Tag: Muslim

PRC Foreign Minister: Palestinians Suffer More Than Refugees

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said yesterday that Palestinian suffering is “larger than the refugee tragedy,” stressing the Palestinian issue is on top of the Chinese diplomatic agenda, the Anadolu Agency reported.

Receiving his Palestinian counterpart Riad Al-Maliki in Beijing, Yi said: “A lot of people speak about the refugees and other hot issues, but the Palestinian brothers bear more than this. We express our extreme sympathy with them.”

“The Palestinian issue occupies a very important place on the Chinese diplomatic agenda.”

Both ministers met on the margin of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA), which convenes in Beijing today.

Al-Maliki said: “You know how much we appreciate your friendship and the old relationship which connects China with Palestine.”

During the meeting, the ministers discussed mutual relations and ways to promote them. Al-Maliki told the Anadolu that he briefed Yi about the latest political developments, mainly the Israeli settlements and escalations in attacks against Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Source: www.palestinechronicle.com

May 6, 2016
Bangladeshi Workers Worried They Can’t Pray Together

Some Bangladeshi workers sporting a beard are perceived as terrorists.

Others are not allowed to have their meals together – a measure some companies have taken to prevent any sharing of propaganda material among workers, said Mr A.K.M. Mohsin (photo), editor of Banglar Kantha, Singapore’s only Bengali newspaper.

With Ramadan coming up next month, the workers are now worried they will not be able to pray together.

Such is the impact that the latest spate of arrests and detentions of Bangladeshi workers under the Internal Security Act has had on the community, said Mr Mohsin.

Late last year, 27 Bangladeshi men were arrested and deported for terror links and possession of material on terrorist propaganda.

Last month, another eight men were detained under the Internal Security Act. Five others were repatriated.

Mr Mohsin, 52, explained: “Ninety-five per cent of the Bangladeshi workers here are Muslim, and most are very pious.

“They grow beards to emulate the actions of Prophet Muhammad, who is believed to have had a beard. But now they feel that if they follow their religion closely, people here will think that they are terrorists.”

As someone who runs Dibashram – a space for migrant workers here to get together for cultural activities and fellowship – Mr Mohsin is concerned about the plight of the Bangladeshi workers after the high-profile arrests.

“We should allow them to spend their weekends on recreational activities so they don’t have time to do bad things, or be involved in ridiculous discussions (that are held to radicalise).

“We should think of migrant workers as human beings, not machines,” he said.

WORRIED FOR HIS CHILDREN

As a father of three daughters aged six, 16 and 18, he is also concerned about how his children will be affected by the news.

“Like other parents, I’m worried about how Singaporeans will look at my children in another way. Actually, (these arrests) bring a lot of shame to us,” he said quietly.

Mr Mohsin is expected to meet the Singapore Bangladesh Society today to come up with some measures to improve the situation.

“Today, I told some of them (in the society) that we come forward to do something only when an incident like this happens. After that, we stop. That is no good. We have to continue our efforts to the migrant workers here,” he said.

Singapore ‘not exempted’ from radicalisation sweeping world

The wave of radicalisation is sweeping through the world and our region – and Singapore is not exempted, said Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam (right) yesterday afternoon.

He was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a closed-door event at Temasek Polytechnic.

On Tuesday, the Home Affairs Ministry revealed that eight radicalised Bangladeshi men were detained last month under the Internal Security Act for plotting terror attacks in their own country.

They would meet in parks or open fields, and share large amounts of radical propaganda and videos. (See report below)

Another five investigated under the ISA were repatriated.

“These people had wanted to go to the Middle East but they couldn’t and so they were looking at other means.

“We could have been a target because they were prepared to attack anywhere.

“If they had been directed to attack in Singapore, they would have attacked in Singapore.

“So it shows the seriousness. It brings home again Paris, Jakarta… (the threat) is here to stay,” said Mr Shanmugam.

Adding that material on bomb-making and sniper rifles were recovered on detainees, he said: “You and I don’t go do research on those… so yes, there is a concern.”

We could have been a target because they were prepared to attack anywhere. If they had been directed to attack in Singapore, they would have attacked in Singapore.

– Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam

5 things to know about the detainees

Eight Bangladeshis, who called themselves the Islamic State in Bangladesh (ISB), were detained last month under the Internal Security Act (ISA), and another five were repatriated, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Tuesday. Here are five things you need to know about the detainees:

1 ISB’s leader was radicalised in 2013

Rahman Mizanur, 31, had been working on and off in Singapore since 2007. When he last came to Singapore last December, the authorities had no information to suggest that Rahman had radicalised views.

At the time of his arrest, he was working as a draftsman in a construction firm.

The seeds of terrorism were first sown in Rahman in 2013 when he read radical material online. He became more radicalised after a fellow Bangladeshi shared the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) propaganda material with him last year in Bangladesh.

2 ISB was a structured organisation

Members were given specific roles, such as leader and deputy leader, and were assigned responsibilities like managing the finances.

They would usually meet at parks or open fields and would share large amounts of radical propaganda and videos.

ISB was the first group comprising all foreigners to be detained under the ISA for terrorism-related activities in Singapore, said MHA.

3 Detainees had at least three years’ work experience here

When the eight detainees first came to work here, they were not known to be radicalised or involved in terrorism-related activities.

Each of them had worked here for between three and 10 years in the construction and marine industries. The authorities found no significant concentration in any particular company or accommodation.

The workers were arrested between late March and early April and were issued with two-year Orders of Detention late last month.

Five other workers who were repatriated – Evan Galib Hassan Chowdhury, Rana Masud, Pailot Md Rana Miea, Islam Tanjemul and Alomgir Md – were not part of the ISB, said MHA. But they possessed or proliferated jihadi-related materials, or supported the use of armed violence in pursuit of a religious cause.

4 Funds raised by ISB were members’ own contributions

At the time of the arrests, money was seized from the detainees.

MHA said the funds raised were from the members’ own contributions. The members had intended to use the funds to buy firearms for their planned terror attacks, but are not known to have acted yet.

Several of them may be prosecuted for terrorism-financing, and investigations are ongoing.

5 There is no link between ISB and the Bangladeshi nationals arrested last year

Some of the eight detainees chanced upon members of the radical religious group who were deported for terror links last year, but there is no indication that the eight detainees from ISB were part of this group. The Bangladeshi nationals in both incidents were not known to have been targeting Singapore at the time of their arrests.

Source: www.tnp.sg

May 6, 2016
Yaacob Ibrahim: Perkuat Silaturahim, Sepadu Elak Pecah-Belah

SEMENTARA isu keselamatan negara ditangani oleh agensi relevan, warga Singapura boleh memainkan peranan secara peribadi bagi memastikan bahawa perpaduan masyarakat tidak berpecah-belah.

Menteri Perhubungan dan Penerangan, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, berkata demikian sebagai mengulas penahanan lapan warga Bangladesh Selasa lepas kepada media selepas sesi perbincangan bersama golongan belia pada malam hari yang sama.

“Di Singapura, sebagai masyarakat Melayu/Islam, kita harus pelihara perpaduan sosial yang ada di sini.

“Kita lihat bagaimana kita boleh berganding bahu dengan masyarakat lain bagi menentukan bahawa apa pun yang telah berlaku tidak akan memecah-belahkan negara kita.

“Ini salah satu perkara yang penting dan harus terus ditekankan,” ujar Dr Yaacob yang juga Menteri Bertanggungjawab bagi Ehwal Masyarakat Islam.

Lapan warga Bangladesh yang ditahan di bawah Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA) itu telah merancang melakukan serangan pengganasan di negara mereka.

Mereka berusia antara 26 dengan 34 tahun dan merupakan sebahagian daripada kumpulan yang dinamakan Negara Islam Bangladesh (ISB).

Dr Yaacob menambah bahawa masyarakat Melayu/Islam perlu “terus memperkuat tali silaturahim dalam masyarakat dan memelihara perpaduan sosial yang kita telah capai buat bertahun-tahun lamanya”.

Dalam pada itu, Ketua Pengajian Dasar, Sekolah Pengajian Antarabangsa S. Rajaratnam (RSIS), Universiti Teknologi Nanyang (NTU), Profesor Madya Dr Kumar Ramakrishna, menekankan bahawa masyarakat Singapura tidak harus memulau pekerja asing.

“Sebahagian besar daripada mereka yang datang ke sini semata-mata mahu mendapat kerja dan menyara hidup mereka,” jelas Dr Kumar.

Beliau berkata penahanan lapan pekerja Bangladesh itu menunjukkan kerjasama antara Singapura dan pihak berkuasa Bangladesh perlu dipertingkat, lebih-lebih lagi ini kali kedua penahanan dibuat.

“Pendidikan mengenai cara mengesan sebarang kelakuan radikal boleh juga dianjurkan bagi pekerja asing agar mereka dapat berfungsi sebagai ‘mata’ dan ‘telinga’ tambahan’,” saran Dr Kumar.

Pengasas kumpulan penjagaan susulan antara agensi, Aftercare Group (ACG), Encik Abdul Halim Kader, yang juga Presiden Taman Bacaan, akur dengan pandangan bahawa masyarakat Singapura, tidak kira bangsa, tidak harus meminggirkan pekerja asing.

“Kita harus mendekati mereka terutama semasa waktu lapang mereka; jangan biarkan mereka terasing.

“Saya telah merancang dengan beberapa pihak tertentu bagi memperkenalkan sukan sepak takraw dan bola tampar kepada pekerja asing terutama warga Bangladesh pada minggu-minggu akan datang,” ujar Encik Abdul Halim yang juga Presiden Persekutuan Sepak Takraw Singapura (Perses).

Source: www.beritaharian.sg

May 6, 2016
Muslim Group Wants Body To Be Set Up To Handle Discrimination Cases

Expressing concern over what seems to be an increase in the number of discriminatory practices against minority races and foreign communities in Singapore, the Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP) has called for a central body to be formed to resolve, mediate and prevent such incidents.

The AMP’s board of directors issued a statement on this suggestion on Wednesday (May 4) noting that there is currently no publicly available data tracking such cases or how they are resolved eventually.

Incidents of discrimination can cause “irreparable tears to our social fabric”, not least when anecdotal reports of cases get circulated on social media, which can “quickly elicit views and reactions that may polarise various segments of our society”, it added.

AMP’s statement came after a Malay woman said last week she was discriminated against when she applied for a job at PrimaDeli bakery. According to the woman, an employee of the bakery had made racist remarks about Malay people. She added that the employee also asked her if she could speak Chinese because it was how most of the workers communicated.

The company subsequently sacked the employee responsible for the discriminatory act.

In response to queries, the AMP said its suggestion was not a direct response to that incident, nor was it only concerned with job-related incidents or cases involving the Malay community here. Rather, it felt that collecting data on such incidents and the consequent reparative actions taken are important for coming up with ways to reduce or eliminate similar incidents.

Otherwise, when informal accounts of such incidents, which can be outside of job-related matters, such as in education or social interactions, are circulated widely on social media, people may sensationalise the issues and cause polarisation of views, it added.

AMP suggested that its proposed central body to deal with discrimination matters can comprise stakeholders from the Government, private and independent bodies.

In the meantime, the Government could also give existing organisations such as the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP), Inter Religious Organisation (IRO) and OnePeople.sg more powers to deal with discriminatory practices and actions.

“It is critical for the issue of discrimination to be swiftly managed and for preventive strategies to be developed,” AMP said. “This will ensure that the racial and religious harmony we have so carefully preserved over the last five decades will not be disrupted, which may otherwise cause long-term concerns for our society.”

Responding to TODAY’s queries, TAFEP said the AMP’s proposal stems from a desire to create a more inclusive society, which is “aligned with TAFEP’s mission to promote the adoption of fair, responsible and progressive employment practices”. It said besides educating employers on how to have fair employment practices, it also advises and helps individuals who have encountered workplace discrimination.

Source: TODAY Online

May 5, 2016
Dari ITE, Kini Cemerlang Di Politeknik

Beliau pernah menuntut di Institut Pendidikan Teknikal (ITE). Encik Hasbi Basman memberitahu BERITAMediacorp beliau pernah melalui fasa hidup di mana beliau hilang motivasi dalam bidang akademik, kurang keyakinan diri dan pernah gagal sebanyak dua kali.

Namun hari ini (3 Mei), belia berusia 27 tahun itu, boleh berbangga kerana berjaya dalam pendidikan dan menerima sijil Diploma dalam jurusan Sains Bahan di majlis konvokesyen Politeknik Republik.

Encik Hasbi Basman bersama ibunya. (Gambar: Hasbi Basman)

Cerita Encik Hasbi membuktikan bahawa walau apapun permulaan seseorang, dengan sikap yang betul, seseorang boleh menuju ke arah kejayaan.

Oleh itu, setelah menerima keputusan peperiksaan GCE ‘N’, beliau membuat keputusan untuk meneruskan pengajian ke Nitec Tinggi di ITE Kolej Timur.

ITE – TITIK PERMULAAN UNTUK TIDAK SIA-SIAKAN PELUANG

“Saya rasa ITE adalah pilihan terbaik buat saya, untuk saya keluar dari sekolah menengah dan bertukar angin dalam sebuah sekitaran yang baru di ITE,” kata anak kelima daripada enam orang adik beradik itu.

Encik Hasbi Basman bersama kakak (kiri) dan ibunya (kanan). (Gambar: Hasbi Basman)

“Keluarga saya juga tidak pernah melarang saya membuat pilihan, kerana saya masih terus melakukan sesuatu dan membuat keputusan untuk masa depan saya. ITE juga seperti batu loncatan buat diri saya,” kongsi Encik Hasbi kepada BERITAMediacorp.

Malah, ITE merupakan titik permulaan di mana Encik Hasbi benar-benar menanam keinginan untuk tidak mensia-siakan setiap peluang yang ada.

SUMBER INSPIRASI

Beliau menambah: “Semasa di ITE, ada seorang teman memberi nasihat kepada saya. Beliau memberitahu saya, jika kita mahu melakukan sesuatu, biarlah ia dilakukan dengan bersungguh-sungguh, supaya apabila kita melihat hasilnya nanti, kita tidak akan ada rasa menyesal dan tahu bahawa kita sudah melakukan yang terbaik.”

“Beliau juga mengingatkan saya supaya hidup tanpa ada rasa penyesalan dan nasihat itulah yang saya pegang sehingga kini,” tambah Encik Hasbi.

Bermula saat itu, Encik Hasbi berkata beliau sentiasa melakukan yang terbaik dan akhirnya berjaya diterima masuk ke politeknik.

Encik Hasbi Basman (berbaju ungu) bersama rakan-rakannya. (Gambar: Politeknik Republik)

Di politeknik, beliau bukan sahaja berjaya menjulang Diploma Sains Bahan malah segulung sijil pentauliahan industri yang diperolehinya semasa menjalani latihan amali.

Menurut seorang jurucakap Politeknik Republik Encik Hasbi juga sudahpun menerima tawaran bekerja dengan syarikat Kulicke & Soffa sebagai seorang jurutera bersekutu.

DARI POLITEKNIK KE DOKTOR PERUBATAN

Bagi Encik Raziq Ikhmal Abdul Latif pula, setelah menggenggam segulung diploma, beliau kini bercita-cita menjadi seorang doktor perubatan pula.

Laluan beliau bagaimanapun tidaklah licin.

Beliau pada awalnya memilih ke maktab rendah. Namun, setelah dua tahun bersekolah di Maktab Rendah Pioneer di Choa Chu Kang, Encik Raziq berasa seolah-olah hilang arah dan tidak serasi dengan cara penyampaian pelajaran di sana.

Encik Raziq (kiri) bersama profesor dan rakannya. (Gambar: Politeknik Republik)

“Setelah dua tahun, saya mula sedar bahawa maktab rendah bukan untuk saya. Setiap kali berada dalam kuliah, saya akan berasa mengantuk!” cerita Encik Raziq kepada BERITAMediacorp.

Dengan prestasi pelajaran yang semakin merosot, guru Encik Raziq menasihatinya supaya mengubah aliran pendidikannya daripada aliran sains kepada aliran sastera.

“Apabila guru saya sarankan supaya saya bertukar aliran. Dengan tegas saya katakan tidak. Sasaran saya adalah untuk memasuki bidang perubatan, malah saya juga menanam aspirasi untuk menjadi seorang ahli sains. Jadi, tidak kira apa yang berlaku, saya tetap dengan pendirian saya,” tegas Encik Raziq.

YAKIN DENGAN KEPUTUSAN YANG DIBUAT

Setelah mendapat tahu daripada rakan-rakannya bahawa beliau boleh meneruskan minat dalam bidang perubatan di politeknik, Encik Raziq memutuskan untuk berpindah ke politeknik.

Apabila ditanya wartawan sama ada keputusannya itu diterima oleh ibu bapanya, beliau berkata: “Ibu saya serahkan keputusan kepada saya, beliau hanya mahu saya pasti dengan keputusan yang saya buat.”

Encik Raziq bersama ibu bapa (kiri) dan mentornta (kanan). (Gambar: Raziq Ikhmal)

Ternyata keputusan yang dibuat Encik Raziq tidak sia-sia kerana beliau cemerlang di politeknik dan mendapat Purata Mata Gred (GPA) sempurna iaitu 4.0! Beliau juga berada dalam Senarai Cemerlang Pengarah dan menerima hadiah pada tahun 2013 dan 2014.

Encik Raziq Ikhmal. (Gambar: Raziq Ikhmal)

Encik Raziq kini menanti keputusan permohonannya untuk meneruskan pengajian di Fakulti Perubatan di Universiti Nasional Singapura.

LEBIH 4,700 LULUSAN RP TERIMA SIJIL

Encik Hasbi dan Encik Raziq ialah antara 4,726 lulusan Politeknik Republik yang menerima sijil tamat pengajian mereka hari ini.

4,614 daripada mereka adalah penuntut Latihan Pra Pekerjaan (PET) dan lagi 112 merupakan penuntut dewasa yang mengikuti Latihan Pendidikan Berterusan (CET) sejak ia mula diperkenalkan pada tahun 2002.

Mereka adalah kohort lulusan Politeknik Republik paling besar sejauh ini.

Source: http://berita.mediacorp.sg

May 4, 2016