Tag: Muslims

Bagi Leftenan Alfian Aman, Biasiswa SAF Bantu Beliau Lakar Kerjaya Dalam Bidang Dasar Awam

Bagi Leftenan Muhammad Alfian Aman, Biasiswa Merit Angkatan Bersenjata Singapura (SAF) membantunya meringankan beban kewangan keluarganya.

Bapanya, yang merupakan satu-satunya pencari nafkah dalam keluarganya, didiagnosis dengan barah usus beberapa tahun yang lalu, dan bil perubatannya semakin menggunung.

“Kadang kala, bil-bil perubatannya agak mahal, namun kami berupaya mengusahakannya.” kata LTA Alfian, 20 tahun dengan tabah.

“Dengan biasiswa ini, ia membantu membiayai pengajian saya, ia benar-benar meringankan beban kewangan ibu bapa saya.”

Beliau akan melanjutkan pengajiannya ke sarjana muda dalam bidang pentadbiran perniagaan dan kemudian sarjana dasar awam di Universiti Nasional Singapura (NUS).

Di Istana semalam, LTA Alfian merupakan antara 15 penerima Biasiswa Merit SAF di majlis penyampaian Anugerah Biasiswa Pertahanan yang diberikan buat julung-julung kalinya.

Beliau percaya dengan mempelajari bidang dasar awam, ia akan menjadi sesuatu yang beliau ingin lakukan pada masa hadapan, iaitu untuk melakar dasar-dasar bagi memperbaiki kehidupan anggota perkhidmatan negara.

“Satu contoh yang saya fikirkan sekarang ialah bagaimana untuk mempermudahkan proses Ujian Kecekapan Jasmani Individu (IPPT),” katanya.

Pengalamannya berkhidmat dalam tentera membuatkannya berfikir tentang cara-cara untuk memperbaiki pengalaman komander platun yang dilantik unit 1BMT pada Januari tahun ini, yang merupakan salah satu tugas LTA Alfian untuk mendampingi rekrut-rekrutnya.

“Salah satu daripada cabaran saya ialah untuk mendampingi setiap rekrut….dan untuk meyakinkan mereka supaya bekerjasama sebagai sebuah platun,” katanya.

“Maka saya percaya bahawa peluang ini membolehkan saya untuk bertemu dengan mereka yang datang daripada pelbagai latar belakang dan ia juga membolehkan saya untuk mempelajari lebih banyak lagi tentang isu-isu dan membuat perubahan di peringkat asas.”

Selepas menamatkan pengajiannya kelak, LTA Alfian berminat menjadi seorang pegawai pemerintah dan beliau juga merancang untuk menyertai kursus taktik bagi mempersiapkan diri. Berkhidmat kepada negara mengalir dalam darah saya. “Saya berharap dapat terus berkhidmat dalam bidang tentera sehingga saya bersara kelak,” kata beliau lagi.

Source: http://berita.mediacorp.sg

July 25, 2017
Masjid Haji Muhammad Salleh (Palmer Road) Reopens Today After Completion Of Upgrading Works

Masjid Haji Muhammad Salleh (Palmer Road) reopens today after completion of upgrading works to its facilities and main prayer spaces. Situated at the edge of Central Business District and Shenton Way, the 114-year old spiritual sanctuary now provides additional prayer space for 200 congregants (from 700 to 900).

Upgrading works also include repainting, replacement of mosque’s entrance gate and roof tile, new perimeter fencing, re-carpeting of prayer hall and re-tiling of the mosque’s open area.

The mosque, which is within close proximity to the upcoming Prince Edward MRT station, is also equipped with new features such as a handicapped toilet, customer service office, glass canopy for a new extended prayer space, a platform lift and two additional classrooms.

Source: Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS)

July 21, 2017
If Halimah Yacob Is Malay, Then Tan Cheng Bock Is Malay And Tharman Is Also Malay

Yes. Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam is Malay.

Why is this so? Because Dr Tan Cheng Bock is also Malay now. His name is Dr. Mohd Abdullah Bin Tanchinbock.

But why has he become a Malay?

Because our Mdm Speaker, Halimah Yacob of Indian descent, born to a Malay mother and an Indian-Muslim father, is “thinking about” running for the Presidency as a Malay presidential candidate.

And if she can do it, it means that it will happen. Nobody can stop it. Even PAP MP Zainal Sapari vouches for her malayness.

Therefore, Tharman is Malay.

#iamMalay

Rilek1Corner

July 21, 2017
Next Question: What Actually Is The Definition Of Malay In Mendaki Context?

So we all know that PAP MP Zainal Sapari vouches for Halimah Yacob’s malayness from a facebook post that he made. Here we want to share some highlights from netizens that may be important.

Someone said, “I thought she is an Indian Muslim? Meaning Islam is her religion but her race is Indian, not Malay. That qualifies her to run for a president that is reserved for Malay race?”

Another asked, “Mr Zainal bin Sapari, regarding the definition of a “Malay” which u hv quoted, does d govt applies it across all matters? Or is it only for this PE?”

Unfortunately, it is pointless to debate or argue with them about the definition of a Malay when all this while they pushed down the throats of the people this simple definition:

What constitute a Malay person? – “any person, whether of the Malay race or otherwise, who considers himself to be a member of the Malay community and who is generally accepted as a member of the Malay community by that community”.

But there was another important question that was brought up by one of the netizens. What is the definition of Malay in Mendaki context?

Someone hurled, “Then how come students of Indian Muslim father but who speak Malay and behave like Malay does not qualify for Mendaki assistance cause Mendaki considers them as Indian race and not Malay. so haw does Mendaki define Malay”

*mike drop*

The response? Apparently there was nothing but silence. Even when others probed the MP further quoting the same question. Korang rasa dorang akan reply ke?

Based on that comment, it is easily interpreted that the definition of Malay given for the reserved presidential elections 2017 vastly contrast the Mendaki’s view of definition of Malay. At this moment it may seem as though the current definition was created only for #PE2017 or certain reasons. Because Singaporean Malays and Singaporean Indian Muslims know best if they qualify for Mendaki’s assistance or not.

This comment sums up all the comments posed to our dear PAP MP Zainal Sapari,

“When it suits all of you, you change the def. But when a non Malay Muslim asks for help from Mendaki, its a no go. Tak tahu malu ke? Not every Malay is a muslim and not every muslim is a Malay. Ada Melayu Christian, Hindu, Atheist and etc Islam transcends races and here you are doing the opposite. So here we are with this quandary again and again.”

Rilek1Corner

July 21, 2017
Angry Netizens Deleting Meituan En Masse After Delivery App Introduces Separate Boxes For Halal Food

Popular food delivery app Meituan has stirred up controversy online after announcing that it will begin offering separate logistics infrastructure for halal food, causing Chinese netizens to condemn the company for “discriminating against” non-Muslims while also worrying about the “rise of Islam” in their country.

Meituan couriers on bikes will now be armed with two delivery boxes, a normal one for non-halal food and a smaller one for halal food, the company announced recently, a change that many netizens apparently see as discriminatory, vowing that they will delete the app en masse.

One Weibo thread on the controversial topic currently counts nearly 50,000 comments. “Meituan is really acting outside natural morality,” reads the top comment with more than 18,000 likes. Meanwhile, other Weibo users have more specifically charged the company with discriminating against Han people, wondering why separate delivery boxes are not also offered for them or for Buddhists or for people with other religious beliefs which affect their diet. “I don’t like to eat lamb, can I have my own separate delivery box as well?” asked another Weibo user.

“Meituan delivers both halal food and non-halal food. That really isn’t proper or harmonious. In order to safeguard the sanctity of minority food, we non-halal diners should start using Ele.me [another popular delivery app] instead. That way Muslims will have their own halal app,” argued another netizen, joining calls online to boycott Meituan and delete the company’s app.

Others have voiced their dissatisfaction with the policy change in different ways. For instance, Twitter user @kitmention points out one netizen who asked Meituan on Weibo to: “Please put my pork soup in your halal-only delivery box.”

Meanwhile, some netizens have wondered who exactly is discriminating against whom in this matter. In one popular post, a Weibo user asks “Have anyone’s rights been hurt?” by this logistics change, adding that if you believe that Muslims are really unfairly forcing you to accommodate to their religious beliefs, then are you not also committing the same sin by raising a fuss and calling for a boycott over this issue?

In response to this argument, another Weibo user has argued that, in fact, separate boxes mean increased delivery costs that will be borne by all customers, not just halal ones, so the change will have direct consequences on the app’s users. And, as for the negative societal effects of such a policy, the netizen worried about how continuing to cater to religious customs could lead to problems down the road, arguing that consumers should be free to vote with their wallets to support or not support Meituan’s new halal boxes.

More broadly, the controversy over halal delivery boxes appears to have reawakened ethnic fears among Chinese netizens against Muslims. A post by one female business owner on “rising Islamization,” which includes screenshots of a rather Islamophobic story, has gone viral on Weibo with nearly 40,000 shares. The comments below the post are filled with netizens condemning Islam and cautioning their Han brothers and (especially) sisters to be careful about the creeping influence of Islamic culture.

Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Beijing, Meituan started life as a group buying website that emerged in the wake of the Groupon craze. It merged with restaurant reviews app Dianping in 2015 to form Meituan-Dianping, which now claims to be the world’s largest on-demand delivery platform, receiving up to 10 million orders every day.

Source: http://shanghaiist.com

July 20, 2017