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Tag: religion

  • Selepas 8 Tahun Naib Juara, Nurul ‘Izzah Muncul Johan Musabaqah Tilawah Al Quran Kali Ini

    Selepas 8 Tahun Naib Juara, Nurul ‘Izzah Muncul Johan Musabaqah Tilawah Al Quran Kali Ini

    Mencuba terus mencuba tanpa berputus asa.

    Setelah lapan tahun berturut-turut menjadi Naib Johan, Cik Nurul ‘Izzah Khamsani akhirnya berjaya menjadi Johan Qariah Musabaqah Tilawah Al Quran peringkat Kebangsaan tahun ini.

    Johan Qari, Encik Ahmad Daniyal Mohd Rizal, juga merupakan pemenang kali pertama setelah tiga kali menjadi Naib Johan.

    PERJUANGAN DAN DUGAAN DIHADAPI NURUL IZZAH KHAMSANI

    Mendengarkan alunan suara bacaan beliau secara bertarannum, siapa sangka Cik Nurul ‘Izzah yang berusia 30 tahun, sebenarnya mengalami dugaan besar sejak beberapa minggu lalu.

    Suara serak sejak tiga minggu yang lalu, dan beliau mengaku terasa bahawa tiada harapan untuk suara itu kembali bagi tilawah tersebut, semasa bacaan peringkat akhir dari 23-24 April.

    Berkat semangat tidak berputus asa dan penggunaan kaedah yang bijak, Cik Nurul ‘Izzah yang bertugas selaku seorang Pegawai Agama di sebuah masjid tempatan, berjaya mengatasi kegenjotan tersebut.

    “Alhamdulillah pertama sekali saya kembalikan kepada Allah sebab beliau yang mengembalikan suara saya setelah serak tiga minggu. Dan saya gunakan teknik tahsin al sawud, di mana saya tidak gunakan suara dari tekak tapi saya pakai fungsi suara. Jadi saya lepasi tekak saya. Dia ada caralah, tapi maksudnya di situ di mana ilmu mencantikkan suara itu memainkan peranan,” Cik Nurul ‘Izzah memberitahu BERITAMediacorp.

    Akhirnya, Cik Nurul ‘Izzah, muncul juara, dan nikmat yang beliau rasakan begitu bermakna dan jelas terpancar menerusi kata-kata beliau.

    “Setelah lapan tahun saya menunggu sebagai Naib Johan, lapan tahun berturut-turut, ini adalah kejayaan yang manis bagi saya,” kata beliau penuh gembira.

    AHMAD DANIYAL SAHUT CABARAN ANTARABANGSA

    Johan bahagian Qari juga mempunyai ciri-ciri yang sama.

    Encik Ahmad Daniyal sebelum ini sudah empat atau lima kali mencuba dalam Tilawah Al Quran.

    Beliau juga berjaya menjadi Naib Johan sebanyak dua tiga kali sejauh ini.

    Namun tahun 2016 menjadi tahun tuah baginya kerana dinobatkan sebagai Johan Qari Kebangsaan, yang diadakan untuk kali ke 49 tahun ini.

    “Saya selalu mengikuti rancangan TV untuk Tilawah Al Quran Antarabangsa, dan saya dapati qari-qari di sana lebih hebat, jadi saya perlu lebih kreatif, lebih inovatif, lebih bersemangat dan lebih berani untuk mencuba sesuatu yang baru di sana,” kata pelajar berusia 23 tahun itu kepada BERITAMediacorp.

    Kedua-dua johan menerima piala kemenangan daripada Speaker Parlimen Halimah Yacob.

    Mereka akan mewakili Singapura dalam tilawah peringkat antarabangsa di Malaysia bulan depan, dan berazam membuat persembahan terbaik demi mengharumkan nama negara.

    Bagi Cik Nurul ‘Izzah, beliau akan terus melakukan pelbagai usaha untuk memastikan kondisi fizikalnya baik bagi menghadapi para pesaing antarabangsa nanti:

    “Yang pertama sekali ialah persiapan latihan secara intensif. Hari-hari saya cuba luangkan masa. Contohnya kalau di pejabat itu saya sempat juga dengarkan Al Quran sambil saya buat kerja – ‘multi-tasking’. Keduanya persiapan dari segi fizikal. Alhamdulillah saya pergi berenang. jadi itu membantu dari sudut pernafasan dan stamina.”

    PESERTA MUDA BAWAH 25 TAHUN SEMAKIN BERTAMBAH

    Dalam pada itu, pihak penganjur menyatakan, tilawah tahun ini juga menyaksikan perkembangan baik.

    Iaitu peningkatan dalam penyertaan peserta muda.

    Daripada purata 30 peserta di bawah 25 tahun dalam tahun 2000, bilangannya kini melonjak kepada purata 60 peserta sedemikian setiap tahun.

    MUIS menyatakan, peningkatan ini membuktikan wujudnya sokongan masyarakat untuk menggalakkan golongan muda mempelajari dan menghayati bacaan Al Quran

    Source: Berita Mediacorp

  • Masagos: Singaporeans Studying In The Middle East Have Role To Play In Nation Building

    Masagos: Singaporeans Studying In The Middle East Have Role To Play In Nation Building

    Singaporean students who are studying in Middle Eastern universities have an important role to play after they graduate, as the Republic is in need of strong religious leaders who can contextualise Islam in line with the country’s multiracial circumstances, said Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli on Saturday (April 16) night.

    Mr Masagos, who was speaking to reporters after a dialogue session with around 100 Singaporean students studying in Jordanian universities, said that Singapore has benefited from a strong group of home-grown religious scholars, because many of them understand how religion should be taught, particularly in the context of how it features in a multicultural society. But more religious leaders are needed in the future, he said.

    “By coming to the Middle East, Jordan, Egypt and in the past even Syria, they (the students) are able to deepen their technical understanding of the region. Therefore, (they) also build the credibility that is needed when they are expounding the religion,” said Mr Masagos, who is part of the Singapore delegation accompanying Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on a week-long trip to the Middle East.

    “When they come back (to Singapore), they know how to contextualise the teachings and at the same time inoculate the masses against the persuasions from the outside to become more radicalised,” said the Minister.

    He noted that many of these students had gone through the Madrasah educational system in Singapore, where they learnt how to practise the religion in the context of Singapore’s multiracial society. With their deepened understanding, these graduates would be able to promote respect for different groups in society.

    He added that students who graduate from the Middle East have a lot more to offer in addition to their religious knowledge.

    “For example, their mastery of Arabic as well as having lived here (in the Middle East) for a long time, can contribute to our own companies’ foray in this area,” he said, adding that he has spoken to Singaporean companies with investments in the region including Keppel FELS, Hyflux and Sembcorp about tapping on the expertise of these students.

    Reflecting on the dialogue with Mr Masagos, Mr Abdul Fattah, 23, a freshman studying jurisprudence told TODAY that “what we learn here in Jordan, we would like to first benefit our families, close friends and the people around us.”

    “In the future, I hope to be able to work with youths and instill in them the knowledge of love and respect for this religion (Islam),” he said, adding that he aspires to reach out to non-Muslim youths as well.

    Commenting on concerns about Islamophobia in Singapore, Mr Masagos said that “through our dialogue, my point to them (students) is clear: it is in our hands to ensure that we interact with the wider society well, meaningfully, deeply, so that interaction between all races, even at the individual level is contributing and positive.”

    “They (should) understand that while Islamophobia is something that could happen because of the information that others may have about Muslims around the world, we can change that, we can prevent that from happening in Singapore,” he said.

    Mr Masagos noted that The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) has been active in engaging Singaporean students in the Middle East, with MUIS officers stationed in Cairo and Jeddah so that they can be in close touch with the students not only to ensure that their welfare is taken care of, but also to render any assistance in the event of an emergency.

    Additionally, MUIS updates the students on latest developments in Singapore so that “they do not merely read about Singapore on the Internet and interpret them in any way that the internet is persuading them to,” said Mr Masagos.

    Prime Minister Lee, when hosting a reception for the same group of students on Saturday evening, also encouraged them to keep pace with developments back home, inviting them to follow him on social media to get a better sense of what is happening in Singapore.

    Mr Lee is making his first official visit to Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Territories. The last high-level visit by a Singaporean leader to Jordan was by then President S R Nathan in 2006. Mr Lee on Saturday kick-started his trip with a cultural programme at the ancient city of Petra in Jordan. On Sunday, Mr Lee will be hosted to lunch by Jordan’s King Abdullah II. He will also meet Prime Minister and Defence Minister Abdullah Ensour, who will host dinner for him.

    Mr Lee will meet Chief Advisor for Religious and Cultural Affairs Prince Ghazi Bin Muhammad Bin Talal on Monday, before proceeding to Israel and the Palestinian Territories.

     

    Source: TODAY Online

  • Kepelbagaian, Ekonomi Moden Antara Cabaran Utama Melayu/Islam

    Kepelbagaian, Ekonomi Moden Antara Cabaran Utama Melayu/Islam

    Kepelbagaian dalam kehidupan sosioagama dan keadaan ekonomi yang sering berubah-ubah merupakan dua cabaran utama yang perlu diharungi masyarakat Melayu/Islam di sini pada masa hadapan.

    Menteri Bertanggungjawab bagi Ehwal Masyarakat Islam, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim berkata demikian semasa menyampaikan ucapan dalam bahasa Melayu di perbahasan Jawatankuasa Peruntukan (COS) di Parlimen, hari ini (14 Apr).

    Dalam pada itu, Dr Yaacob berkata Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) akan buat pertama kalinya menganjurkan persidangan “Fatwa dalam Masyarakat Kontemporari”, untuk antara lain, membincangkan proses pengeluaran fatwa yang mengambil kira konteks Singapura.

    Menurut Dr Yaacob, meskipun cabaran-cabaran tersebut amat rumit, beliau yakin masyarakat boleh mengatasinya hasil kegigihan dan kerjasama erat dengan Pemerintah.

    MELAYU/ISLAM MENYUMBANG KEPADA KEHARMONIAN MASYARAKAT

    Menyentuh tentang cabaran pertama, Dr Yaacob berkata masyarakat Melayu/Islam di sini berjaya membuat sumbangan genting kepada keharmonian dan kesejahteraan masyarakat majmuk Singapura, di samping yakin mengamalkan kehidupan beragama.

    “Pada dasarnya, kehidupan kita banyak berpandukan nilai-nilai seperti kesederhanaan, sikap inklusif dan menghormati perbezaan. Inilah yang dipaparkan oleh golongan perintis terdahulu seperti Presiden Yusof Ishak, Ustaz Ahmad Sonhadji Mohamed, Pak Ridzwan Dzafir serta Ustaz Ibrahim Kassim,” ujar Dr Yaacob.

    Namun, beliau akur, dengan cabaran yang lebih rumit hari ini, “semakin sukar untuk kita mengimbangi kepentingan dan pandangan yang berbeza-beza.”

    Walaubagaimanapun, Dr Yaacob berkata setiap golongan – termasuk ibu bapa, guru, karyawan, pemimpin masyarakat dan agama – perlu memainkan peranan untuk menolak unsur-unsur yang boleh menjejas perpaduan masyarakat.

    MUIS PERTINGKAT USAHA KUKUHKAN KEPIMPINAN AGAMA PROGRESIF

    Oleh itu, MUIS akan mempertingkatkan usaha untuk mengukuhkan kepimpinan agama yang progresif, dengan antara lain, menganjurkan persidangan “Fatwa dalam Masyarakat Kontemporari”.

    Kata Dr Yaacob, sejak 1968, lebih 500 fatwa dikeluarkan untuk membimbing masyarakat Melayu/Islam Singapura, dan persidangan tersebut bertujuan mengongsi pengalaman MUIS dalam hal berkenaan.

    “Persidangan ini dapat menjadi satu wadah perbincangan dan penyebaran pemikiran progresif lebih-lebih lagi buat masyarakat minoriti Islam yang hidup dalam masyarakat berbilang bangsa dan agama,” kata Dr Yaacob.

    PERUBAHAN EKONOMI EKORAN LEDAKAN TEKNOLOGI

    Menyentuh tentang cabaran yang kedua pula, Dr Yaacob berkata antara cabaran yang dibawa bersama ekonomi baru ialah perubahan-perubahan ekoran ledakan teknologi, yang memaksa industri-industri di sini menyusun semula dan berubah.

    “Ini bermakna peningkatan kemahiran yang berterusan menjadi genting, dan ICT pula menjadi pemangkin kemajuan.

    “Anak-anak muda kita mesti sedar tentang hakikat ini. Mereka mesti bersedia untuk memasuki alam pekerjaan yang semakin menitikberatkan kepakaran serta pengalaman, lebih daripada segulung ijazah,” kata Dr Yaacob.

    Oleh itu, katanya, Dewan Perniagaan dan Perusahaan Melayu Singapura (DPPMS) serta badan-badan Melayu/Islam lain perlu mendorong usaha agar lebih ramai pekerja dan syarikat Melayu/Islam dapat membawa nilai tambah dalam bidang masing-masing.

    Yayasan MENDAKI pula akan saling mendekatkan masyarakat Melayu/Islam kepada gerakan SkillsFuture. Ia akan melancarkan beberapa inisiatif baru termasuk “Future Ready Mentoring” untuk membimbing para pelajar menengah, Institut Pendidikan Teknikal (ITE) dan politeknik dalam pemilihan kerjaya.

    Program CM-Tech@Heartlands yang bakal dilancarkan pula akan dibawa ke kawasan kejiranan untuk merangsang minat anak-anak Melayu/Islam dalam bidang teknologi.

    MELAYU/ISLAM CAPAI BANYAK KEMAJUAN

    Bercakap tentang usaha untuk memperkukuh sokongan terhadap aspek pendidikan, keperluan sosio-agama, pembangunan keluarga serta bantuan bagi golongan kurang bernasib baik di kalangan masyarakat Melayu/Islam seperti yang ditanya beberapa Anggota Parlimen, Dr Yaacob berkata “kita sudah mencapai banyak kemajuan dalam hal ini, dan lebih banyak boleh dicapai pada masa hadapan.”

    Dr Yaacob juga berkata kita boleh bersyukur bahawa selain membina, kita mampu mempertingkatkan institusi-institusi kita demi memenuhi keperluan keagamaan masyarakat kita.

    TAPAK MASJID BARU DI TAMPINES NORTH 

    Atas dasar itu, kadar sumbangan Dana Pembinaan Masjid dan Mendaki (MBMF) sudah diubah seperti yang diumumkan bulan lalu.

    Dr Yaacob juga mengumumkan bahawa sebuah kawasan sudahpun dikenal pasti sebagai tapak pembinaan masjid di Tampines North.

    24,700 RUANG SOLAT TAMBAHAN

    Menjelang tahun hadapan pula, dua masjid baru – Masjid Maarof dan Masjid Yusof Ishak – akan siap dibina. Kerja-kerja pembangunan semula Masjid Darul Ghufran pula bakal dijalankan tahun ini.

    Selain itu, ruang solat di Masjid Al-Istighfar juga bakal bertambah. Secara keseluruhan, Program Peningkatan Masjid yang bermula sejak 2009, sudah berjaya menghasilkan 24,700 ruang solat tambahan, dan banyak lagi yang bakal diusahakan di bawah program itu, kata Dr Yaacob.

    Memberi perkembangan tentang sektor madrasah pula, Dr Yaacob berkata Madrasah Arabiah akan berpindah ke lokasi baru dengan tempoh pajakan 30 tahun.

    Malah, MUIS turut giat menyokong usaha menerapkan penggunaan teknologi dan infokomunikasi dalam pengajaran dan pembelajaran di Madrasah Irsyad Zuhri dan Madrasah Aljunied.

    PUNGUTAN ZAKAT KIAN BERTAMBAH

    Dr Yaacob juga berkata pungutan zakat di kalangan masyarakat Melayu/Islam bertambah saban tahun, iaitu dari $22.7 juta pada 2010, kepada sekitar $35.3 juta (sebelum diaudit) tahun lalu. Setiap tahun, MUIS juga mengagihkan zakat kepada sekitar 5,300 fakir miskin.

    Yayasan MENDAKI juga giat mempertingkat usaha untuk menyalurkan mereka yang memerlukan kepada pusat-pusat khidmat sosial di peringkat nasional. Sepanjang enam tahun lalu, lebih 14,000 individu sudah dibantu.

    MENDAKI AKAN BANTU KELUARGA MANFAATKAN KIDSTART

    MENDAKI akan turut bekerjasama dengan Agensi Pembangunan Awal Kanak-Kanak (ECDA) agar keluarga Melayu/Islam yang memerlukan dapat mengambil manfaat daripada inisiatif KidSTART.

    Inisiatif tersebut menyediakan sokongan dalam pelbagai aspek, termasuk kesihatan, pembelajaran dan pembangunan anak-anak berusia bawah 6 tahun.

    “Kita menaruh harapan kepada anak-anak muda kita untuk meneruskan perjuangan ini serta melangkah dengan cekal, berjalan dengan tawakkal dan bertindak dengan akal.

    “Yang nyata, masa depan yang cerah memerlukan usaha jitu daripada setiap anggota masyarakat. Marilah kita berganding bahu dan semarakkan lagi semangat kerjasama antara masyarakat Melayu/Islam dan Pemerintah demi mencipta masa depan yang lebih cerah untuk kita bersama,” ujar Dr Yaacob.

    Source: Berita Mediacorp

  • South African Undergraduate In Singapore: Is Singapore A Racist Country?

    South African Undergraduate In Singapore: Is Singapore A Racist Country?

    This is a question I get asked occasionally when I am back home, and something I have questioned and pondered upon for ages. It’s not always easy to talk to my Singaporean friends about this because they, as we all do with our own respective countries, can never truly see things from the eyes of an outsider. No matter how well meaning or open-minded we may be, it is difficult to accept that that which we hold sacred and dear may be flawed. Almost every discussion I have ultimately ends in a dismissive acknowledgement because, even though we may criticise our own countries, we will always get protective when someone else does the same.

    Does this mean my article is going to be a criticism? No. I’m not here to wax lyrical about how Singapore oppresses me (boohoo) or how I feel restricted (poor me) or whatever other criticisms expats have been known to spout on a daily basis. I don’t have much of a leg to stand on, considering which countries I come from, and any ranting and raising of my blood pressure is a waste of good time anyway.

    I’d firstly like to state that the question ‘is Singapore a racist country?’ has many layers to it, and often when people ask that they are really asking ‘is Singapore a prejudiced country?’ Racism, by definition, is entirely institutional and systemic, and goes beyond calling someone a ‘dirty darkie’ or a ‘thin-lipped cracker.’

    So, does Singapore have institutionalised racism, you ask? From the little knowledge and observations I have, I would say that race definitely factors into the institution. There is a social stratification of race that is perpetuated by the system, but is not necessarily oppressive or harmful. The three main ethnicities are Chinese, Indian and Malay, but none of those ethnicities are actively killing or persecuting the other, and any racism there may be is vastly incomparable to what we see in the United States or South Africa, for example.

    The more important question in this case is whether the institution is set up to disadvantage black people. The answer is no. There cannot be more than 1 000 black people living in a country of 5 million, so anyone actively enforcing racism on us would be someone with a vendetta and far too much time on their hands.

    Sure, there is a difference in treatment to expats. We can’t buy houses here (unless it’s on Sentosa Island and you have a couple million bucks to spare), and we have to pay $15 to get into the national gallery (which I am personally offended by, mind you). Big deal. If I’m being honest, I benefit a lot from the system by virtue of my foreignness – I get a lot of opportunities as the ‘poster child for diversity,’ and I’m legally guaranteed to get a job upon graduation, even if I major in soap carving. Perhaps black professionals here have had a different experience, and if so, I would love to have a discussion about it. However, from where I stand, my answer is that no, Singapore is not racist towards black people.

    Now, onto the juicy question: is there prejudice towards black people in Singapore? Yes. There is. Some people may get defensive and say I’m too sensitive, but to that I reply that I grew up in a Shona household, and there is no place for sensitivity at our dinner table (I’m not joking, if you wanted to sulk, you had to do it alone in your room). Someone offends you, you get over it. I grew up on rooibos tea and tough love, so it takes quite a lot to hurt my feelings.

    That said, living in Singapore has been very difficult, and more so because when prejudice is not outright and overt, it is ignored and never addressed. Your feelings are invalidated by even the most well-meaning people. But I can tell you what prejudice in Singapore feels like.

    Prejudice in Singapore is when little children stare at you in fear, whilst their parents pretend like they don’t notice, and say nothing.

    Prejudice is when people marvel at how clean and pretty your hair is, because their expectation is for it to be dirty and ugly.

    Prejudice is when the only attention or recognition you get from a person of the opposite sex is when you serve to fulfil a fetish, otherwise you are undateable and unwanted.

    Prejudice is when one too many Chinese uncles changes their cab sign and drives off the moment they see you signalling.

    Prejudice is when old men think it’s appropriate to ask if you’re a ‘negro like Michelle Obama.’

    Prejudice is when you realise that the grumpy and rude auntie serving you is perfectly pleasant to everyone else before and after you.

    Prejudice is in the slip of the tongue, when even the friendliest of faces equate blackness to violence, theft, corruption and crude behaviour.

    Prejudice is when complete strangers see you as a novelty, and poke you and prod you and pull your hair on the MRT without ever asking.

    Prejudice is when ‘You’re not that type of black ah. You’re the good kind of black,’ is meant as a compliment.

    Prejudice is when you get turned down from countless agencies in a supposedly cosmopolitan city because they ‘cannot market your image,’ i.e. they may use white or even mixed race girls, but they will not use a darker-skinned black girl to sell their product.

    Prejudice is when you are expected to speak on the behalf of all black people everywhere during discussions about international or racial affairs.

    Prejudice is in the small, everyday things that drive you insane because no one notices them and you can’t tell if you’re being overly sensitive or not.

    What’s worse is that every complaint or bad experience a non-black foreigner has had is probably twice as bad for you, but they don’t believe you when you point it out.

    I grew up in post-apartheid South Africa, and whilst I didn’t live directly under a system of oppression, I was internalising its remnants before I even knew what racism was. I’ve had some awful experiences back home, far worse than anything I ever experienced in Singapore. I’ve had people glare at me or purposefully ignore me when I enter shops or cafés, to let me know that my skin does not belong. I’ve gone on holiday and seen a mass exodus of white families from every pool the moment we got in. I’ve been called names. I’ve been addressed rudely in public. My family even moved country when I was a child because my mother did not want my race to be a burden, after I came home from school crying and wishing I were white, because my classmates’ parents said they could not be friends with a black person. Please understand that when I tell you these things, I don’t mean it to get your pity or sympathy, but to merely to explain that race and prejudice have always been a part of my life, and I thought that after so many years I had come to terms with it.

    After growing up in international schools and becoming well-versed in issues about racism, I thought nothing could faze me. What I realised living in Singapore is that no matter how secure I was in my own skin, no matter how thick-skinned living in a post-apartheid country had made me, I was not prepared to face it when I was not amongst my own people. When no one else looks like you, or knows the struggles you have been through, the feelings of inferiority and self-loathing about your blackness that you have had to fight against your whole life. When no one really understands how difficult it is to be seen first as black, then second as a person, and reminded of your blackness every. single. day. When no one knowns what it’s like to feel so hopelessly alone in a sea of unfamiliar faces, it makes it so much harder to stay strong and ‘get over it.’

    I’m not going to lie, I nearly left Singapore. I nearly broke down and transferred school. And I remember the exact day when I was pushed one bit too far, down to what I was wearing and what thinly-veiled racial remark slipped from the lips of the smiling face that could not see past their privilege.

    I have cried so many tears. I have felt so tired of being black.

    But ultimately, I have become a much stronger person. I have grown a very very thick melanin-filled skin, and whilst it may make me seem disinterested, or intimidating to approach, it is the only thing that stops me from hurting.

    Singapore is not a prejudiced country as a whole, especially not when compared to numerous countries in which black people are persecuted and looked down upon every day. However, prejudice does exist, lying somewhere under the surface. It is hard, but I have reached a place where it bothers me far less, where the effect is not as deeply felt. Over time, I have met the most understanding and supportive people who may not understand how I feel, but they are willing to listen to my experiences and never dismiss them.

    I really do enjoy living in Singapore, and being pushed to the edge and having to confront my ‘blackness’ has made me learn to love my skin even more. I think I really needed this, and I think I’m here to stay.

     

    Source: Pepper & Söl

  • Damanhuri: The Elites On Top Should Climb Down From Their High Towers

    Damanhuri: The Elites On Top Should Climb Down From Their High Towers

    When the government’s attitude and relationship with an entire minority community are based on suspicion and distrust, their arguments to dance around that disgusting truth gets more and more hollow and untenable. Discrimination based on race and religion still exists and must end starting with the government. 50 years of tolerance by the minority deserves a better response than pathetic excuses to justify policies that remains on the shelf when it has long past its expiry date. The majority Chinese, Malay, Indian and Eurasian Singaporeans (especially hdb-dwellers) are well in the road of integration, respect and tolerance. Its those few elites on top that seems out of sync in their high towers.

     

    Source: Damanhuri Abas