Tag: Singapore

Emotional Wedding Dinner For Sezairi And Wife

He’s known for being quite the joker, but it was an emotional night for Singapore Idol 3 winner Sezairi Sezali and his bride Syaza Qistina Tan, 25, at their wedding reception on Sunday.

Ms Syaza teared up during her speech as she addressed her husband.

The events executive, who grew up in a single-parent household, said: “I haven’t had the best examples growing up of how a man and a woman should love each other.

“But you’ve taught me so much… So thank you, and I love you.”

The groom fared better than his bride at holding back tears as he addressed her and the 200 guests gathered at the SAF Yacht Club in Tanah Merah.

The singer-songwriter, 29, said: “What I love most about Syaza is that I don’t have to pretend to be someone else, and I can be myself around her.”

Sezairi and Ms Syaza were dressed in matching red and black outfits by local celebrity stylist and make-up artist Fatimah Mohsin.

The venue’s decor, which followed a blue and white flowery theme, was also done by the stylist.

The couple tied the knot in an earlier solemnisation ceremony on Jan 23 at Timbre Music Academy hall.

Among the guests at the reception on Sunday were radio DJ-singer Tabitha Nauser, who was a bridesmaid, comedian Fakkah Fuzz, who hosted the affair, local rappers Shigga Shay and Sheikh Haikel, who was there with wife Anna Belle Francis.

Benjamin Kheng from local band The Sam Willows told The New Paper: “I was out of the country (during the solemnisation) so I’m extra psyched to be here today.”

He added jokingly: “I thought Sezairi and I would be together forever, but I’m happy to let Syaza take over. I’m so happy for the two of them.”

Ms Syaza’s mother, Madam Norintan Shariff, 53, said in her speech: “As any mother, this is the happiest and proudest moment of my life. I’ve seen how they both pull through tough times, and I know they’ll continue to do so together.”

She also told The New Paper: “If things get hard, I think they’ll manage to work things out no matter what, because they are the perfect couple.”

Sezairi and Ms Syaza now live in Pasir Ris with Madam Norintan and Ms Syaza’s younger sister, Hannah.

Sezairi’s housewife mother, Madam Rubi’ah Chayan, 54, is still getting used to not having her older son around the house.

She told TNP: “I’m used to preparing his food and clothes for him, so it’s very different now that he’s not living with us anymore.”

As the evening progressed, musician Charlie Lim performed solo for the couple, before sharing the stage with Sezairi for another performance.

Sezairi then serenaded his wife with a Malay song from his upcoming self-titled EP, which is based on his seven-year relationship with Ms Syaza.

Source: The New Paper

August 22, 2016
3 Anak Melayu Disebut PM Lee Sebagai Contoh Baik Ekonomi Baru

Tiga anak muda Melayu disebut Perdana Menteri Lee Hsien Loong sebagai contoh baik yang terlibat dalam Ekonomi Baru.

Berucap dalam Rapat Hari Kebangsaan dalam bahasa Melayu hari ini (21 Ogos), Encik Lee menyebut tentang Muhammad Ariff Awari.

Selepas lulus kursus Kejuruteraan Elektrik di Institut Pendidikan Teknikal (ITE), Muhammad Ariff meneruskan pengajiannya di Politeknik Nanyang.

Muhammad Ariff Awari. (Gambar: MCI)

Beliau kemudian bertanding dalam pertandingan WorldSkills Singapore, iaitu pertandingan berprestij yang diadakan sekali dalam setiap dua tahun yang menyaksikan para belia mempamerkan kemahiran masing-masing untuk mencari bakat-bakat terbaik di kalangan para belia di Singapura.

Para peserta cemerlang akan dipilih mewakili Singapura di pertandingan WorldSkills Competition.

Muhammad Ariff dan pasukannya mencipta sebuah robot yang boleh menyajikan makanan dan kemudian membawa pinggan mangkuk ke dapur. Lebih membanggakan, ciptaan robot mereka itu memenangi pingat perak.

ABDUL HALIM – DARI MADRASAH IRSYAD, KE PHD, KE EKONOMI BARU

(Gambar: Abdul Halim Ali Akbar)

(Gambar: MCI)

Seorang lagi anak Melayu yang diketengahkan Encik Lee ialah Abdul Halim Ali Akbar, lulusan Madrasah Irsyad Zuhri dan graduan Politeknik Singapura.

Kata Encik Lee, Abdul Halim baru-baru ini menerima Sarjana bidang Aeronautik dari Imperial College London, dan akan memulakan pengajian ijazah kedoktorannya (PhD) tidak lama lagi.

Sementara menunggu memulakan pengajian PhD, Abdul Halim bekerja di A*STAR, dan salah satu projeknya ialah membina dron yang menrima arah penerbangan dari kod QR.

“Inilah komitmen Pemerintah. Kami sediakan permulaan yang baik bagi setiap anak agar lebih ramai boleh berjaya seperti Ariff dan Halim,” ujar Encik Lee.

Namun kata Perdana Menteri, Ekonomi Baru bukan sahaja bagi sektor teknologi, tetapi pekerja di sektor bukan teknologi juga mempunyai banyak peluang untuk meningkatkan kemahiran melalui SkillsFuture.

NORAISHIKIN ISMAIL – DARI ITE KE SARJANA MUDA

Encik Lee memberi contoh anak Melayu ketiga, Noraishikin Ismail, lulusan NITEC Tinggi ITE dalam bidang perakaunan.

Noraishikin Ismail. (Gambar: MCI)

Pada mulanya, Noraishikin bekerja sebagai koordinator porgram di Persatuan Jagaan Lanjut Singapura (SAC).

Beliau kemudian tertarik dengan kerja sosial dan mengambil Diploma serta Diploma Lanjutan dalam Khidmat Sosial.

Hasilnya, beliau dinaikkan pangkat menjadi pengurus di SACA.

Tahun lalu pula, Noraishikin menang Anugerah Pengajian SkillsFuture dan kini sedang memburu ijazah Sarjana Muda dalam Kerja Sosial.

“Seperti Noraishikin, saya harap lebih ramai pekerja Melayu akan merebut peluang untuk perbaiki taraf hidup anda,” kata Encik Lee.

Source: Berita MediaCorp

August 22, 2016
Remember Howe Liang, Please

There were three pairs of trackshoes in the common corridor outside his abode at his brother-in-law’s HDB flat at Tampines Avenue 5.

One pair was his, worn out through his regular walks in the nearby park.

There was also a bicycle, also his, but one that has been unused for almost a year.

It reminded me about his mode of travel from his former residence at Kampong Arang to the National Stadium when he was working in the gym at the Singapore Sports Council in Kallang in the Nineties.

Once the nation’s greatest athlete, Tan Howe Liang is now a forgotten man.

In the wake of swimmer Joseph Schooling’s historic gold-medal feat in the 100 metres butterfly event in Rio, I decided to check on our first Olympic medallist last week.

Tan achieved the weightlifting honour at the Rome Olympics in 1960 in dramatic fashion – after an eight-hour ordeal at the Palazetto Dello Sports Hall in the Italian capital.

In the lightweight category (60-67.5 kg) competition, Russia’s Viktor Bushuev had already won the gold by breaking the world record. It was down to Tan and Iraq’s Abdul Wahid Aziz for the silver medal.

After just one clean and jerk lift left, Tan felt pain in his legs and the doctors advised him to return to the Athletes’ Village for treatment.

This would mean a withdrawal from the competition, but battle-hardened Tan was not prepared for that.

He bore the suffering, continued to compete and eventually claimed the silver medal, ahead of 33 rivals.

Schooling won gold in Rio in also dramatic circumstances, beating three world-class swimmers – including his idol Michael Phelps – to consign the trio to joint-silver medals with an outright triumph in Olympic record time.

Like Tan’s historic first, Schooling’s fascinating story will be told, and retold, in print, on social media and over television.

ST FILE PHOTO

But the duo’s current lives are a stark contrast, sadly.

While Schooling, 21, is the rave of the moment and is looked upon in awe by Singaporeans and the world, Tan, 83, has been consigned to history.

To the recesses of our memories.

And remembered and recognised only by his close buddies who occasionally take him out for a hawker centre meal or a chit chat over coffee.

Tan lives off his savings – slightly bloated by the sale of his three-room Kampong Arang flat two years ago – a lifelong Public Assistance allowance and monthly pocket money from his teacher-daughter.

ODD-JOBS

He also helps himself financially by doing odd-jobs, but even they have become rare these days because of a right knee operation that did not turn out too well.

A walking stick comes in handy when pain arises from joint-aches, some resulting from his overindulgence with weights during his competitive days of yesteryear.

However, it was nice to see Tan (who once said: “I hope someone wins gold so that reporters will stop interviewing me every Olympic year”) sharing in Schooling’s success.

He was all praise for the Singapore son who rocked the swimming world, saying: “He worked hard, did himself and the country proud. I like him, I admire him, and his achievement was better than mine.”

The similarity lies in that both feats were historic firsts, recognised by big celebrations and victory parades.

The means to the two ends were wrapped in a work ethic soaked in true dedication, never-say-die determination and an innate desire to excel.

But the sad truth is that on a day (last Thursday) when poster-boy Schooling was placed on a nation’s pedestal and paraded through some streets of Singapore, bow-legged Tan was stretched out on a sofa in a lonely world.

Surely thinking, what it should have been.

Source: The New Paper

August 22, 2016
NDR 2016: MUIS, PERGAS To Work Together To Make Asatizah Scheme Mandatory

Two Muslim leadership bodies will work together to make the Asatizah Recognition Scheme (ARS) mandatory, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in his Malay National Day Rally speech on Sunday (Aug 21).

The decade-old scheme, which is currently voluntary, recognises teachers and scholars who meet the minimum standards of qualification to preach and teach Islamic religious knowledge.

“MUIS (Islamic Religious Council of Singapore) will work with PERGAS (Singapore Islamic Scholars and Religious Teachers Association) and the Asatizah Recognition Board (ARB) to make (the scheme) mandatory,” said PM Lee in Malay during his speech, which began at 6.40pm at ITE Central.

He added: “I commend the community for these initiatives and for their resolve. This will ensure that all Muslim religious teachers here are able to guide their students to practice Islam in the context of Singapore’s multiracial society.”

Earlier in his speech, Mr Lee had said that it is critical for local asatizah (Muslim religious teachers) to understand Singapore’s multiracial context.

He shared that several topics, including an understanding of contemporary issues and context, are incorporated in professional development programmes offered to asatizah by the ARS.

“I understand that many asatizah find this exposure useful and important,” he said.

On the sidelines of the Rally, Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim said the plan is to start making the ARS mandatory from the beginning of next year, although there will be a transition period.

“We want to have every religious teacher to be qualified and be on the ARS. If some of them do not have the necessary qualification, we will run programmes, we will basically work with them to ensure they can be part of the ARS,” he said.

The Minister added that 80 per cent of teachers are already registered under the ARS.

“The remaining 20 per cent are those operating on the private sector; those are running their own classes. We will be meeting them and I think they understand the need for the ARS and some of them are coming forward and I think some of them also fear that they may not have the necessary qualification.”

In that situation, the authorities will work with the teachers to see what assistance is needed to ensure they meet the criteria to be qualified under the ARS.

Source: ChannelNewsAsia

August 21, 2016
Retired Indonesian General ‘Interviewed’ At Changi As Part Of ‘Screening Procedures’: ICA

Retired Indonesian army general Suryo Prabowo was stopped and interviewed by checkpoint officers at Singapore’s Changi Airport on Wednesday (Aug 17), as part of “screening procedures”, said the Republic’s Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA).

The ICA, in a statement on Saturday (Aug 20), explained that Mr Suryo was interviewed by its officers for about 30 minutes from 5.35am, and then allowed to continue on his journey.

“He was informed by ICA officers that the interview was part of the screening procedures for border security,” said the agency. “As part of the immigration clearance process, travellers to Singapore may be subjected to additional interview and/or screening. These procedures are conducted at all of Singapore’s checkpoints.”

The Singapore authority was responding to earlier media reports that said Mr Suryo was denied entry to Singapore because he was “blacklisted”.

Mr Suryo had also complained on social media that he was detained and subjected to questioning by the officers when he arrived at Changi for transit on Wednesday morning.

According to a report in Antara News on Friday, Mr Suryo was denied entry to Singapore when he was in transit at Changi en route to Fiji. The former three-star general also claimed in a Facebook post that he was “blacklisted for reasons that are not clear”.

He added in the same post that if Singapore was “not friendly towards the people of Indonesia, perhaps the Indonesian government needs to review the policy of cooperation in counter-terrorism as well as other bilateral cooperation with Singapore”.

According to the Antara report, Indonesian armed forces (TNI) chief General Gatot Nurmantyo had lodged a protest note with the Singapore defence attache in Jakarta over the incident.

“As TNI chief, I’m not pleased with how the Singapore Government has treated a former TNI soldier… We have also written to the Foreign Ministry to lodge a note of protest with Singapore,” said the general on Friday.

Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, however, told Tempo news that Mr Suryo was not blacklisted or banned from entering Singapore, adding that he was “only delayed” at the airport.

This latest incident comes just a week before the Indonesia-Singapore leaders’ retreat, which will be held next Wednesday in Semarang, Central Java.

The annual meeting this year between Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Indonesia President Joko Widodo will focus on economic collaborations.

Both leaders are also scheduled to unveil the new Kendal Industrial Park, a joint venture between Indonesia’s Jababeka and Singapore’s Sembcorp. The two countries will also sign a new pact to promote tourism.

Source: The Straits Times

August 21, 2016