Tag: President

  • Commentary: Majority Superiority Complex Is Real, I’ve Personally Encountered Discrimination Against Malays

    Commentary: Majority Superiority Complex Is Real, I’ve Personally Encountered Discrimination Against Malays

    So, when there are Chinese SAP schools and no Malay SAP schools, we did not make any noise about being multicultural. When someone up there stated that we are not ready for a Malay PM, we did not make noise about being multicultural. When Channel 5 showcased so many Chinese adverts and gazette, and almost no Malay ones, we did not make noise about being multicultural. When so many SMEs chose to put up “only Mandarin-speaking candidates shall apply” on their recruitment ads (we know they simply don’t want to hire us), we did not make noise about being multicultural. When the cabinet typically consists of mainly Chinese, a few Indians and only 1 Malay at any point of time (until recently) despite several very capable Malay MS & SMS (and the nation’s racial ratio), we did not make noise about being multicultural.

    My point is, majority superiority complex is real. Many times I have encountered it personally.

    One incident which vividly triggered my memory was a mother of my primary school friend. If you know me enough, many of my close friends are Chinese. My friend, let’s name him A. A was a close friend of mine since Primary 2. We used to eat together (despite some old man saying that Muslims refuse to sit with non-Muslims to eat, which never was a problem) during recess and play together. One day, in Primary 4, I decided to play with him after school nearer to his residence. He had the permission of his mother, initially. After a while of playing at the basketball court, his mother came down to go to the minimart, if i do remember correctly. When she saw him playing with me, she walked towards us and told him in very stern atas English, “I told you not to mix around with Malays, you’ll become stupid” (along those lines, this happened almost 20 years ago, mind you.) Upon hearing that, my heart sank, I’ve never felt so humiliated. That was the last time I played with him, and we only hi-hi bye-bye in school since then. Well, it was probably because he mixed around with me that he dropped out half-way from JC and decided not to continue studying, sorry auntie.

    That didn’t deter me from making so many more close Chinese friends, though; I met my best friend Silas Yeo in P5.

    My race in my IC is always a factor, when I do well or don’t do well. I tutor maths well, suddenly, the comments are, I’m “not so Malay”, but when I failed Maths in Sec 1, that’s expected coz I’m Malay. When they see me (a young Malay man) drive a BMW, they ask whether I’m an Uber driver now. In fact, just the other day, my brother Muhammad Irshad’s BMW was reversed into by an MPV driven by a middle-aged man, the friend of the man asked my brother twice if it was a rental car (hinting that it may be a PHV). My aunt, Suriati who stays in a landed property house took a taxi home one day and the taxi driver’s comment when she was alighting was, “Here is cheap ha? So many Malays stay here”.

    It will never be a problem until a minority gets a little bit more. Anyway, a Malay president is not at the top of our wishlist, either.

    This is in no way a racist post. I posted this because I feel strongly about the discrimination against my race. I’m sorry if it had hurt anyone, but I’m just creating an awareness that such mentality exists and we need to work together to eliminate such thoughts, so that we can move forward as one Singapore.

     

    Source: Muhammad Syaheer Noorhalim

  • Commentary: Why Are Some Malays Proud Of The Outcome Of A Clearly Tainted Process? What Are We Exactly Proud Of?

    Commentary: Why Are Some Malays Proud Of The Outcome Of A Clearly Tainted Process? What Are We Exactly Proud Of?

    It troubles me that some segments in the Malay community celebrate President Halimah’s selection as a victory for the Malays.

    I am perplexed.

    What are we exactly proud of?

    Yes, Madam Halimah is a good person – I will readily admit to this. But to me, the process is of equal, if not greater importance.

    Here, a Malay president was installed only because it was a reserved election. And there was no election – because there was only one candidate who was deemed to be qualified.

    There was no level playing field.

    And so a good person, President Halimah, is tainted by a faulty process.

    The reserved presidential (non)-election has only brought about resentment and controversy (even as admitted by GCT and Tharman).

    And so, why are some Malays proud of the outcome of a clearly tainted process?

    Some Malays even suggest that those who are critical of the process leading to President Halimah’s selection as being racists, or motivated by purported political reasons.

    This is grossly misplaced. Singaporeans are entitled to feel upset. Even GCT and Tharman think so!

    In fact, a lot of Malays who are able to think critically are upset. Because now the perception that the community relies on a crutch is made stronger.

    But some Malays feel proud and stoutly defend a tainted process.

    Alas, this only serves to create discomfort on the part of other communities.

    We have become a community that not only relies on an affirmative action process, but now stoutly defend it.

    As if our existence and pride depends on it. Some even justify it on the basis that we have not had a President for 47 years.

    But if it not ours by merit, why take it?

    Kalau bukan hak kita, jangan di-ambil

    We conveniently forget our sacroscant principle of meritocracy.

    We choose to choose the easy way out and feel entitled instead.

    But where is our maruah as a community?

    It is hard to see any winners in this controversial (non)-election.

    If the concept of a presidential election has been divisive since its introduction, the eventual result of the election has only deepened those fissures.

     

    Source: Nizam Ismail

  • Commentary: No Other Possible Way Of Calling A Spade A Spade, Similarly A Kelong President

    Commentary: No Other Possible Way Of Calling A Spade A Spade, Similarly A Kelong President

    PAP’s Kelong Presidency

    Some people, especially my Malay FB friends, are not happy that I use the hashtag #MadamKelongPresident against Halimah. They seem to think that I am disrespectful to her just because she is Malay President?!

    That is utter nonsense. Just like many Singaporeans, I am totally disgusted with PAP’s rigging of the Presidential Elections. Unfortunately, Halimah has CHOSEN to be part of this disgusting ploy.

    As explained, she could have just WALKED away from submitting her nomination papers so to trigger an Open PE after the other two contenders were disqualified. She would have shown that she is truly INDEPENDENT of PAP’s ploy and we would applause her true spirit of democracy. But no. She has CHOSEN to play along with PAP’s script. The rest is history.

    I do not know Halimah personally and do not have any ill feelings, neither good feelings about her. She is just a plain White PAP people to me.

    However, no matter what you say about her being a “Nice Lady”, the truth is, she has become the President under such Wayangism and Kelongism. There is really no other possible way of calling a spade a spade, a Kelong President so she must be.

    I am confident that she will not be the ONLY Kelong President in Singapore history. There will be Future Kelong Presidents, REGARDLESS of Race, Language or Religion or Sexuality, as long as PAP is in Total Monopoly of Power. There will be Chinese Kelong President, Indian Kelong President, Eurasian Kelong President etc. There will be Madam Kelong President and Mr Kelong President. All in all, they will be ALL the same, the product of Kelongism and Wayangism by PAP government.

    As long as there is Kelong President, I will call he or she as so; thus, mistake me not, it is NOT about Halimah but it is the Kelong Presidency of hers which will deserve such appropriate calling.

    As long as there are people who are wiling to play along with PAP’s Kelongism and Wayangism, there will always be Kelong Presidents born out of the process. I shall not be moved by any SOB story of why these people have to accept or forced into the ploy or scheme of things. As long as you made that conscious choice, you are hardly innocent of being the accomplice of such Kelongism.

    Kelong President of PAP you shall be.

     

    Source: Goh Meng Seng

  • Halimah Yacob: “… Di Singapura, Kita Memberi Peluang Kepada Semua Tidak Kira Bangsa Atau Agama”

    Halimah Yacob: “… Di Singapura, Kita Memberi Peluang Kepada Semua Tidak Kira Bangsa Atau Agama”

    Berikut adalah ucapan penuh dalam Bahasa Melayu President Singapura yang baru dilantik, Puan Halimah Yacob:

    “Saya ingin mengucapkan ribuan terima kasih kepada anda sekalian yang berada di sini. Saya tahu ramai daripada anda telah berada di sini berjam-jam di bawah panas terik. Ini tentu sekali menunjukkan betapa banyak sokongan yang anda berikan kepada saya. Selama dua minggu kebelakangan ini, saya telah banyak berjumpa penduduk Singapura daripada pelbagai latar belakang, dari usia muda hingga warga emas, dari semua latar belakang. Banyak juga sokongan yang telah saya terima. Ramai yang memeluk saya, yang memberi saya kata perangsang, yang mengatakan mereka akan menyokong saya tanpa saya meminta sokongan mereka. Saya berasa amat bersyukur.

    Terima kasih saya ucapkan kepada semua warga Singapura. Sokongan yang anda berikan membuatkan perjalanan saya ke Pusat Penamaan Calon ini mudah. Jadi terima kasih sekali lagi. Saya merupakan Presiden Melayu kedua dalam 47 tahun sejarah kita di Singapura. Presiden Pertama merupakan Presiden Yusof Ishak. Saya merupakan Presiden kedua. Saya berasa ini menunjukkan bahawa di Singapura, kita memberi peluang kepada semua tidak kira bangsa atau agama. Dan ini adalah satu contoh yang baik bagi Singapura. Ia menunjukkan bahawa jika kita diberi peluang, jika ada sokongan, tidak kira apa sahaja bangsa kita, kita dapat mencapai ke tahap yang kita kehendaki, insyaAllah.

    Saya juga merupakan Presiden wanita pertama di Singpura. Dan saya rasa tentu sekali ramai di kalangan wanita kita berasa gembira. Pada masa yang sama, ia menunjukkan wanita boleh meningkat ke mana sahaja taraf, mana sahaja kedudukan selagi mereka mempunyai kemahuan, selagi mereka diberi peluang. Ini adalah sesuatu prinsip yang baik bagi negara kita, negara Singapura yang kita sayangi. Biarlah saya teruskan dalam bahasa Inggeris tetapi saya ingin mengakhiri ucapan bahasa Melayu dengan mengatakan bahawa masa untuk memilih Presiden telah berakhir.

    Dan sekarang adalah masa kita memusatkan fokus kita kepada bagaimana untuk membina Singapura supaya ia menjadi sebuah masyarakat yang lebih maju yang dapat memberikan lebih banyak kepada meningkatkan taraf kehidupan rakyat kita. Dan kita harus bekerjasama dalam usaha ini. Tidak ada seorang pun yang boleh katakan kita dapat lakukannya sendiri. Kita perlukan kerjasama semua rakyat dan saya berharap dapat sokongan anda sekelian dalam usaha kita sama-sama meningkatkan, memajukan negara Singapura yang kita sayangi ini. Terima kasih.”

  • Commentari: Perlantikan Secara “Paksa” Adalah Langkah Ke Belakang / 10 Sebab Kenapa Orang Terasa Marah Terhadap PE2017

    Commentari: Perlantikan Secara “Paksa” Adalah Langkah Ke Belakang / 10 Sebab Kenapa Orang Terasa Marah Terhadap PE2017

    Sebenarnya perlantikan secara “paksa” ini adalah langkah ke belakang (Regressive move) dan ini bukanlah kali pertama ia berlaku di Singapura. Mungkin Dr Maza tidak tahu perkara ini, khususnya point no 7.

    Natijah (Wanita bertudung menjadi presiden) tidak menghalalkan cara.

    Jangan mudah terpedaya dengan bentuk, sistem dominan hari ini dalamannya bersopak, maka mereka harus bersungguh-sungguh untuk tutup dengan baju besi hebat yang berkilat.

    Memang kalau diperhatikan dalam sejarah yang tidak berapa lama, mereka yang suka melaungkan slogan “Tajdid” ala modenisasi ini biasanya bersifat literalis dalam bab menanggapi sistem yang datang dari barat, sifat yang mereka benci dalam membaca teks agama mereka buat dalam membaca konteks. Sedangkan bukan sahaja teks, konteks juga kadangkala perlu ditakwil.

    “Pemilihan secara paksa” ini adalah untuk memastikan tiadanya dissenting voice yang benar-benar substantial daripada Presiden terhadap PAP.

    Dari En Mohd Khair :

    10 Sebab Kenapa ada orang begitu marah terhadap PE2017

    1. Tan Cheng Bock terhalang dari bertanding kerana calon dihadkan hanya kepada orang Melayu

    2. Satu-satunya calon Presiden yang Terpilih mempunyai ayah bukan dari keturunan Melayu

    3. Kriteria Presiden Terpilih diubah sehingga menyempitkan pilihan bagi calon-calon Melayu yang layak

    4. Tiadanya calon Melayu yang benar-benar dianggap Melayu tampil ke depan untuk bertanding. Kedua-dua calon lelaki mohon untuk bertanding datang dari susur galur Marican dan Khan, manakala yang dua lelaki lain adalah dari kaum Cina

    5. Definisi siapakah itu orang Melayu oleh pemerintah tidak diterima kerana dianggap sebagai terlalu longgar

    6. Siapakah Presiden Terpilih yang pertama? – Ong Teng Cheong atau Wee Kim Wee? Tan Cheng Bock mencabar bahwa Presiden Terpilih pertama bukan Wee Kim Wee, tetapi Ong Teng Cheong. Oleh itu, menurut kata Tan Cheng Bock, pilihanraya Presiden kali ini bukan yang terhad kepada kaum minoriti. Menurut pemerintah, Wee Kim Wee adalah Presiden Terpilih pertama kerana beliau Presiden Singapura yang pertama mempunyai bidang kuasa yang diluaskan oleh perlembagaan yang dipinda.

    7. Menghadkan Presiden Terpilih hanya kepada calon Melayu melanggar dasar meritokrasi Singapura dan Perlembagaan Negara

    8. Menghadkan Presiden Terpilih hanya kepada calon Melayu menguatkan lagi tanggapan yang masyarakat Melayu tidak boleh maju ke depan tanpa bantuan pemerintah – pola pemikiran bertongkat atau “crutch mentality”

    9. Kenapa Presiden Terpilih boleh dihadkan atau dikhususkan kepada kaum minoriti tetapi tidak pula untuk jawatan Perdana Menteri

    10. Kenapa tiada pilihanraya kecil apabila Puan Halimah Yacob mengosongkan kawasan undinya untuk bertanding bagi jawatan Presiden Terpilih

    Beberapa fakta relevan mengenai Kedudukan Presiden Singapura, samada dilantik atau diplih

    1. Puan Halimah BUKAN calon Presiden yang pertama kali menang tanpa bertanding. Sebelum ini, Mendiang S R Nathan juga pernah menang tanpa bertanding sebanyak DUA kali, iaitu pada tahun 1999 dan 2005, apabila tiada calon lain yang layak untuk terima Sijil Kelayakan atau Certificcate of Eligibility.

    2. Presiden-Presiden berikut dilantik, dan tidak dipilih melalui proses pilihanraya:
    2.1 Yusof Ishak, 1965 – 1970
    2.2 Benjamin Henry Sheares, 1970 – 1981
    2.3 Devan Nair, 1981 – 1985
    2.4 Wee Kim Wee, 1985 – 1993

    3. Perlembagaan dipinda pada 1991 untuk menjadikan kedudukan Presiden bukan lagi diisi dengan perlantikan, tetapi dipilih melalui proses pilihanraya. Kuasa Presiden juga diluaskan merangkumi kuasa terhadap perbendaharaan negara dan juga perlantikan jawatan-jawatan penting dalam pemerintah. Pindaan ini dilakukan sewaktu tempoh Presiden Wee Kim Wee. Dengan pindaan perlembagaan tersebut, Presiden Wee Kim Wee diberi kuasa seorang Presiden Terpilih. Presiden-Presiden Terpilih selepas itu adalah berikut:
    3.1 Ong Teng Cheong, 1993 – 1999
    3.2 S R Nathan, 1999 – 2005 – 2011
    3.3 Tony Tan, 2011 – 2017

     

    Source: Noor Deros