Tag: SAF

China’s Warship Liaoning Has 10 Cafeterias With 20 Ethnic Minorities On Board

Last weekend, China is opened up its aircraft carrier Liaoning to the public for the first time. The ship arrived in Hong Kong on Friday (July 7), accompanied by two destroyers and a frigate. Only 2,000 tickets for the tour at the weekend were handed out, leaving many who had lined up for hours disappointed. But for the lucky few, the visit is a peek into a highly specialised community, one that works, eats and sleeps together in a maze of hallways and rooms, surrounded by some of the most sophisticated technology and weapons in the Chinese military.

There are more than 3,800 rooms in the ship, including ones for sleeping, eating, exercise and laundry. There’s also the mess hall and even a store, where sailors can buy snacks and everyday items. For security reasons, every sailor carries a photo ID, which must be swiped to enter areas. Access is restricted according to a sailor’s assigned department. Men and women live apart, and fingerprint scanners restrict entry to the women’s quarters. Most sailors are given single beds about 1m wide and 2m long.

With nearly 20 ethnic minorities on board, it’s varied. The ship’s crew eat in 10 cafeterias, including ones specially designed for Muslims. They are offered four appetisers, six main courses and two desserts, going through two to three tons of food per day. When the crew really need to stretch out, the flight deck is turned into a makeshift soccer pitch. There is also an annual basketball competition, with 15 teams competing.

Editors note:

The Chinese Navy can accept 20 ethnic minorities. The RSN cannot even accept one because its ships don’t have halal kitchens. Which one is more inclusive? Hendak seribu daya, tak nak seribu daleh kan. They won’t be ‘losing face’ so to say if they employ a handful of Malays on board because everyone knows that Malays are just a small group in Singapore. We are the minorities and that perhaps may not be changing anytime soon.

What if food was not the issue here since there are halal combat ration already available in SAF. Are they still questioning our loyalty? Still having doubts in Malays in Singapore? Maliki Osman dan Yacoob Ibrahim diam ke tentang isu ini?

What are your thoughts?

Source: Todayonline

July 10, 2017
SAF Tells Singaporeans To Think Twice About Using HALPS’ Concierge Services

The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) on Friday (May 19) advised caution about a proposed new cleaning, storage and packing service for reservists, although a spokesperson for the business idea said it seeks to enhance rather than hinder operational readiness.

Called Helping Arms in ICT’s Laundry, Packaging & Storage (HALPS), the service – conceived by a group of Operationally-Ready National Servicemen (NSmen) themselves during an in-camp training (ICT) – will work by picking up the NSman’s uniforms and equipment like field packs outside his camp on the last day of training.

All of this will then be cleaned and stored at a warehouse before being prepared and sent for collection outside the camp gates come the next ICT.

“It is vital for all SAF servicemen to ensure that they are operationally ready,” said the SAF’s Chief Supply Officer Colonel Terry Tan. “All SAF servicemen are responsible for the safekeeping and maintenance of their Personal Equipment (PE), and to ensure that they are able to report at the stated time to the stated location with their PE for in-camp training or when mobilised.”

“Operationally Ready National Servicemen should consider carefully whether any third-party service provider is consistently able to deliver the agreed services on time, so that their operational readiness is maintained.”

But earlier this week the HALPS spokesperson said: “Such ‘concierge’ services that we are aiming to provide only seeks to enhance and streamline administrative processes for our soldiers.”

“Let’s assume a mobilisation exercise has been triggered in the middle of the day and a soldier is out from home,” he explained. “Rather than having him travel back to his home to change into his uniform and retrieve his ‘barang barang’ (Malay for personal belongings), would it be more effective if he proceeds to the camp directly, where our team will be waiting to enable his ‘transformation’ from civilian to soldier within a matter of minutes?”

NOT MAKING ‘LESS OF SOLDIERS’

Pricing for the service has yet to be confirmed “but should fall around the range of S$360 per annum”, said the spokesperson, adding that HALPS also “should be able to give to our clients a sizable rebate on any group signups within the same unit or camp”.

So far, around 80 NSmen have signed up based on interest expressed over email and Facebook. Once it has a “good gauge of the demand after firming up pricings”, HALPS will be registered as a business.

Online reactions to the service have been mixed. Said Max Li on the Facebook page of TODAY, which was first to report on HALPS: “Sign me up for this! No more stupid time wasting packing stuff you’re not going to even need in the long run. People who don’t see the benefits to this are really just unable to see how many useless things we do in the army.”

But one Wee Teck Ong commented: “Packing and maintaining the field pack is every NSman’s personal responsibility. No one is going to help you pack your field pack when a war comes.”

“This is wrong in every sense of the word,” said Samad Saif on Facebook. “We want our NSmen to be responsible, self-reliant, independent and capable of being organised. This is not helping but spoiling our NS men.”

In reply, HALPS said: “Our SAF (Singapore Armed Forces) has evolved over the years. The bunch of us still remember how we had to pick up spent bullet cartridges one by one at the firing range, in the sun or rain… Nowadays, soldiers shoot in air-conditioned ranges with automated retrieval of the cartridges. Does this change make our men less of soldiers?

“Our core services are targeted at NSmen who are, well, civilians. By taking on the administrative processes such as NS kit maintenance on their behalf, our NSmen can focus on other roles that they have to play.”

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

May 20, 2017
Tudung Issue: In Defence Of Faisal Manap

A motion on the achievements of Singapore women took a drastic turn when Minister Masagos had an intense exchange with WP MP Faisal Manap in Parliament over the tudung issue yesterday.

The exchange took place in a middle of a debate on supporting the aspirations of women in Singapore, after Faisal Manap had raised the tudung issue in an earlier speech.

In a nut shell, Masagos was taking Faisal Manap to task for constantly raising “divisive” issues such as the tudung issue, role of Malays in the SAF, and Palestine etc. You get the drift. Difficult issues that tend to put the government in a spot. That might drive a wedge by making these issues into what Masagos called a “state vs religion” matter.

Why keep focusing on such issues, Masagos asked, instead of focusing on issues that matter most to the Malay-Muslim community – education, housing, jobs. Why not focus on issues that are more important and constructive?

Now, Faisal Manap is a politician at the end of the day. While I’m sure that issues such as tudung, role of Malays in the SAF and Palestine do matter to many Malay-Muslims, I am also sure that Faisal Manap specifically raised these issues precisely because these were tough issues that would put the government in a spot. And to gain some political mileage out of it too by playing to the gallery. i.e. Faisal Manap is just being a politician.

E.g. remember the photo of him praying before a GE rally in 2015, which appeared on social media?

Like what many other politicians do actually. Including PAP ones. Just that sometimes they are lousier at it – e.g remember. Koh Poh Koon helping an old auntie to carrying 32kg of old newspapers.

Yet, three points in defense of Faisal Manap:

1) Sole Malay Opposition MP

Now, the PAP is accusing Faisal Manap of raising “divisive” issues on a regular basis. The thing is, if not him, then who? There aren’t any other Malay-Muslim opposition MPs, so the onus is on him to raise certain issues that members of the Malay-Muslims want answers to.

Perhaps Faisal Manap wouldn’t need to raise such issues if Malay-Muslim PAP MPs have the guts to raise them in Parliament in the first place.

2) If not in Parliament, then where?

Masagos said that the government does not discuss such issues in public forums, such as Parliament, as they are sensitive and potentially divisive, and can be easily misunderstood because they are complex and difficult to resolve. Instead, Masagos said, the government addresses these issues behind closed doors with community leaders.

Not that we can’t discuss behind closed doors at times, but honestly, what’s so wrong about an elected representative raising issues that matter to his constituents in Parliament? And if we can’t have an open debate in Parliament, then where is a right platform for law makers to debate sensitive, but important stuff?

At least Parliament is a public forum where everything that’s said is recorded into the Hansard – so we know what exactly is said. As opposed to doing things behind closed doors all the time, where the public wouldn’t know what’s going on.

When can this society have an honest conversation about things, rather than sweep them under the rug?

3) Point about Zulfikar was a red herring

In his speech, Masagos raised the point about Zulfikar (remember the dude who was detained under the ISA last year for promoting violence and ISIS?) and Faisal Manap being at an event at the same time.

That was a classic red herring that is completely irrelevant to the topic at hand:

Somewhat insinuating something else also. Which is an ad hominem:

Nope. Not cool at all, Masagos.

That is all.

The end.

Source: www.thoughtssg.com

April 5, 2017
Damanhuri Abas: Malays Do Not Mind Waiting Another Six Years As Long As Government Acknowledges Ong Teng Cheong As First EP

By the evidence that Dr Tan Cheng Bock presented this morning, the Government in its haste has clearly made a mistake in terms of the number of elected Presidents to date.

Simply quietly moving the goalpost again by resorting to the AG’s interpretation is arbitrary as Dr Tan has provided all the statements over the years from the Government itself that acknowledges Mr Ong Teng Cheong as the first elected President. Clearly now, the Government must stay true to its own terms and wait for the Presidential election after this coming one for a clear 5 election cycle for a particular minority absence requirement to be met.

It will be a desperate move for the Government to insist on a clearly wrong premise and hide behind the AG.

We the Malays do not mind waiting another 6 years.

No worries mate, we are patient people and used to waiting for many other things which are more priority such as discrimination in the SAF, Tudung and others!!!

Source: Damanhuri Bin Abas

April 1, 2017
Terrex Case: PRC Ship Captain And Shipping Company Face Charges From Hong Kong Authorities

The captain of a container ship belonging to shipping company APL has been charged with not having the required licence when his vessel stopped in Hong Kong with nine Singapore Armed Forces armoured vehicles last November.

Pan Xuejun, 39, did not enter a plea at the West Kowloon Magistrate Court yesterday. The Chinese national faces one count of importing strategic commodities without the necessary licence. He was allowed bail of HK$50,000 (S$9,010), and his case has been adjourned to May 19. If convicted, Pan could face a fine and up to seven years in jail.

APL is understood to be also facing prosecution.

The Hong Kong authorities said it has “sufficient evidence to prove” that both APL and Pan had breached the law. It also said the Singapore Government could not be held responsible for the breach as it was only the consignee of the vehicles.

The court heard that on Nov 23 last year, Pan was the captain of a vessel transporting the Singapore-made Terrex infantry carriers back to Singapore after a military exercise in Taiwan. The ship stopped in Hong Kong without an import licence issued by the city’s Director-General of Trade and Industry. This led Customs officials to seize the vehicles.

According to the Customs authorities, vessels must declare all cargo on board before docking at its port. Generally, cargo in transit does not require an “import or export licence” as it will remain on the ship. However, such a licence is needed for “certain type of strategic commodities”.

Source: www.tnp.sg

March 25, 2017