asked if I knew how to write in English but I don’t. I didn’t even know about the existence of such a letter.”

    Mr Koh, who heads the Association for the Recycling of Second Hand Goods, said he is “not  at all” deterred by the incident.

    “I am doing the right thing,” he told TISG. “I am speaking for the voices of 200 old people. Nobody would speak out if I am intimidated. As long as there is room for further negotiations, I would not call it quits.”

    He said that the process of trying to engage the authorities has been a bitter and hopeless one for him. He is disappointed that during the planning process for Sungei Road, for example, the 200 vendors’ views were never sought. He has, to date, sent many letters to the authorities, including to PM Lee, the NEA and other ministers, only to be met with silence, he said.

    Mr Koh, 76, along with some friends and supporters, has been campaigning for an alternative site from the government for the vendors to continue their trade. His effort so far, however, has been met with rejection from the authorities.

    “The government is suggesting that we go through further education,” Mr Koh said. “How is that even possible for uneducated old people? I feel cheated by their proposed solutions. We have worked for employers enough. It’s time to work for our interests within our limited capability and resources.”

    Mr Koh tells TISG that his Member of Parliament, Tin Pei Ling, had paid him a visit and offered him help with his necessities. Mr Koh said he declined the offer as he does not require such help.

    The authorities, including the NEA and the Ministry of Social Development and Family, have also extended assistance to the stall owners in Sungei Road, including offering to help them obtain hawker stalls.

    Out of those who play their trade at the flea market, however, only 5 have taken up hawker stalls, Mr Koh said.

    He explained that setting up and running a hawker stall is not cheap, and that they would not be selling secondhand goods if they could afford the rents of hawker stalls.

    The Sungei Road flea market, on the other hand, is a rent-free place to cater to the elderly who even have difficulty to finance their household utilities bills.

    Supporters have taken to petition campaigns to try and change the fate of the flea market, but it is unlikely to move the authorities’ position on the matter.

    As for the letters sent to the PM and the DPM, the police have arrested two persons suspected to be involved in the incident.

    Some have questioned the police action against Mr Koh, and asked if it was appropriate for the authorities to raid his home and seize his handphone simply based, apparently, on a letter with his name on it.

    The police visit, Mr Koh said, had startled his wife, who had been sleeping in the room.

    Since there was apparently no evidence to link Mr Koh to the letters, could the police have instead requested that he went down to the police station the next day to help with investigations, instead of raiding his home at midnight?

    Was there a need to pay him a visit so late in the night, especially considering that Mr Koh and his wife are both senior citizens?

    Could anyone be put through the same situation if his or her name was used by others for nefarious purposes?

    Mr Koh, when asked if he is upset that his name was used in such a way, said he is not.

    “In a way, I am glad because it brought publicity to the issue we have been campaigning on,” he said. “Until this incident, not much publicity was given to our cause.”

     

    Source: www.theindependent.sg

  • CAN Warns PAP Government To Stop Intimidating Sungei Road Vendors

    CAN Warns PAP Government To Stop Intimidating Sungei Road Vendors

    We are deeply concerned about the ongoing police investigation into a “threatening” letter allegedly written by the Chairman of the Association for the Recycling of Second Hand Goods at Sungei Road flea market, Mr Koh Eng Khoon. According to media reports, the letter in question was sent to Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, and signed “Koh Eng Khoon (Friend)”. Police visited Mr Koh at his one room flat at around midnight on 28 April. They did not produce a warrant, but officers ransacked the apartment, took photos of Mr Koh, and confiscated his mobile phone as part of the investigation. The visit ended only at approximately one in the morning.

    While we understand that all complaints from the public should be investigated, we question whether it was necessary to carry it out in such an intimidating, aggressive, and intrusive manner. This kind of action intensifies a climate of fear that deters frank discussion of public interest issues, and curbs citizens’ participation in matters which the government is not comfortable with.

    The National Environment Agency (NEA) announced plans to close Sungei Road Market in 2014. The Association for the Recycling of Second Hand Goods was formed for the purpose of persuading the government to allow the 80-year-old market to continue by letting the vendors operate in an alternative location. However, in February this year, government agencies announced that the market will close on 11 July. Since then, Mr Koh, the vendors and members of the public have escalated their efforts in urging the government to reconsider.

    Is the government harassing Mr Koh to intimidate others – especially the Sungei Road street vendors – from campaigning to save their livelihoods and culture? We call upon the state to ensure the immediate return of all confiscated property to Koh and to stop using intimidating investigative tactics on ordinary citizens.

    Community Action Network, Singapore

    Source: www.allsingaporestuff.com

     

  • Ahmad Osman: Calvin Cheng Not Fit To Comment On Tudung Issue

    Ahmad Osman: Calvin Cheng Not Fit To Comment On Tudung Issue

    I have refrained myself from commenting on this issue, but I can’t let it continue after coming across this particular post by NMP Calvin Cheng.

    Before I begin I would like to apologize to any parties which may feel offended by my post, and to all Muslim ladies who might just have had enough mansplaining on this entire tudung issue, but at the same time, I am not here to please everyone but simply to right what I feel is wrong.

    This individual right here started off on the wrong foot, talking about the history of politics in Singapore and comparing it to Malaysia for no reason whatsoever. The reality is that the issue we are facing is unique to our own country, and there should never have been any reason to compare our political system with that of our neighbours. And that too, was flawed. You might be well versed in the political history of Singapore, but please keep your mouth shut on the history of politics of other countries, for it seems like you are just taking advantage of this situation to paint our neighbours in a negative light. Silence would then be your best bet for things you obviously have no clue in.

    If the GRC system was supposedly set up to ensure minority representation, why is it that Mr Cheng here is repeatedly against minority MPs championing minority causes? Doesn’t that go totally against the intent of the GRC that he so clearly stated? So if a Malay MP is not allowed to question the parliament regarding the tudung issue, would it be more acceptable for lets say, a Chinese MP to bring up the same issue?

    Mind you, Mr Cheng, this isn’t the first time that Malay MPs have brought up this issue in parliament, and for the past few years a number of Malay MPs from PAP have brought up this issue as well. Why then are they not considered to be divisive or sowing discord? However, when the same issue is raised by a Malay opposition MP, the tables were quickly turned against him to shut him up. Are you telling me our politicians have stooped that low today?

    Yes, Faisal Manap represents people of all races and religions in Aljunied GRC, and I am pretty sure he remembers that, for the simple fact that he brought up a lot of issues in parliament on the very same day, yet unfortunately, only this issue was highlighted by the state controlled media. Mr Cheng, if parliament isn’t the place to discuss such issues, then where else? Where have the so called closed door discussions brought us to? Has there been any changes, any progress? It only makes the most sense to bring up such a large scale issue in front of all government members to discuss it with diplomacy, however, in doing so Faisal Manap was labeled as sowing discord instead.

    I’ll end off with two quotes for you. Last year, the very same Masagos was recorded saying “All matters pertaining to any religion are often discussed in the Cabinet and we do look at ways to lead society to be more open, more accepting.” A year before that, PM Lee mentioned, “we discuss things more openly now, even sensitive matters, we discuss openly in mixed groups and we speak candidly with one another from the heart.”

    I guess you are the one who has forgotten how Singapore’s political system and multi-religious society functions. Coming from someone who has advocated the killing of terrorists, their families and all their children, really, you are the least fit individual to even talk about this issue. You should remember that.

     

    Source: Ahmad Bin Osman