Rilek1Corner

Tag: President

  • Do Indians Regard Newly Elected President As A Traitor For Disowning Her Indian Race?

    Do Indians Regard Newly Elected President As A Traitor For Disowning Her Indian Race?

    Some people still don’t get it as to why Singapore’s 2017 Presidential Election is a discrimination to the Malay community. Some questioned where got anymore pure breed Malays in Singapore?

    Actually, to measure how Malay you are, it is tightly linked to how Islamic you are. If you notice, in our mainstream media, usually news bulletins or articles will feature Malays as “Malay/Muslim” or “Melayu/Islam” without fail. So, somehow, if you want to argue that there are Malays who have denounced Islam, yes, that can be true, but bottomline is, perhaps, majority of Malays are still Muslims, whether or not they are practicing Muslims.

    However, there are some people who may want to argue that the race group you belong to depends on your father. If your father is a Malay, then the child will be Malay. And this has been the government’s stand for the longest time. That is the reason why previously, Malay children do not have to pay for their school fees (however, this privilege has been withdrawn). The new President, Halimah Yacob, was born to an Indian father, hence, why is the government still flipping prata?

    Another issue is that the government has always been pressing on the meritocracy. Whoever has the ability will be accepted into any job, especially those high-ranking jobs. The meritocratic aspect does not give privilege to any individual from whatever race or religion. This was what the government has been proud of and that from here, we can see that those who have the ability will be successful in securing the high-ranking job without accounting the individual’s race or religion.

    However, for the Singapore’s 2017 Presidential Election, the government has bypass the meritocratic principle because other races were not allowed to contest for Presidency. This caused the other races, especially the Chinese to be very angry because it is true that the Presidential Election is an unfair one. And this also shame the Malay community because it is obvious that the newly “elected” President got her high-ranking job not based on meritocracy.

    And the Indians are also angry because the “elected” President is an Indian and dear Mdm President Halimah Yacob is seen as someone who disown her own race to become Malay and hence, be eligible for Presidency. If there is a Malay who declares him/herself as Chinese just to be eligible for a career in the political office, for sure, the Malay community will regard the individual as a traitor and a disgrace to the Malay community.

    It is obvious that the new “elected” President has caused so much unhappiness and problems to Singapore even before her term started.

     

    Rilek1Corner

  • Singapore’s Presidential Election: A Political Charade?

    Singapore’s Presidential Election: A Political Charade?

    The Presidential Election 2017 is a tricky one because for the first time ever, it has the race element. Many individuals have come forward to express how the PE is tainted due to it being reserved for only Malays, and thus far, the candidates that have come forward, are all not from the Malay race itself. Issues after issues surround the upcoming PE, therefore, will this be a fair PE?

    ***

    As a person, I can think of a hundred nice things to say about Mdm Halimah Yacob. Hers is an inspiring story of how will and determination can overcome all obstacles and hardships. But as a PAP-sponsored candidate for the coming EP (Reserved only for Malays) contest, I try but can’t think of any. The same goes for the other two PAP-inspired male supporting actors in this political charade scripted by a puppet master.

    As successful businessmen in a tough Chinese-dominated environment, they have proven their mettle. I have also much admiration for them. By becoming willing partners in this closed and divisive EP race, I have nothing good to say about their participation. All 3 have to lie through their teeth to maintain the meritocracy and multi-racialism facade of what is essentially a flawed EP contest. In his prime, our revered departed leader said:

    “Never tinker with a system that works for political advantage, because once you start, you will never stop.” But decades later – in an attempt to prolong his own legacy – he forgot all about his advice to the leaders from the developing world. The result is a divided and highly agitated Sinkapoor, preoccupied with racial issues, nursing old and new grievances and questioning the legitimacy of the present leaders. Now we know, human nature cannot change. Unfettered power will sooner or later corrupt even the most incorruptible of leaders.

     

    Source: Ismail Kassim

  • Commentary: No Need For A Contest? Reserved Election Promotes Multi-Culturalism? What Utter Nonsense!

    Commentary: No Need For A Contest? Reserved Election Promotes Multi-Culturalism? What Utter Nonsense!

    *********** Not Par for the Course ****************

    Over the weekend , the MSM was suggesting that perhaps there is no need for a contest in the upcoming Presidential Election and that the reserved Election promotes multi-culturalism .

    What utter nonsense !

    This reserved Election has already gone down as the most despised , ridiculed and discredited election in Singapore history . It has set back the Singapore identity and race relations by 50 years . It has laid to waste all the efforts at Nation building for the past half a century , all for the sake of political expediency by the establishment .

    The Singapore identity meant amongst other things , that when it is a question of putting one person before another in positions of public responsibility , what counts is not membership of a particular class but the actual ability which the man possesses . That Singapore identity has been totally shredded by this reserved election .

    The Establishment uses euphemisms such as promoting multi-culturalism to camouflage the racial ugliness of their stratagem . Multi-culturalism is always inclusive and never exclusive , which sadly is what the reserved election is all about .

    Halimah Yacob says that the reserved election is still meritocratic because all the candidates have to meet the same qualification criteria . No Madam . A meritocratic system is one where other races are not excluded from being elected President . You are participating in a ” handicapped ” election where other races are excluded in favour of a particular race . It is comparable to the US Masters Golf tournament being reserved only for Black golfers in a particular year . Tiger Woods did not require such a handicap competition to win the Masters in 1997 or 13 other major championships , and countless other tournaments throughout the world . Neither did Barack Obama require a reserved Election to become the first Black American President in 2008 , an achievement which was thought well-nigh impossible just 2 years earlier .

    For those who suggest there is no need for a contest , I have this to say . Whoever becomes the next President of Singapore has already become so diminished by this whole absurd saga . To even begin to salvage a modicum of respect for a hollowed out Office requires the person to win the command and respect of the Singapore people in a proper contest . If there is a walkover , there will be no mandate or respect from Singaporeans for this President , who will assume Office on 14 September as the lamest of ducks !

     

    Source: Tean Lim

  • Halimah Yacob: “I Owe A Duty To Singapore And The People”

    Halimah Yacob: “I Owe A Duty To Singapore And The People”

    Reflecting on her tenure as Speaker of the House, Madam Halimah Yacob said she tried her utmost to give Members of Parliament (MPs) a fair opportunity to ask questions and was “very even-handed” to both backbenchers and political officeholders. On the occasions when she had to interject and remind MPs — including those from the Workers’ Party — not to launch into a debate during question time, she said: “I do not make the rules, Parliament makes the rules. And I have to apply the rules.”

    She added: “Under the Standing Order, it’s very clear, question time is not debate. If you want to debate on an issue, you file a motion.” Last week, Mdm Halimah stepped down as Speaker and an MP in order to run in next month’s Presidential Election. Having been an MP, she said she understands how MPs “work very hard to prepare speeches and questions”. Her advice to MPs is to prepare questions in a “very succinct way where they can elicit the responses that they want”. They should also anticipate the likely answers, and have supplementary questions ready, she added.

    Mdm Halimah was a Minister of State at the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) when she was asked in December 2012 by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to take over from former Speaker Michael Palmer, who resigned in the wake of an extra-marital affair. Barely a month later, she was elected by the House as Speaker. With “very little learning time” to familiarise herself with the role, she had to preside over the February 2013 debate on the Population White Paper.

    “It was a rather controversial debate which I had to take care of. Soon after … we had the Budget (debate),” recalled Mdm Halimah, adding that her legal training helped her to “catch up a bit faster”. She quipped: “And I was a backbencher for 10 years … some of the time, I had irked the previous Speaker — that gives me some insights to being a Speaker.” As Speaker, she had to be above the political fray — and even more so if she becomes President. Mdm Halimah, whose resignation from the People’s Action Party ended decades of association with the ruling party, reiterated that she does not owe a duty to a political party. “I owe a duty to Singapore and the people … I will be answerable to Singapore and the people,” she said.

     

    Source: Today

  • Damanhuri Abas: Here’s How By-Election Should Be Conducted For Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC

    Damanhuri Abas: Here’s How By-Election Should Be Conducted For Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC

    The Government must call a GRC By-election for MYT to be true to its stated desire to ensure equal Minority representation as it robustly claimed was the basis for having a reserved PE exclusive for Malays. Less it exposes its own hypocrisy to say one thing but do another for clear political interest. Enough of short-changing the Malays pretending to be benevolent when in truth they manipulate the rules and keep moving the goalpost for 52 years.

    If additional cost incurred for one is the concern as some commentators expressed, here is how to simply overcome that. They can always conduct the By-election together with the PE. It only involves MYT GRC and residence from the constituencies affected can go to the polls on that day to vote twice, both for a PE and the MPs for their GRC. Enough time to do so now. Imaginary problem solved. Lets have a By-Election in MYT together with the PE!!

     

    Source: Damanhuri Bin Abas