Tag: Singapore

Body Of Man Fell On Garbage Truck, Clueless Crew Continued Working

A man’s body fell from an HDB block in Tampines onto a garbage truck as its unsuspecting crew continued with their daily routine on Tuesday (March 21).

Mr Ong,a resident who witnessed the grisly sight, chased the garbage truck at its next stop to inform the driver and crew of the body.

The deceased was a 51-year-old man. He was pronounced dead by paramedics at the scene, police said in a statement.

The case has been classified as unnatural death. Investigations are ongoing.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

March 22, 2017
Is The Hijab Being Turned Into Everything It Stands Against?

As a hijab wearing Muslim woman, it pleases me to see hijabis getting recognition. Companies have noticed Muslim women’s presence and have started catering to their modest fashion needs. For example, Nike recently came out with a line suitable for Muslim women and those that wish to dress in conservative sports gear. It even includes a head piece with the classic Nike logo.

Uniqlo, a Japanese clothing brand, has also just released a collection of headscarves. Even designer companies, such as Dolce and Gabbana, have come out with floral printed hijabs and abayas for Muslim women to wear. Brands like DKNY and H&M have previously come out with Ramadan modest clothing collections.

Understandably, many Muslims are welcoming these companies’ moves. Why not? It is a sign that we are being acknowledged as consumerists. Companies have discovered a niche in the market from social media where hijab fashion bloggers have created a platform for themselves and are using apps, in particular Instagram, to showcase modest fashion. Some of the most popular ‘hijabi fashionistas’ have up to two million followers. These Muslim women have gone beyond fashion and into beauty; there are now thousands of hijab wearing women across the world creating makeup tutorials on how to achieve the perfect winged eyeliner.

However, with the good comes the bad. Are hijabis turning the hijab into everything it stands against?

Aside from the hijab representing modesty, it represents liberation; a stand against objectification and sexualisation. When a woman covers herself, she compels people to judge her on the basis of her character and her actions; not the way she looks. A hijab is not merely a scarf but a way to free oneself from societies that tell women that their worth is determined by their appearance.

But have we Muslim women succumbed to idealistic beauty standards, and have we simply made the headscarf a fashion trend; an accessory rather than our identity as followers of the Islamic faith? It seems as though we have now submitted to society’s beauty demands that we had been resisting since the beginning of Islam. We are now following all the latest trends and styles; the only difference is that we have a scarf wrapped around our heads. The hijab is in the process of being commercialised and multinational companies are capitalising from it.

Companies should not stop catering to Muslim women’s clothing needs. After years of not being recognised as consumers, we are now spoilt for choice. However, as Muslim women, we should remember exactly what the hijab symbolises and do it justice, and not allow our appearances to define who we are or let fashion engulf us.

By Priya Jasmin Begum

Source: Huffingtonpost

March 21, 2017
Indonesia Will Continue To Send Maids Abroad

Indonesia said Monday (March 20) it would continue to send domestic helpers overseas, in an about-turn welcomed by campaigners who said it would help prevent women falling prey to human trafficking.

Thousands of Indonesian women travel to places like Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and Malaysia every year to become maids, attracted by promises of higher salaries despite reports of widespread abuses and near slave-like living conditions.

Jakarta had previously said it would stop sending maids overseas from this year, on the grounds of protecting the women, sparking concerns it would push more poor Indonesians desperate for jobs into illegal migration.

However a senior official at the Manpower Ministry told the Thomson Reuters Foundation that Jakarta would not go ahead with the ban but it has been in talks with countries to ensure Indonesian maids are treated in a “humane” way.

“We are not stopping Indonesians going overseas to become domestic workers but we want better protection for them,” said Mr Soes Hindharno, director for the protection and placement of Indonesian migrant workers abroad.

He said this includes preventing what he called “multi-tasking work” by Indonesian maids to reduce exploitation.

“If they are housekeepers, they are housekeepers – they clean, cook and iron. If they are babysitters, they are babysitters – you can’t ask a babysitter to bathe your dog.”

Currently, Indonesian women who work as maids abroad are required to stay at the home of their employer, handling tasks from cleaning to looking after children or the elderly – a rule activists say making them vulnerable to abuse.

Migrant activists welcomed the decision, but said more needed to be done to combat human trafficking including ensuring women aware of their rights when leaving for work overseas.

“It is a basic right to go abroad to work. If the government stops this, we will only see more human trafficking cases,” said Mr Mulyadi, a co-founder of rights group Migrant Care, who like many Indonesian goes by one name.

Indonesia since 2015 has banned women from going to 21 Middle Eastern countries following a series of abuse cases but high-demand for maids has encouraged traffickers to find ways around the curbs.

Mr Hindharno said the Middle East ban would stay in place.

Domestic helpers make up more than a third of the six million Indonesian working abroad.

Source: Today

March 21, 2017
Noreen Jastina, 14 Tahun, Dilapor Hilang, Orang Ramai Dirayu Beri Maklumat

Polis merayu kepada orang ramai supaya tampil memberikan maklumat tentang Noreen Jastina Abdullah, 14 tahun, yang dilaporkan hilang.

Polis hari ini (20 Mac) menyatakan remaja itu kali terakhir dilihat di Alexandra Road pada 10 Mac 2017 sekitar 2.00 petang.

Noreen ketika itu memakai baju kemeja T berwarna biru dengan seluar pendek berwarna hitam.

Sesiapa yang mempunyai maklumat tentang Noreen diminta menghubungi talian hotline polis di 1800-255-0000 atau secara online di www.police.gov.sg/iwitness.

Semua maklumat akan dirahsiakan.

Source: Beritamediacorp

March 21, 2017
Pesakit Di TTSH Diberi Pilihan Beli Cawan, Sudu Garpu Sendiri

Sejak bulan lalu, semua pesakit yang dirawat di Hospital Tan Tock Seng (TTSH) mempunyai pilihan untuk membeli sudu garpu mereka sendiri, setelah beberapa pesakit menyuarakan keprihatinan tentang kebersihan cawan-cawan yang dikongsi.

Diberi nama “Pek Mudah”, set tersebut, yang dirintis di sebuah wad pada Oktober lalu, menyediakan cawan, piring, sudu teh dan jag air. Pek itu berharga S$6.

Menjawab pertanyaan Mediacorp, ketua jururawat hospital tersebut, Encik Yong Keng Kwang berkata sesetengah pesakit menyuarakan keprihatinan setelah mereka ternampak beberapa pesakit meludah ke dalam cawan-cawan yang disediakan buat penggunaan pesakit.

Beberapa pesakit lain juga menggunakan cawan-cawan tersebut untuk menyimpan barang, seperti gigi palsu.

Cawan dan jag air yang dikongsi dihantar ke dapur pusat hospital tersebut setiap pagi untuk dicuci dan dibersihkan daripada kuman, begitu juga bagi sudu garpu yang diberikan bersama dulang makanan pesakit, selepas setiap kali digunakan.

Meskipun hospital tersebut sudah memberikan jaminan, beberapa pesakit “masih berasa tidak selesa, dan maklum balas yang serupa diberikan berulang kali,” menurut Encik Yong.

Set Pek Mudah, yang diilhamkan oleh para jururawat dan pegawai kesihatan hospital itu, juga akan menjadi milik pesakit, yang boleh dibawa pulang. Para pesakit tidak perlu membeli pek tersebut jika mereka tidak mempunyai sebarang keprihatinan berhubung penggunaan bersama cawan dan jag.

Hospital-hospital awam lain yang dihubungi Mediacorp menyatakan bahawa ia tidak menyediakan pilihan sedemikian kepada para pesakit.

Source: BeritaMediacorp

March 21, 2017