Tag: Singapore

Malaysian Opposition Will Scrap High Speed Rail Project If Elected

Malaysia’s opposition alliance said yesterday it will scrap a planned High Speed Rail (HSR) line between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur if it won federal power, and replace it with a railway connecting two key cities in East Malaysia – Tawau in Sabah and Kuching in Sarawak.

The proposal to ditch the HSR project and pump the estimated RM35 billion (S$11 billion) saved into East Malaysia was presented by Pakatan Harapan (PH) on the sidelines of a Parliament session, ahead of Prime Minister Najib Razak’s tabling of the 2016 Budget tomorrow.

The opposition claimed the HSR line would largely benefit only those working in and around Kuala Lumpur and in Singapore, and that the project is unnecessary at this point because Kuala Lumpur and Singapore are already served by excellent air and road links.

Selangor MP Ong Kian Ming, a member of PH’s Budget drafting committee, argued that the HSR would likely cost more than a rail network linking Sabah and Sarawak, and would significantly add to Malaysia’s debt levels if both were to be built together.

“HSR is not as important given that there are many cheaper and affordable options to travel between Malaysia and Singapore. The multiplier effects would be lower compared to a new railway network in East Malaysia and hence, the preference for the second cheaper and more necessary rail project,” he told The Straits Times.

Sabah and Sarawak have long been stronghold states of the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition. With Sarawak state polls to be called by next year, the move by the opposition is seen as a concerted play for East Malaysian votes. National elections are due in 2018.

Democratic Action Party chairman Tan Kok Wai said the new railway and other financial benefits to be allocated to Sabah and Sarawak in the opposition’s “alternative Budget”, are meant to develop the two states “long neglected” by BN.

The HSR plan has gained traction, with about 150 firms responding to Malaysia’s Land Public Transport Commission and Singapore’s Land Transport Authority’s Request For Information exercise this month.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

October 22, 2015
Philadelphia Group Lobbies State Lawmakers Against Anti-Muslim Bias

HARRISBURG – Highlighting what they say is a national increase in anti-Muslim bias, triggered in part by the rhetoric of some Republican presidential candidates, about 50 amateur lobbyists affiliated with the Philadelphia chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations converged at the state capitol to pitch lawmakers on a range of social issues.

Armed with a talking-points memo and posters emblazoned with “I am a proud American Muslim” and “Islamophobia = Racism,” the members of the advocacy group fanned out for office visits with legislators and their staffs.

Some of the men wore beards and knitted skullcaps. Some of the women wore hijabs. They spoke about anti-Arab bigotry, the Syrian refugee crisis, the movement to have two major Muslim fast days recognized as school holidays in Philadelphia, three state Senate bills that would affect the price of in-state college tuition, eligibility for driver’s licenses, and employment opportunities for authorized and undocumented immigrants.

Three- and four-person teams visited the offices of Philadelphia-area lawmakers Louise Bishop, Lawrence Farnese Jr., Dominic Pileggi, Vincent Hughes, and others.

The group that visited Rep. Kevin Schreiber (D., York) included Abdallah Abououf, a pharmacy technician, of Hummelstown; his wife, Mona Elkony; and their infant son, Yusuf.

“Three months old and already a lobbyist?” Schreiber teased, drawing a laugh.

Schreiber turned serious when he noted that candid discussions with American Muslims exercising their democratic rights need to be part of any dialogue about a better society.

Jacob Bender, the first Jewish director of a CAIR affiliate, said the event, which was billed as “Muslim Capitol Day,” was designed to bring together a diverse coalition that included a rabbi, an imam, an ordained minister, civil rights organization leaders, and lawmakers to proclaim, “We will no longer allow the Muslim community and Islam to be stereotyped, marginalized, and vilified.”

Rabiya Khan, an activist from York, cited two instances of recent Republican candidate rhetoric that she said fanned the flames of bias: Donald Trump’s failure to correct the record when a person at a town-hall meeting prefaced a pejorative question about President Obama with the false statement that Obama is a Muslim; and Ben Carson’s statement that he personally could not support a Muslim for president.

Addressing the whole group at the end of the day, Rep. Jordan Harris, a Democrat, whose South and Southwest Philadelphia district has a large and growing Muslim population, said:

“The reality is this: Christian, Muslim, Jew, and Gentile, we all want the same thing. We want safe streets. We want schools that educate our children. . . . There is no place in this commonwealth for hatred of any kind. . . . We must call out racism every chance we get. If any of us are silent when we hear the jokes, when we see the legislation, we are all guilty. . . . Dr. King once said, ‘Our day begins to end when we begin to become silent on the things that matter.’ ”

Source: www.philly.com

October 22, 2015
Syed Danial: Learn From City Harvest Church Episode – Be Wary Of Conmen Cloaked In Religiosity, Be Aware Of Religious Sensitivities Of Christians When Commenting On The Issue

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim

Yesterday had tea with an old dear friend. He Juz returned Fr a trip to Cambodia where he was attempting to help the Cham Muslims there.

Long story short. Some of the things he told me was shocking. How a person who encloaks himself with religiosity handles funds meant for orphans and madrasah.

Essentially a con artiste. Inter Alia he attempts to get unsuspected SG donors to buy land ostensibly to build madrasahs orphanages etc. Upon further investigation the exact land plot has already been donated as waqf. Money given to sponsor a slaughter goat as meal for the orphans, when checked, the orphans were eating nothing more than rice n curry with hardly any meat. The plan was to engage an English teacher to teach these orphans some English n other skills that would equip them with at least basic skills. When asked to interview the candidate (his sister) it was discovered she could hardly speak English at all.

There were many other instances.

I share this article coz it serves as a cautionary tale. There are those who Encloak themselves in religious clothes. But have hearts of wolves.

Once Amirul Mumineen Umar was meeting a sahabah. He asked whether there was some state affairs to discuss. When told it was a social visit he actually put out the light from a lantern. Because it was lit using resources from state funds.

Subhanallah. Such outstanding egs of waraa’ – scrupulousness.

Bros n sis we need to be careful in this age of so much fitaan. We really do not want to be bamboozled when we hand over our money. We must take reasonable care it goes to parties we can trust.

I know this brother personally. His character is beyond reproach. He’s planning to go again inshaAllah early next year. So InshaAllah I will be handing over my money to him. At least I can be assured inshaAllah it would reach the beneficiaries. If u want to, pl PM me. InshaAllah I will hand over 100% of what I receive to him. There will be no ‘admin charges’.

Final word. When commenting on the City Hrvest thing, a reminder we should bear in mind the religious sensitivities of our Christian friends.

Wallahualam.

Source: Syed Danial

October 22, 2015
2 Men Arrested For Performing ‘Obscene Act’ At Woodlands Town Garden

Police have arrested two men, aged 29 and 63, for their suspected involvement in a case of obscene act at Woodlands Town Garden.

At about 11.55pm on Saturday (Oct 17), officers from Jurong Division conducted operations in the area when they spotted the men performing an obscene act in public.

Both were placed under arrest, a statement from the police said on Monday.

First-time offenders found guilty of committing an obscene act in a public place, under Sec 294(a) of the Penal Code, Chapter 224 shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to 3 months, or with fine, or with both, the statement from the Singapore Police Force said.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

October 21, 2015
Two Pioneer Generation Singaporean Women Attacked Over Bench Spat

The conflict started over the use of a bench at a neighbourhood park.

But it quickly escalated into a vulgarity-laden quarrel, in which one elderly woman was punched and another shoved to the ground, causing her head to be injured, reported Chinese daily Lianhe Wanbao yesterday.

Madam Lim Jin Lian, 83, and her friend, Madam Tan Ya Mei, 73, were attacked by a man in his 40s on Monday morning.

The women were part of an exercise group that meets every morning at a pavilion near Block 617, Hougang Avenue 8.

The attacker, who was described as muscular and tattooed, was sleeping on a bench near the group’s exercise spot.

The fight started when Madam Lim tried to wake him up.

She told Lianhe Wanbao: “He started spouting vulgarities at me, so I asked if anyone had a mobile phone so that I could call the police.

“Before I knew it, I was punched in the face and felt dizzy.

“And by the time I regained my senses, my friend was on the floor, with blood all over her head.”

Madam Tan was shoved when the attacker wanted to hit Madam Lim again and she tried to intervene.

Madam Tan told Wanbao: “I wanted to pull Madam Lim away from the attacker and I didn’t think that the man would actually push me.”

She said she started bleeding profusely because she lost her footing and fell headfirst on the stairs.

She was sent to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, where she was warded for observation to check if there were any blood clots in her brain.

The attacker escaped after he saw Madam Tan lying on the floor.

The two women, who have known each other for more than 20 years, have a close relationship.

APOLOGETIC

Madam Lim has been apologising continually for her friend’s injury.

She said: “I’m so grateful to my friend for stepping in and I feel so bad that she got injured.”

But Madam Tan shrugged it off, adding: “Madam Lim is already in her 80s, she probably couldn’t take another blow.”

A group of women in the exercise group decided to look for the aggressor after he escaped and tracked him down to a nearby coffee shop.

They took photos of him and called the police.

A police spokesman confirmed that they received a request for assistance at 7.15am on Monday.

A case of voluntarily causing hurt was established.

Investigations are ongoing.

“He started spouting vulgarities at me, so I asked if anyone had a mobile phone so that I could call the police. Before I knew it, I was punched in the face and felt dizzy.”

– Madam Lim Jin Lian, 83

Source: www.tnp.sg

October 21, 2015