Tag: Singapore

Firuz Khan – Former Principal Of Pertapis A Self-Proclaimed Social Advocate

In 1999, he was approached by a friend to manage voluntary welfare organisation Pertapis Children’s Home. Despite having to take a pay cut — he was in banking then — Mr Firuz Khan decided to try out the role because he wanted to have a better understanding of issues faced by the Malay-Muslim community, while he also felt that Singapore society had changed in the time he was in the United Kingdom for his studies.

His two years as principal of Pertapis Children’s Home was what spurred Mr Khan to embark on a political journey. “(The experience) led me to believe that I could do more by helping others outside of the home as well and I started to look for other ways to continue this journey. In 2006, I joined the Workers’ Party,” Mr Khan said after he was introduced yesterday as one of the party’s candidate for the upcoming General Election.

His time with the party has helped him to identify issues that affect Singaporeans most, he added.

Mr Khan also shared one of the encounters he had during his time at Pertapis that compelled him “to want to change things”.

It was a Saturday morning, one of the days families could visit their children at the home, but Mr Khan noticed two children on their own without visitors.

When he found out from the home’s social workers that the two children’s parents did not have the means to travel to see them, Mr Khan arranged for a taxi to fetch the parents over. “When the parents arrived and the family was reunited, I could see smiles all over their faces and it touched my heart,” he said.

The self-proclaimed social advocate said if he was elected into Parliament in next month’s poll, he would speak up on topics such as income inequality, healthcare, housing and education.

Firuz Khan, 48

Owner of a chocolate business

FACT FILE:

• Holder of a Master of Business Administration in International Business from University of Birmingham

• Represented Singapore in a tournament in Japan with the PA Youth Under-21 football team in 1984

• Left the banking industry to be the principal of Pertapis Children’s Home to understand social issues in Singapore

• Joined the Workers’ Party in 2006 and volunteers at Mr Chen Show Mao’s Meet-the-People session at the Paya Lebar division of Aljunied GRC

• Married with a son

HE SAID: “In 1999, I was asked by a friend to manage Pertapis. I took a pay cut from my banking career to take up the challenge because I wanted to understand the social issues engulfing our community. It was also my way to contribute to Singapore and especially to my own community, the Malay Muslims … (The experience) led me to believe that I could do more by helping others outside of the home as well and I started to look for other ways to continue this journey. In 2006, I joined the Workers’ Party.”

Source: www.todayonline.com

August 28, 2015
PRC Couple Brings Outside Food To McDonald’s, Creates Ruckus When Confronted

I was at Serangoon Nex McDonald’s with my friends yesterday 26th August. And I saw this PRC couple eating outside food at McDonald’s. When confronted by the manager, they weren’t apologetic or embarrassed about eating outside food. Kudos to the manager who handled the situation calmly when he was shouted by the rude lady! They even challenged the manager to call the police! OMG!

Please share this video to everyone and make them famous. How shameless and arrogant can they be?! These people really bring shame to their people!

Meow Lml

Source: http://statestimesreview.com

August 28, 2015
Local Hijabi: Caucasian Man Pulled My Hijab At Dhoby Ghaut MRT But No One Helped Me

A screenshot of a Singaporean Muslim lady posting a twitter update saying a caucasian man pulled off her hijab at Dhoby Ghaut MRT station yesterday (August 26). To her horror, no eyewitnesses helped her. A police report has since been lodged.

Source: http://statestimesreview.com

August 27, 2015
7 Opposition Parties Launch Campaign Badge

Taking a leaf out of United States President Barack Obama’s playbook, several opposition parties unveiled a campaign badge carrying the words “Vote for Change” to signal their common goal in the Sept 11 General Election.

The seven parties – excluding the Workers’ Party (WP) and Singapore People’s Party (SPP) – also renewed their commitment to unity yesterday during the event, held at the Singaporeans First party headquarters in Tras Street.

The red badge was launched by representatives from the SingFirst party, Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA), Democratic Progressive Party, Reform Party and People’s Power Party (PPP).

“Vote for Change” was Mr Obama’s campaign slogan during the 2008 US presidential elections.

The National Solidarity Party and Singapore Democratic Party were also part of the effort but they did not attend the launch yesterday due to prior engagements, said PPP chief Goh Meng Seng.

It appears that another objective of the badge is to help raise funds. Mr Goh said some of the parties, including his, would be selling the badges for $5 each during their election rallies.

He added that the badge would be “a sign of unity among the opposition parties”, and that their supporters would wear it during the upcoming campaign period.

Mr Goh told reporters he hoped the badge would end the in-fighting and disagreements that have dogged the opposition parties.

“We will move on to the real battlefield, one that is based on our policy views,” he said.

Mr Goh added that invitations to this unity effort were extended to all nine opposition parties but the WP and SPP did not respond.

Source: http://www.straitstimes.com

August 27, 2015
Former Airforce Technician Jailed For Filming Two Female Guests In The Shower

A business consultant planted his Blackberry in his flat’s toilet, and filmed two female guests showering.

Low Tian Sheng, 33, who had pleaded guilty to two of four charges, was jailed for nine weeks on Wednesday for insulting modesty.

The court heard that Low was at home on May 25 last year when he came up with the idea of recording the victims showering.

He taped a piece of plaster over the LED light indicator of his Blackberry phone to block out the blinking red light when the recording mode is activated. He then wrapped the phone with a piece of white paper and masking tape.

He tore off a corner of the white paper so that only the camera lens was exposed. He then switched on the recording mode and hid the phone in the false ceiling of the common toilet.

That afternoon, the first victim, aged 26, went to the toilet to take a shower. The entire process of her undressing and showering was captured and recorded without her knowledge.

The second victim, aged 24, was showering in the same toilet when she noticed an odd object placed on the false ceiling. But she did not suspect anything amiss and continued showering.

After she showered, she put on her clothes before proceeding to retrieve the object.

She found that it was a Blackberry with its recording mode on. She left the toilet and confronted Low who was shocked and remained quiet.

The entire video clip lasted for nearly 30 minutes.

Two other similar charges committed in 2011 were taken into consideration.

Defence counsel Edmund Wong said his client, who is divorced, has since remarried and his current wife is expecting.

He said Low had a distinguished 10-year career as an airforce technician and had acted out of character. He was also under the influence of a mental disorder when committing the offences , the lawyer said.

But District Judge Adam Nakhoda said there was no medical report to state that Low was suffering from a medical ailment, nor was he suffering from depression at the time of the offences.

Low could have been jailed for up to one year and/or fined for insulting modesty.

Source: www.straitstimes.com

August 27, 2015