Tag: petition

Singaporeans Support Petition To Retain Sungei Road Flea Market

The Sungei Road flea market’s last day of operation is on July 10 but the hawkers are hoping to be given an alternative or temporary site that will allow them to continue their business.

On Thursday (Feb 23), Mr Koh Ah Koon, 76, the president of the Association for the Recycling of Second Hand Goods, unfurled a banner at Sungei Road calling for the site to be conserved.

Speaking to The Straits Times later, Mr Koh said he was saddened but hopes an alternative site can be allocated for the hawkers.

“We don’t need a permanent location and can move. We hope the government can give us a temporary site so that our lifestyle and this aspect of local heritage can be retained.”

He said he has printed 10 banners and plans to collect signatures till July to support calls for the site to be “conserved” or retained. By 7pm on Feb 23, he had collected about 200 signatures.

The Government said the free hawking zone has to make way for future residential developments in a multi-agency statement last Tuesday.

Mr Koh’s association, which represents about 70 of 200 vendors at the flea market, had previously proposed four alternative sites – next to Rochor River, at Kampong Bugis along Kallang River, behind Sim Lim Tower and a roadside near Jalan Kubor Malay cemetery.

But the authorities said the four sites had been zoned for parks and residential use under Master Plan 2014.

After the Government announcement, the association submitted a fresh appeal to extend the deadline until the end of the year. If that fails, it hopes to secure a temporary site in Jalan Besar behind a hawker centre.

Mr Kalay V., 45, a businessman who signed the petition said: “This provides the elderly hawkers a legitimate source of income and can be seen as an engagement programme for seniors – not that different from those run by community centres.”

Source: www.straitstimes.com

February 24, 2017
Walid J. Abdullah: Muslims Must Repond To Provocations In A Way That Helps The Ummah

Muslims must really learn not to let ourselves get provoked so easily; sometimes there is no need to glorify provocations with even a response. And when a response is needed, it must be done in a way that helps the ummah; not in a way that hurts it, and definitely not a response that is designed just to vent one’s frustrations. No doubt, we must feel angry about certain, or rather, many, things, but being angry does not mean we do not react intelligently.

Additionally, we must be fair in dealing with others. I really do not buy the idea that we must respect every single belief that differs from ours: there are many beliefs that we argue to be false, so it is ridiculous to say that we must ‘respect’ those beliefs.

Rather, a more appropriate call would be for us to respect the right of others to believe in whatever they wish to believe, even if we think their beliefs are ludicrous. Remember, many of our own beliefs are regarded as absurd by others, and we should not demand they respect our beliefs (if they did, they would be Muslim already); but we must demand they respect our right to believe in whatever we do.
By the same token, we must respect the right of others to disagree with us.

(How that disagreement should manifest itself, is clearly dependent on the social, political and cultural context of a nation/society.)

We must also remember one thing: if we do not display maturity in responding to differences and/or provocations, we are essentially giving the state fodder to justify its interventionist and muscular policies.

‘See, we told you religion can be a divisive force, that is why we must constantly keep a lid on it.’

If we persist in doing that, then we should not really complain when we witness the strong arm of the state everywhere.

Source: Walid J. Abdullah

September 25, 2015
3 Arrested For Trouble At Thaipusam

Singapore police on Tuesday evening arrested three individuals for rowdy behaviour at the annual Thaipusam procession after a scuffle that ended with one policeman being sent to hospital.

In a statement posted to its Facebook page on Wednesday afternoon, police said its officers were sent to the junction of Serangoon Road and Desker Road at about 6:50pm, after a group there refused to stop playing drums despite being requested to by Thaipusam organisers.

The Hindu Thaipusam procession is an annual event held in Singapore where devotees make the journey on foot either carrying kavadi structures or other items such as milk pots in offering to Murugan, the Hindu God of War. The walking route covers a roughly 4km distance from Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple in Serangoon Road to Sri Thendayuthapani Temple on Tank Road.
Friends or relatives of devotees who participate in the procession often support them with musical accompaniment, but in Singapore, the use of musical instruments during processions has been banned since 1973.

While the officers were speaking to the group of drum-players, police said a 33-year-old man confronted them in a “rowdy manner”, and another two men, a 28-year-old and a 32-year-old, came forward to try to stop the police from arresting him.

The 32-year-old assaulted three officers in the process, police said, and both were placed under arrest as well.

One police officer who was injured was then sent to Tan Tock Seng hospital for treatment.

“The three men, all Singaporeans, also used vulgarities against the officers,” the statement said. “All three men were believed to have been drinking earlier as they smelt strongly of alcohol.”

Police said they are investigating the incident.

Source: https://sg.news.yahoo.com

February 5, 2015
Petition To Mdm Halimah Yaacob To Reinstate Thaipusam As A Public Holiday

In Singapore, every major race is given two days of religious or cultural holiday. The Chinese have Chinese New Year (CNY), which lasts for two days. Malays, who are predominantly Muslim, are given holidays for Hari Raya Haji and Hari Raya Puasa. Indians are given Deepavali and Vesak Day. Hence, Thaipusam could not be made a holiday for Indian Hindus.

However, who observes Vesak Day? It is a Buddhist holiday. Buddhism originated in India, but by and large, the world’s biggest population of Buddhists, are East Asian. In Singapore, this means it is the Singaporean Chinese who are mostly Buddhist. Why is it gazetted as an Indian holiday when there are so few Indians celebrating it?

Thaipusam should be made a holiday in Singapore from 2016 in the interest of fairness to all races in Singapore.

Please sign this petition that will be sent to the Public Petitions Committee of the Parliament of Singapore asking to make Thaipusam a holiday in Singapore.

LETTER TO

Chairman, Public Petitions Comittee, Parliament of Singapore Mdm Halimah Yacob

In Singapore, every major race is given two days of religious or cultural holiday. The Chinese have Chinese New Year (CNY), which lasts for two days. Malays, who are predominantly Muslim, are given holidays for Hari Raya.

Sangeetha Thanapal

Source: www.change.org

February 5, 2015
Petition To Request FAS President Zainuddin Nordin To Step Down

Petition Background (Preamble):

After a disastrous year following Singapore’s early group stage exit from the AFF Suzuki Cup on home soil, we seek current Football Association of Singapore’s president Mr Zainuddin’s understanding and kindly request him to step down from the role at the main football governing body in Singapore.

While the current national coach may be responsible for the failure, we believe Mr Zainuddin’s administration for the sport in Singapore has resulted to such a debacle and he should take some responsiblity for the failure as well. We believe he is not up to the task as a top administrator for the number 1 sport in Singapore.

In addition, he has several positions in his current portfolio including being a Member of Parliament, which may enable him not to put in 100% on developing football. We need a better football administrator who is fully dedicated to develop football, with vast football knowledge and experience and to bring Singapore to a brand new chapter of greater heights at a bigger stage out of Southeast Asia.

And thus, we request Mr Zainuddin to step down as president of FAS for the sake of Singapore football.

Petition:

We, the supporters of Singapore football, call on Mr Zainuddin to step down as President of FAS for the sake of the sport in Singapore.

Ciaran Chia

Source: www.therealsingapore.com

December 3, 2014