One of my younger cousins got enlisted today and shared his photo on our family wadsapp group. This spurred a flurry of picture uploads from my elder uncles during their time in National Service. One served in the air force, some in the infantry. They speak with so much pride defending Singapore during the Indonesian Konfrontasi.
They really look the part. Worth the share.
Source: Dzar Ismail
I read with great consternation that Singapore will be hosting the Israeli PM, Benjamin Netanyahu as a state guest.
The Israeli PM is directly responsible for the current continued oppression of the Palestinian people through its illegal occupation of Gaza and the West Bank as stated by numerous UN resolutions which Israel continuously ignores with the shameful backing of the US government. Its occupying forces conducts numerous crimes against Palestinian civilians and its forces have conducted many agressions in occupied Palestinian territories that are culpable to war crimes, as recent as the last Gaza incursion in 2014 that claims thousands of Palestinian lives through excessive use of powerful bombs on densely populated Palestinian residential areas.
The Singapore government may seem to think that it is acceptable to host the Israeli PM afterall the Israelis are the pioneering country that provided military assistance in terms of training and guidance to the Singapore Armed Forces when Singapore first setup its nascent military defence unit after independence.
It serves as no great solace to know that we had relied on Israeli military advice and guidance in the formation of our Armed Forces. This is especially so as a Malay/Muslim Singaporean who has felt direct discrimination towards his race in the Singapore Armed Forces.
This discrimination has most probably arisen from the advice and guidance of the Israeli military consultants who may have sowed distrust towards the Malay/Muslim citizens serving the Singapore Armed Forces likely rationalized and justified by their own experience and paranoia towards the Palestinan people (and the Arabs too) that they have kept under siege for 60 years encounting with no end to hostility nor nearing any peaceful settlement to the last remaining illegal occupation to exist on God’s earth.
Such inhumane treatment that the Israelis imposed upon the Palestian people in the occupied territories has resulted in extreme distrust between them and the Palestinians and overtime have led to a toxic unsustainable relationship based on fears and suspicion with no end in sight.
Likewise, a toxic relationship too may have emerged in our own land caused by our own policies for the last 50 years that blankets the entire Malay/Muslim population as suspicious and not to be fully trusted to be given full access to all military positions, especially so-called ‘sensitive areas’ in the Singapore Armed Forces. This unjustified and unproven fears that have shaped and colored policies preventing Malay/Muslim citizens full meritocratic access to all possible ranks and files in the military must end immediately.
Only when this happens will the process of correction and rapprochement begin to eradicate the poisoned perceptions that have developed overtime by the majority towards Malay/Muslim trustworthiness in and beyond the Military into other aspects of society. This disriminatory policy must stop for the sake of fairness, justice and a true harmonious multi-racial/multi-religious Singapore that we intend to build for this nation.
For all the above reasons, as a Malay/Muslim Singaporean I protest the coming of Mr Benjamin Netanyahu to my country. He is also an alleged war criminal.
I forward below an email from our very own Dr Ang Swee Chai from Medical Aid for Palestinian, a London based NGO, in support of my involvement in previous protest effort against the brutal acts of the Israeli government towards the Palestinian people that the invited Isreali PM is currently heading.
—— Forwarded message ———-
From: SWEE ANG <[email protected]>
Date: Fri, Nov 23, 2012 at 3:08 AM
Subject: In support of your work
To: “[email protected]” <[email protected]>
Cc: AimeeShalan <[email protected]>, stevenjames <[email protected]>Dear Damanhuri Abas and FMSA,
Thank you for emailing me so that I can support what you and the Fellowship of Muslim Students Association are doing. As you know a ceasefire is in place after 150 Gazans were killed and nearly a thousand injured. As you know Gaza is half the size of Singapore and home to 1.7 million people, 80% of them refugees from the rest of Palestine. They were forced out from the rest of Palestine in 1948 and took refuge in Gaza. Since 2007 Gaza’s people are under constant military blockade. All her borders with Israel are sealed by the military and none can move in or out, except through Rafah which until recently was also closed by President Mubarak. The sea of Gaza is manned by Israeli warships and no one from Gaza can wander beyond 3 nautical miles. The targetting of fishing boats and killing and injury of fishermen by warships firing at them even with the 3 nautical miles are all too often.
Even before this recent assault, military helicopters regularly fly into Gaza and kill and injure civilians. When you hear the word targets mentioned by the BBC and the Western Press, you do not hear the cries of the mothers who lost their babies, who are sometimes just called collateral damage. The skies of Gaza are patrolled by drones and the whole of Gaza is under surveillance and drone attacks are frequent.
Electricity is scarce, many of the 21,000 homes and buildings destroyed from Cast Lead four years ago not rebuilt since there is also a blockade on building materials. The schools destroyed during Cast Lead are also not rebuilt and children are now crammed into whatever school buildings which are still functional. Many people are still living in tents or in temporary buildings. Unemployment is high since factories and workshops cannot function and even if they function the military siege makes it impossible to export their goods and import raw materials. It is the same with agriculture produce – all forms of trade is made impossible by the blockade. Hospitals are starved of medical supplies.
Water is also a problem in Gaza since Israel has dug deep wells and siphoned off the natural water from Gaza. The water from Gaza now is heavily polluted and contains high nitrates and unfit for washing and drinking.
You can find more facts from various sources including from the website of Medical Aid for Palestinians and Palestine Solidarity Campaign – I have only given you a very sketchy description.
So when F16s bomb Gaza the last 9 days, hitting hundreds of “targets” daily, those of us who know Gaza well can only cry out in shock and anger against this atrocity and injustice. Yet many of us are astonished by the courage of people in Gaza in resisting the assault. The ceasefire is agreed on mainly because Israel knows it cannot beat down Gaza despite pounding it incessantly with bombs. They had planned a land invasion but did not go through with it not because they are humane, but because they know they cannot win and do not have the stomach to go through with it. Hilary Clinton got to turn round from her visit to Burma to fly Cairo to support a truce called by the new Egyptian Government.
Your supporters need to know the following:
Israel is the sixth largest military power in the world. In 2009 it has –
200-300 nuclear warheads
300 F16s
60 military helicopters
60 warships
3650 tanks
Plus daily military aid of eight million dollars from the USA ( as opposed to non-military aid) and the huge support of the Western Press and governments.Palestine has none of the above. Gaza has home made rockets.
But Palestine has truth on her side. Despite the killing and the suppression of truth, people from all over the world are beginning to find out. And I hope your meeting will help others understand what is going on. Up to 1982, I was the victim of lies against the Palestinians until I went out to work in Sabra and Shatilla. By God’s grace I have seen the truth and may this never depart from me.
I hope one day your Association will have the chance to visit Gaza and West Bank, and meet the people there. But until then take it from me that it is a great honour to be able to support them. For me it is a personal privilege that Medical Aid for Palestinians have been able to be partners to the humanitarian Palestinian institutions in Gaza, West Bank and in Lebanon. I hope your institution will be the same.
Best wishes
Dr Ang Swee Chai.
22 November 2012
Source: Damanhuri Abas
Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu looks set to become the first sitting Israeli Prime Minister to visit Singapore.
According to a Jerusalem Post report, the 67-year-old announced he would make the trip at a cabinet meeting on Sunday (30 October). It would be a reciprocal visit for the one that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong made to Israel in April.
The Republic is one of four countries Netanyahu plans to visit, in addition to Australia, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. No exact dates were given.
“Israel’s international relations are spreading in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and many other places,” said Netanyahu. “We realise that this development flows from Israel’s technological and economic strength on one hand, and its security and intelligence capabilities on the other.”
In November 1986, Israeli president Chaim Herzog paid a three-day official visit to Singapore, sparking protests by various political groups in Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.
According to a Straits Times report from 1986, they urged Singapore to call off Herzog’s visit by taking into account the prevailing sympathy of Muslims in the region towards the Palestinians’ struggle against the Israeli government.
Source: https://sg.news.yahoo.com
He was a lifesaver, a kayaking trainer and a lover of water sports.
But that only made the circumstances of Mr Koh Kah Wei’s death a bigger blow for Mr Moe Aripe, his mentor of 15 years.
On Saturday, Mr Koh, 30, died doing what he loved.
He drowned while kayaking in white water with six friends in the Sungai Tesong in Perak.
His body was found yesterday after a day’s search.
Mr Moe, 56, told The New Paper: “He was well-equipped to deal with all kinds of water situations. To die due to drowning is very shocking. I’m still in a state of disbelief.”
Adding that they had met up about two weeks ago, Mr Moe, who runs Angel Lifesaver School, said: “He must have been unconscious.”
The Bidor Fire and Rescue Department in Perak received a distress call about the incident on Saturday at about 4.50pm.
Department chief Nadzir Razak told Bernama: “His kayak hit driftwood and overturned, throwing him into the water. His friends tried to help but failed as the current was swift.”
A 30-man search and rescue operation was conducted on the same day, but was hampered by bad weather.
Tapah Fire and Rescue Department’s Assistant Superintendent Kamarulzaman Busirun said the search resumed at about 7am yesterday with a 67-man team.
He told TNP: “It was a relay rescue operation with one group taking over from another. We wanted to make sure the search was continuous.”
At 3.15pm, Mr Koh’s body was found near a rock about 1km from the site of the accident.
His shirt was stuck between rocks.
FAMILY GRIEF
Mr Kamarulzaman said: “The victim’s family who were present were crying. We tried to calm them down, and tell them nobody would wish for this to happen.”
He added that the body has been sent to Tapah Hospital for a post-mortem.
Last night, Mr Koh’s sister, Yu Xiang, posted details of his wake at Block 301D, Anchorvale Drive on his Facebook account.
In Singapore, the lifesaving fraternity is coming to terms with news of Mr Koh’s death.
Said Mr Moe: “I have been receiving calls from other instructors and lifesaving teacher colleagues asking me about it. It’s been a hard time for me trying to explain to everyone what has happened.”
The loss is more painful for him as he had come to see Mr Koh like his son, after mentoring him for 15 years.
He said: “Kah Wei was a very good swimmer. I pushed him hard.
“He was among a group I handpicked and trained to become swimming instructors and lifesaving coaches because they are good.
“I became not just a coach or mentor but a fatherly figure to them. I would be fierce or harsh whenever any one of them did something out of line.”
Mr Koh was qualified to conduct lifesaving examinations.
He was also a lecturer at the National Community Leadership Institute, the community leadership development arm of the People’s Association (PA).
He was also an instructor at PA-Water Venture, which offers water and adventure sports activities.
Said Mr Moe: “He achieved what he wanted. I was really very proud of him. Suddenly, all that is taken away.”
He was well-equipped to deal with all kinds of water situations. To die due to drowning is very shocking. I’m still in a state of disbelief.
– Mr Moe Aripe, who mentored Mr Koh Kah Wei for 15 years
Source: The New Paper
Singapore companies, highly exposed to slowing global trade and a lackluster commodity market, face a financing scramble in 2017, as more than US$12 billion of their bonds falls due and banks grow wary of lending to the resources sector.
That could trigger more blood-letting in a market that has already seen some high-profile corporate defaults, such as oil services firm Swiber Holdings (SWBR.SI), which hit the skids in July and went into judicial management this month.
It has also seen an increase in the number of bond issuers trying to renegotiate the terms of their credit to stay afloat, a disturbing signal in a market skewed to retail buyers and smaller issues subject to light scrutiny.
Corporate leverage has risen to increasingly risky levels, according to credit analysts and investors, while banks are becoming more circumspect about extending financing as the quality of their loan books causes concern.
Between now and the end of 2017, according to Reuters data, US$12.4 billion of bonds falls due, but corporate balance sheets in the city state are looking strained.
A Reuters study of 228 non-financial companies’ half-year earnings shows that 74 had net debt more than five times their core profit, a level that usually prompts concern among credit analysts, and more than a third of that group were at least twice that level.
“We had not seen Singapore dollar corporate defaults since 2009, but suddenly we see a pick-up in defaults in 2015-2016. This is a warning sign about a refinancing confidence crisis across many sectors, not just commodity-related ones,” said Raymond Chia, Head of Credit Research for Asia ex-Japan at Schroders Investment Management.
LIGHT SCRUTINY
The structure of Singapore’s capital markets has left them particularly vulnerable as global trade cools and Chinese growth slows. Commodities have been a mainstay after a frothy 2013 and 2014, and private banking has loomed large, fuelling smaller bond deals. In 2014, private banks accounted for almost half of investments into Singapore dollar corporate debt, a central bank report said last year.
Their participation has helped encourage smaller issues that are not assessed by credit rating agencies and yet are targeted at private wealth investors, analysts say.
“Their bond issues are also mostly unrated, so the layer of scrutiny provided by rating agencies is missing. Many of these deals were mispriced: they priced like investment grade even though they had high-yield profiles,” said Harsh Agarwal, Head of Asia Credit Research at Deutsche Bank.
That is now changing – at considerable cost for firms. Property firm Oxley Holdings, whose short-term debt dwarfs its cash balance, according to its latest accounts, saw yields on its bonds due 2019 SGOXHL1119= jump 220 basis points to 7.5 percent in the past quarter.
And banks, under pressure to increase provisions for bad loans, are pulling back from indebted sectors like real estate, commodities and oil and gas, which dominate Singapore’s outstanding S$53 billion ($38 billion) of local currency corporate bonds.
Non-performing loans have risen at all Singapore’s three banks in the latest quarterly results, reflecting a decline in loan quality across sectors.
“In the absence of further bank support, refinancing this debt may prove difficult, potentially leading to more defaults over the next year,” said Devinda Paranathanthri at UBS Wealth Management, which estimates S$18 billion of local currency denominated bonds are coming due over the next 18 months. Over a quarter are from sectors facing structural headwinds.
The latest sign of strain has been an increase in borrowers asking bondholders to cut them some slack. Ezra Holdings (EZRA.SI), Rickmers Maritime (RIMT.SI), Otto Marine OTTO.SI and Marco Polo Marine (MAPM.SI) are just some of the companies that sought bondholder consent this year to loosen the conditions, or covenants, attached to their loans.
“It will continue to be busy, but the question is whether loosening covenants will be adequate to give these companies the lifeline that they need,” said Kevin Wong, Singapore-based partner with law firm Linklaters.
“There is a risk these consent solicitations may lead to full-blown debt restructurings.”
($1 = 1.3943 Singapore dollars)
Source: Reuters