Rilek1Corner

Tag: MINDEF

  • Khidmat Cemerlang SLTC Mohd Fahmi Aliman Diiktiraf SAF

    Khidmat Cemerlang SLTC Mohd Fahmi Aliman Diiktiraf SAF

    KESUNGGUHAN dan kecekapan Leftenan-Kolonel Kanan (SLTC) Mohd Fahmi Aliman berkhidmat dalam Angkatan Bersenjata Singapura (SAF), semasa bertugas baik di dalam mahupun di luar negara, diakui.

    Lantaran keberkesanannya memikul pelbagai tugas sepanjang berkhidmat dengan SAF, beliau dianugerahkan Pingat Kepujian oleh Kementerian Pertahanan (Mindef) dalam Anugerah Hari Kebangsaan.

    Sejumlah 81 Pingat Kepujian, 114 Pingat Kecekapan dan 415 Pingat Perkhidmatan Bakti Setia diberikan kepada anggota tentera dan bukan tentera.

    Seramai 14 kakitangan menerima kedua-dua Pingat Kepujian/Kecekapan dan Pingat Khidmat Bakti Setia.

    Seramai 596 kakitangan Mindef/SAF diiktiraf dalam Anugerah Hari Kebangsaan tahun ini.

    Menteri Kedua Pertahanan, Encik Chan Chun Sing, serta Menteri Negara (Pertahanan), Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman, menghadiri majlis tersebut di Mindef minggu lalu.

    Ketika ditemui, SLTC Mohd Fahmi, 42 tahun, berkata beliau berbesar hati sumbangannya diiktiraf.

    Beliau menyertai SAF 22 tahun lalu kerana ingin “menyentuh kehidupan orang ramai” dan menyumbang kepada masyarakat.

    Dalam tempoh khidmatnya, beliau antara lain mengetuai Batalion Pengawal yang meraih anugerah Unit Infantri Terbaik pada 2009.

    Pada 2011, beliau menjadi pegawai SAF Melayu/Islam pertama menjadi Komander Perbarisan Hari Kebangsaan sejak 2000.

    Pengalamannya tidak terbatas di dalam negara sahaja.

    Beliau dikerah ke Aceh pada 2005 dan Afghanistan pada 2012.

    Beliau terlibat dalam pasukan yang menyumbang kepada pelucutan senjata, demobilisasi dan integrasi semula Gerakan Aceh Merdeka (GAM) ke dalam masyarakat Aceh.

    Di Afghanistan, beliau bertugas sebagai perancang strategik di Ibu Pejabat Pasukan Bantuan Keselamatan Antarabangsa (ISAF).

    “Setiap pengalaman yang saya raih mengasah kecekapan saya dan mendorong saya agar terus menyumbang kepada SAF,” ujarnya.

    Apabila dikerah ke luar negara, beliau berjauhan daripada keluarga selama enam bulan.

    “Cabaran terbesar adalah membahagikan masa antara keluarga dengan kerjaya. Saya bertuah mendapat sokongan keluarga dan isteri penyabar,” ujar bapa empat anak berusia empat hingga 17 tahun itu.

    Isterinya, Cik Rohana Salleh, adalah guru sekolah menengah.

    SLTC Mohd Fahmi turut dirangsang pasukannya dan berpegang pada tiga ciri ketua yang cemerlang.

    “Kepercayaan, kehormatan, serta memperkasakan bakat dalam pasukan penting.

    “Di SAF, saya dibimbing oleh pegawai kanan dan diberi peluang mengembangkan kemahiran,” ujar SLTC Mohd Fahmi.

    Melalui SAF, beliau diberi peluang melanjutkan pelajaran hingga meraih ijazah Sarjana Muda dalam Kejuruteraan Elektrikal daripada Universiti Liverpool pada 1999.

     

    Source: www.beritaharian.sg

  • Indonesia Investigating Case of Two Indonesian PRs Being Part of SAF Contingent in Joint Military Exercise

    Indonesia Investigating Case of Two Indonesian PRs Being Part of SAF Contingent in Joint Military Exercise

    Indonesia is investigating two of its citizens for being part of a Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) contingent in a joint military exercise earlier this month in Magelang, Central Java.

    The Indonesians are Singapore permanent residents (PRs) who are full-time national servicemen (NSFs). They went to Central Java for the joint exercise.

    When the Indonesian military found out their nationality, the pair were asked to remain at their military dormitory. They were not allowed to participate in the exercise, said Major-General Fuad Basya, the Indonesian Armed Forces (TNI) spokesman.

    Singapore’s Ministry of Defence said in response to queries: “The two NSFs, who are Singapore PRs, were part of the unit participating in an annual bilateral exercise between the SAF and the TNI to enhance military ties.

    “However, they were withdrawn from the exercise and brought back to Singapore. They did not participate in the bilateral exercise.”

    Under Indonesian law, it is an offence for citizens to serve a foreign military, and those who do so risk being stripped of their citizenship. But the law will take into account those Indonesians who study in countries that adopt mandatory national service.

    Indonesia has in the past asked Singapore to exempt its citizens who are PRs from performing national service.

    But in Singapore, male PRs are liable to be called up for national service.

    “Going forward, Singapore will not send Indonesians to a joint exercise here. We have asked them that, and they are agreeable,” Maj-Gen Fuad told The Straits Times.

    This month’s Safkar Indopura, which was held for nine days from Nov 4, was the 26th year the joint exercises were carried out, Antara news agency reported last week.

    An Indonesian Foreign Ministry official told The Straits Times that the matter of the two national servicemen was being handled by the Defence Ministry.

    This issue of Indonesians serving in the SAF is not new.

    In 1999, then President B. J. Habibie ordered, after a Cabinet meeting, that the citizenship of Indonesians living in Singapore who served national service be revoked, as the country does not recognise dual citizenship.

    In 2008, then Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda asked Singapore to exempt Indonesian citizens who are PRs from performing national service, saying they risked losing their citizenship.

    The issue was raised in 2008 following another controversy over the alleged recruitment of Indonesians into the Askar Wataniah, a paramilitary wing of the Malaysian army in Borneo where the two countries share a land border.

    In the latest case, Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry official Krisna Djaelani was quoted by the Detik. com news website as saying: “There were two Indonesians who are known to have taken part in a joint exercise with the Indonesian military.

    “Under Singapore law, permanent residents have the same rights and responsibilities as citizens. So they are obliged to undergo compulsory military training.”

    But Mr Krisna, who is the ministry’s Indonesian workers protection and legal aid director, said that under Indonesian law, Indonesians who serve foreign militaries “will automatically lose their citizenship”.

    He added: “Now we are working with the Law and Human Rights Ministry. This is under the ministry’s jurisdiction.”

    Yesterday, Mr Krisna was quoted by Detik.com as saying during a media conference that the issue had been dealt with. But he did not elaborate.

     

    Source: www.straitstimes.com

  • Singapore In The Anti-IS Coalition: A Missed Opportunity

    Singapore In The Anti-IS Coalition: A Missed Opportunity

    Bismillahirrahmanirrahim

    I’ve debated whether to post this.

    Decided I should.

    In the last few weeks, there was an issue that was extremely important for the Muslim community here to address. Yet as a whole, we did not. For whatever reasons.

    I refer to PM Lee’s announcement that the SG govt was considering joining the ‘coalition of the bombing’.

    Instead of addressing the issue – the elephant in the room in my view – they chose to address the dog issue.

    The situation is akin to what happened in Saudi Arabia during the first Gulf War and the setting up of a US airbase in Dahran. Instead of addressing the issue, the ‘establishment ulema’ there chose to focus their attention to a Muslimah who – heaven forbid – decided to drive. Aparently that’s far more impt than the issue of an entire airbase being situated very near to Islam’s holiest shrines. But I digress.

    Let’s recap. After Minister Shanmugam posting something on IS on his FB, suddenly so many establishment asatizahs start falling all over themselves to condemn IS. Not in their name, they chorused dutifully. The asatiahs were from RSIS and MUIS. The big guns, so to speak. Then The head of PERGAS gave an interview on national TV, condemning in no uncertain terms IS and again chorusing ‘not in our name’.

    Don’t get me wrong. I do not support IS. Im saying these acts do not happen in a vacuum. US atrocities, the bombing of entire Muslim villages by drones, the killing of many Muslims attending a wedding feast, CIA and Mosad complicity in the genesis of IS…. all these are conveniently left out of the narrative.

    Then there’s the woeful episode of the black flags. Asatizahs began writing articles, questioning the authenticity of the hadith on Khurasan and the black flags. Firstly, it was done in a rather lop-sided manner. Eg, in a particular chain that was quoted by both Imam Tirmidhi and Imam Ahmad, it was said that Imam Tirmidhi considered the chain weak. But what did Imam Ahmad say about it? Next, two places were mentioned: Khoorasan and Jerusalam. There are other ahadith about a Muslim army liberating Jerusalem, and the hadith is muttafaqqun alaih – of the highest possible authenticity. This was not mentioned. Also, there appears to be numerous chains of the hadith. And these chains could strengthen one another, making it collectively sahih. Not to mention these ahadith appear in the canonical six collections of ahadith – collectively the most authentic we have.

    Then the ED of PERGAS saw fit to talk to BH about it not being right to purchase the flag, as it would make non Muslims uncomfortable. Truly, that’s a preposterous statement. Should we then censor the Quran? After all, the end of Bakarah is a doa for Allah azzawajal to Grant us victory agst the non Believers? That’s juz one eg out of many.

    We are told we should have husnu zhon. But shouldn’t these asatizahs have husno zhon on the Muslims who had purchased the flags, without realising its bigger implications? Should the asatizahs not contact these people personally and advise them to remove it from FB? To my knowledge this wasn’t done. And our brothers were hauled up by the authorities and have to answer for their deeds, with all the attendant worry the family had to go thru.

    Now, after the govt announced that they would join the ‘coalition of the bombing’ and the issue has become fait accompli, some among the asatizahs are voicing out their displeasure. A little too late no? Or is it an attempt to recover lost legitimacy, since there has been voices ‘encouraging’ out estab asatizahs to join the jihad?

    Final word. Late for Jumuah. We hope our pol leaders and estab asatizahs enjoy their paychecks and coming EOY bonus. If u r MUIS staff, bear in mind it comes from the Fitrah fund.

    A reminder these things come with strings attached.

    We hope and pray there will not be hell to pay.

    Gotta go for now. I’m not done yet. will dress our own complicity in this.

    Wallahualam. Barakallahufeek.

     

    Authored by Syed Danial on 7 Nov 2011.

  • Indonesians Who Serve NS After Taking Up PR May Lose Indonesia Citizenship

    Indonesians Who Serve NS After Taking Up PR May Lose Indonesia Citizenship

    Jakarta – TNI (Tentara National Indonesia or Indonesian army) is investigating the Indonesian citizens who serve as part of the Singapore army. It was found out that some of Indonesian citizens who take Permanent Residence of Singapore are conscripted into the compulsory National Service (NS).

    TNI headquarters would not want to rush to take action against these citizens but according to the law, a citizen should not serve a foreign troop. This may result in forfeit of their Indonesian citizenship.

    “Everyone has a right to change his nationality but it is just a pity when they join foreign troop while still being a citizen of Indonesia.Whether this concerns nationalism issue, we need to investigate further, “said TNI Commander General Moeldoko during Indo Defence in Kemayoran, Jakarta on Thursday (11/06/2014) as quoted by Detik.

    Indo Defence 2014 is a tri-Service defence expo & forum which is happening from 5 – 8 November 2014 at the Jakarta International Expo.

    Source: Detik.com

     

    Source: www.globalindonesianvoices.com

  • Ng Eng Hen Justifies $25,900 English Language Course for PLA Officer

    Ng Eng Hen Justifies $25,900 English Language Course for PLA Officer

    SINGAPORE: Officers from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) participate in exchanges with other militaries for staff college courses.

    The staff college courses attended are useful to establish good relationships with the militaries of other countries, and understand their perspectives, said Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen on Wednesday (Nov 5). When incidents occur, they can also be very useful resource persons on the ground.

    “So for these reasons, militaries all over have for many years exchanged officers to each other’s courses to establish better ties,” he said.

    Dr Ng said this in response to a question from Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Lina Chiam. Mrs Chiam had asked about a tender that had been called to provide an English Language course for an officer from China’s People’s Liberation Army.

    Dr Ng noted that the language of instruction can pose a problem for officers who attend courses run by other militaries, and language proficiency is important if the officers are to benefit from the course.

    “For some foreign officers who attend SAF’s military courses, we have to help them gain language proficiency so that they can benefit from their time here,” he said, adding that Singapore’s military officers spend time gaining language proficiency when they go to other countries for the same purpose.

    Dr Ng said that one officer from the People’s Liberation Army required a personalised 360-hour English Language course. The Defence Ministry had put out a tender on the Government’s e-procurement portal, and awarded the contract to the lowest offer that met the requirements. This came to S$25,900, which amounted to about S$70 per hour.

    Dr Ng emphasised that this was in strict compliance with the Government’s regulations.

     

    Source: www.channelnewsasia.com