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Tag: nature

  • Mohd Khair: Homosexuality Has Never Been Part Of Human Nature

    Mohd Khair: Homosexuality Has Never Been Part Of Human Nature

    Words pertaining to human lives have specific and special meaning.

    Eat: chewing and swallowing non-liquid EDIBLE stuff
    Drink: sipping and swallowing liquid EDIBLE stuff

    Normal human beings don’t use their mouths to chew and swallow inedible stuff like stones, wood, plastic and all other inedible stuff. We don’t call this act as eating. I don’t know what to call it because human beings don’t eat stones, woods and plastic to live. If they do, probably ravage would be a word that can be considered and definitely that act cannot be said to be an act of eating.

    Likewise, normal human beings don’t use their mouths to sip petrol, diesel, acids and all other inedible liquids, including poisons unless they are committing suicide.

    Likewise for marriage.

    Marriage is a word to describe a union, officiated by an appointed authority, between a man and a woman. A union between a man and a man, or between a woman and another woman, cannot be called marriage.

    The human anatomy itself has been created, and has been there since time immemorial to support one of the objects of marriage, and that is to procreate to ensure preservation of the human race. The sexual organs of both males and females play complementing and completing roles in procreation. This is a scientific fact, and not an opinion.

    For those who believe in the theory of evolution, probably some pertinent questions to ask would be these:
    If indeed homosexuality has been part of human living,
    1. “how come the anus has not evolved into an organ that can readily receive the insertion of the penis with ease, without any ill effects as currently reported by the medical fraternity?”
    2. “how come the female genitals have not evolved to include a penile-like organ?”

    Isn’t it so clear as day and night that even the theory of evolution cannot be applied to homosexuality. The human body has not adapted itself to include homosexual behaviour.

    Simply put, homosexuality, LGBTQ whatever included, has never been an acceptable lifestyle choice. It’s a behaviour chosen by those who simply want to defy nature – what men and women are supposed to do to love, marry, procreate and prosper on Earth.

    There has been no civilisation in recorded history that made homosexuality mainstream except those that were met with destruction.
    Homosexuality is a just a lifestyle choice. It is a chosen behaviour. It is not part of human nature.

    Human beings eat and drink edible stuff to live and prosper. No human being in the right frame of mind will take inedible stuff as his or her diet. The consequences are as clear as day and night.

    Likewise, marriage among humans means an official union between a man and a woman to ensure the continuity of the human race. It is as clear as day and night what the consequences will be when the institution of marriage is skewed way out of proportion to also include same-gender union. Even an unofficial union between a man and a woman is NOT called marriage. One way, it’s called cohabitation. But the LGBTs, unabashed, called their union marriage…isn’t that shameful?

     

    Source: Mohd Khair

  • Capturing The Life And Times Of Pulau Ubin

    Capturing The Life And Times Of Pulau Ubin

    A project is under way to capture the life and times of residents living on rustic Pulau Ubin.

    The National Heritage Board (NHB) will conduct interviews with about 40 current and former Ubin residents before producing a research report and a 20-minute documentary on the island’s community heritage.

    One possible interviewee is Mr Kat Kau Chye, a 67-year-old boat operator who lives in a wooden house on the 10.2 sq km, boomerang-shaped island.

    Born and raised there, Mr Kat told The Straits Times he would never trade the tranquil kampung life for the dense urban living on mainland Singapore.

    “In Singapore, you can hear your neighbours through the walls, or be woken up by the sounds of cars late at night,” said Mr Kat in Mandarin.

    Then there is Ubin’s close-knit community, which he has become accustomed to.

    “If I cook herbal soup, and my two or three neighbours bring along their own dishes, we have a feast,” he said.

    It is this largely intangible spirit, among other things, that the NHB wants to document.

    The project will seek to chronicle the interviewees’ experiences living on the island and their sentiments on the way of life there, as well as capture short biographies of them.

    The NHB said this documentation project, which will also include oral history recordings, is one of its contributions to the ongoing Ubin Project led by the Ministry of National Development.

    The ministry has been working with the community and other government agencies such as the National Parks Board to gather ideas on how to maintain the island’s rustic charm. Its plans include preserving Ubin’s nature and biodiversity.

    Mr Alvin Tan, NHB’s assistant chief executive of policy and development, said research on the island’s community and social heritage can help “develop more sensitive strategies to enhance Pulau Ubin’s island heritage”.

    The project will build on NHB’s earlier work on the island, which includes a 2013 documentation of the island’s historical sites such as former quarries, temples and shrines; a virtual tour of the island; and a documentary on Ubin’s boatmen.

    The Singapore Heritage Society’s president, Dr Chua Ai Lin, a participant in the ministry’s Friends of Ubin Network sessions, said it is important that the interviews do more than collect dust on a shelf.

    For instance, she believes residents should be asked to elaborate on and break down the aspects of island life to better understand what exactly constitutes “rustic”.

    This in turn could help the Ubin way of life to “continue to thrive”, she said.

    “It could range from their knowledge of agriculture, skills on repairing and living in wooden houses, and the mentality behind leading sustainable, kampung lifestyles,” she added.

    Ubin resident Kamariah Abdullah, 57, who owns a century-old Malay kampung home which she restored with her family, agreed with Dr Chua.

    She hopes the project will be able to capture the challenges of maintaining a traditional house and lifestyle.

    Architectural historian Lai Chee Kien believes that the project can help supplement existing data on the island, which has seen its population dwindle over the years.

    Although it receives more than 300,000 visitors annually, it is home to just 38 residents now, compared to the 2,000 who lived there from the 1950s to 1970s.

    Said Dr Lai: “It is worthwhile to get as best a representation as possible on how islanders think and compare it against the record of the people who have already been interviewed in the past, to give context to the evolution of island life then and now.”

     

    Source: www.straitstimes.com

  • Better Protection For Pulau Ubin

    Better Protection For Pulau Ubin

    Plans are afoot to better protect and restore Pulau Ubin’s nature and heritage spaces, with the Government announcing its first phase of initiatives yesterday.

    These plans, culled from over 2,000 ideas and suggestions gathered through the Ubin Project launched in March, include enhancing natural habitats to support recovering species of plants and animals — which will provide opportunities for volunteers and the community to be involved in research and the establishment of habitats — and setting up a centre for field studies.

    Guidelines will also be developed to restore existing buildings and structures on Pulau Ubin. Given the loss of coastal habitats and vegetation due to the erosion of the island’s shoreline, the National Parks Board (NParks) will also be calling for studies to identify long-term measures to protect and restore the shoreline.

    The plans were announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at Pulau Ubin during Ubin Day, which was organised by about 20 community groups including Team Seagrass, Nature Society (Singapore) and the Butterfly Circle to showcase the different facets of the island to the public.

    The Pekan Quarry on the island is among the areas that are set to be enhanced. Floating wetlands and nesting platforms will be installed to encourage the nesting and roosting of birds such as herons. Amenities such as boardwalks will also be built for visitors, to be ready by the third quarter of next year.

    NParks has also identified certain species for recovery programmes. They include an endangered mangrove tree, a terrestrial orchid and rare seagrasses. Certain bird species such as the Baya Weaver and the Red-Wattled Lapwing, as well as bats and otters have also been selected.

    To encourage research and education, a new centre for field studies, education and outreach will also be built on the site of the former Celestial Resort. Mooted by a group of educators, the centre will be equipped with field study labs, classrooms and accommodation.

    On the heritage front, the authorities will be partnering tertiary institutions and non-governmental organisations to identify and map the island’s past and heritage elements in a cultural mapping project, on top of the restoration guidelines.

    To encourage environmentally and socially responsible behaviour while on the island, a code of conduct — the Ubin Way — will be developed by some of the Friends of Ubin Network (FUN) members. FUN, formed earlier this year, comprises naturalists, heritage experts, sports enthusiasts, researchers, residents and students, and has been active in the Ubin Project.

    Speaking at Ubin Day yesterday, Mr Lee commended the collective effort involved in developing a vision for the 10.2 sq km island — about the size of Changi Airport — that would honour the past, treasure the present and shape its future.

    Pointing to the Sustainable Singapore Blueprint that was launched last month, he said the initiatives for Pulau Ubin were a prime example of how every Singaporean has an important role in making the country more liveable and sustainable.

    Minister of State (National Development) Desmond Lee, speaking to reporters, assured that the authorities would manage the number of visitors, as numbers are set to rise. About 2,000 to 3,000 people visit the island each weekend.

    For areas of biodiversity that are more sensitive, the number of visitors may be restricted by limiting access only to researchers or those on guided tours. While no cap has been set on the number of visitors, Mr Desmond Lee pointed out that the area is naturally restricted by the number of boats that can ferry people to the island.

    Most residents TODAY spoke to welcomed these initiatives, which they said would improve their business. Mr Tan Chee Kiang, 67, felt the new initiatives would preserve the kampung spirit of the island. Pulau Ubin is unique and should be kept the way it is instead of turning it into another Sentosa, said Mr Tan, who is the owner of a provision shop and seafood restaurant on the island.

    Last year, residents of the island were alarmed to receive a notice from the authorities that led many to believe they were facing eviction to make way for development. The authorities later apologised, saying the notice could have been better worded.

    While these are positive initiatives, Nature Society (Singapore) conservation committee vice-chairman Ho Hua Chew felt that to ensure these efforts do not go to waste, the island needs a “stronger protection status”.

    Last month, TODAY reported that the nature group has called for Pulau Ubin to be given the same level of protection as a nature reserve. The island is currently designated a nature area, but can be developed if the need arises.

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com