Tag: Singapore

Ikhsan Fandi Gives Singapore U23 A Win Over India In SEA Games Boost

A penalty by Ikhsan Fandi helped the Singapore Under-23 national team claim a 1-0 win against their India counterparts in a friendly at Choa Chu Kang Stadium on Wednesday night.

The result is a morale-booster for Richard Tardy’s charges before they depart for the AFC U23 Championship qualifiers next week, and it was achieved without injured key players Irfan Fandi and Adam Swandi.

The Young Lions put up a starkly improved performance compared to a 1-0 defeat to the same opponents on Sunday, and could have scored as early as the seventh minute.

Haiqal Pashia Anugurah went through on goal, via Hami Syahin’s pass, but the left winger’s goalbound shot was cleared off the line.

The Young Lions created another good opening midway through the first half. Haiqal sent Ikhsan in the clear, but the latter was superbly closed down by India goalkeeper Vishal Kaith.

India responded when towering forward Manvir Singh sending his header straight into Zharfan Rohaizad’s arms on 26 minutes.

Singapore could have broken the deadlock six minutes before half-time, but Ikhsan’s 25-yard free kick sailed wide of the left-hand post.

The Young Lions earned a penalty in the 51st minute with substitute Syahrul Sazali being felled illegally in the box.

Ikhsan, second son of Singapore legend Fandi Ahmad, stepped up and slammed the resulting spot kick in off the bar to put the home side 1-0 up.

Tardy’s charges could have doubled their advantage seven minutes later. However, captain Illyas Lee’s spectacular volley from outside the area went inches wide.

Singapore’s intensity dropped towards the end with India almost finding an equaliser on 76 minutes.

Manvir’s fierce snapshot from inside the area seemed destined for the bottom right corner, before Singapore substitute goalkeeper Hairul Syirhan pulled off a stunning save to tip it around the post.

The Young Lions’ 1-0 win bodes well for the upcoming AFC U23 Championship qualifers in Mynamr and next month’s Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Kuala Lumpur.

Singapore Under-23: Zharfan Rohaizad (GK) (Hairul Syirhan 46′), Darren Teh, Lionel Tan, Amirul Adli (Shahrin Saberin 62′), Faizal Roslan (Syahrul Sazali 46′), Illyas Lee (C) (Hafiz Sulaiman 80′), Hami Syahin, Muhaimin Suhaimi (Zulqarnaen Suzliman 65′), Hanafi Akbar (Taufik Suparno 89′), Haiqal Pashia Anugurah, Ikhsan Fandi (Amiruldin Asraf 70′)

India Under-23: Vishal Kaith (GK), Nishu Kumar (Davinder Singh 46′), Lalrutthara, Ranjan Singh (Sairuatkima 75′), Germanpreet Singh, Nikhil Chandrashekhar, Manvir Singh, Lalhlimpuia Daniel (C) (Alen Deory 75′), Lallianzuala Chhangte (Hitesh Sharma 46′), Jerry Lalrinzuala, Anirudh Thapa

Source: http://www.espnfc.com

July 13, 2017
Early P1 Ballot Likely At 5 Popular Schools; Not For Malay Students

Parents hoping to place their six-year-olds in five of the most popular primary schools this year may face a ballot next week.

The schools are CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ School, Nanyang Primary, Nan Hua Primary, Red Swastika School and Catholic High School.

A total of 29 schools were left with fewer than half of their vacancies after Phase 2A1, the second of seven Primary 1 registration stages, closed on Wednesday. Last year, only 19 schools were in this situation.

The phase, which follows Phase 1 for children with siblings currently studying in the school, is for children whose parents had joined the school alumni association at least one year ago, or are on the school advisory committee.

The next phase, 2A2, is for children whose parents or siblings are former pupils, or whose parent is a staff member at the school. Registration starts next Tuesday and ends the next day.

A rule introduced in 2014, which requires all primary schools to set aside 40 places for children in the later stages, may also put a squeeze on places available for the next phase. The 40 places will be split equally between children registering in Phases 2B and 2C.

In the past three years, balloting has been taking place at an earlier stage of the registration exercise, partly as a result of this new rule.

Phase 2B is for children whose parents are school volunteers, active community leaders or have ties with church or clan associations directly connected with the schools. Phase 2C is for children with no ties to the school.

After reserving the 40 places, CHIJ St Nicholas has only seven spots left for Phase 2A2, after 95 children registered this week.

Nanyang Primary and Nan Hua Primary have 10 and 19 places respectively left for Phase 2A2, while Red Swastika and Catholic High have 23 and 31 spots respectively left for Phase 2A2.

Communications professional Ow Yong Weng Leong successfully registered his daughter for a place at Red Swastika School this week.

“The school offers Higher Chinese from Primary 1, so I hope it will help my daughter in becoming bilingual as she currently speaks English more,” said the 37-year-old.

Editors Note:

Based on sources, students who take Malay as a second language cannot enrol in any of the five popular primary schools namely CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ School, Nanyang Primary, Nan Hua Primary, Red Swastika School and Catholic High School (https://www.moe.gov.sg/a…/primary-one-registration/vacancies). Perhaps if they make millions, one day one of them they can become President of Singapore. What a shame.

Is the kind of elite tokenistic multiracialism the DAG believes in?

Source: StraitsTimes

July 10, 2017
China’s Warship Liaoning Has 10 Cafeterias With 20 Ethnic Minorities On Board

Last weekend, China is opened up its aircraft carrier Liaoning to the public for the first time. The ship arrived in Hong Kong on Friday (July 7), accompanied by two destroyers and a frigate. Only 2,000 tickets for the tour at the weekend were handed out, leaving many who had lined up for hours disappointed. But for the lucky few, the visit is a peek into a highly specialised community, one that works, eats and sleeps together in a maze of hallways and rooms, surrounded by some of the most sophisticated technology and weapons in the Chinese military.

There are more than 3,800 rooms in the ship, including ones for sleeping, eating, exercise and laundry. There’s also the mess hall and even a store, where sailors can buy snacks and everyday items. For security reasons, every sailor carries a photo ID, which must be swiped to enter areas. Access is restricted according to a sailor’s assigned department. Men and women live apart, and fingerprint scanners restrict entry to the women’s quarters. Most sailors are given single beds about 1m wide and 2m long.

With nearly 20 ethnic minorities on board, it’s varied. The ship’s crew eat in 10 cafeterias, including ones specially designed for Muslims. They are offered four appetisers, six main courses and two desserts, going through two to three tons of food per day. When the crew really need to stretch out, the flight deck is turned into a makeshift soccer pitch. There is also an annual basketball competition, with 15 teams competing.

Editors note:

The Chinese Navy can accept 20 ethnic minorities. The RSN cannot even accept one because its ships don’t have halal kitchens. Which one is more inclusive? Hendak seribu daya, tak nak seribu daleh kan. They won’t be ‘losing face’ so to say if they employ a handful of Malays on board because everyone knows that Malays are just a small group in Singapore. We are the minorities and that perhaps may not be changing anytime soon.

What if food was not the issue here since there are halal combat ration already available in SAF. Are they still questioning our loyalty? Still having doubts in Malays in Singapore? Maliki Osman dan Yacoob Ibrahim diam ke tentang isu ini?

What are your thoughts?

Source: Todayonline

July 10, 2017
You Can Support LGBT Friends But Wearing Hijab And Participating In Pink Dot Is Not Cool

So I recently chanced upon a photo of two hijab women at a Pinkdot event. People wanna be confrontational about things these days, that’s why they have PinkDot. Let me be confrontational about it too.

Go to Pink Dot all you want. But with a hijab over your head, know that you have a religious+social+moral responsibility. Of course they will love it – who says outward Muslims can’t be supportive of LGBT right?

The way Islam views LGBT is with respect, I feel. We see it as a test and recognise it as an inner struggle that God wills to give to some people. We are to respect people who disagree. We are to agree to disagree. But to paint a false picture of our principles and beliefs is wrong. We respectfully disagree with LGBT and we don’t need anybody going around conflicting it. We don’t need the impression and confusion that non-Muslims might get from seeing the photo. We don’t have a strong enough reason to drop by the event to show some love when clearly the motive of the campaign is to support LGBT.

There is a reason why when we sin, our duty is to not reveal our sins. In fact it is God’s form of mercy when He does not reveal our sins – so why reveal it ourselves? It is another sin on top of another to reveal your sins to others. Thus what they did, if they were actually gay, is to reveal themselves. Similar concept with how wrong it is to openly eat in public during the fasting month.

Now I wish people would respect my religion as much as we are to respect the existence of their campaign and all. Gay or not, I hope the sisters are given hidayah.

Ps. I still love my gay friends but like I said, I am firm on agreeing to disagree.

Source: Nasyiba Sahari

July 8, 2017
Celebrity Judges: The Voice Singapore, Malaysia Must Embrace Diversity

The celebrity judges of the inaugural Singapore/Malaysia edition of reality singing show The Voice agree that in future, the show should consider lifting its Mandarin-speaking requirement.

At the show’s first press event held at Hotel Jen in Johor Baru on Tuesday (July 4) evening, Malaysian singer Gary Chaw, one of the four mentor-judges on the show, told The Straits Times that the show should “diversify”.

The 37-year-old said in a mix of English and Mandarin: “This is just the first season, but going forward, perhaps the producers could work out something with the franchise rights holder where the show could work in many languages.

“After all, Singapore and Malaysia are multi-racial countries, and so we should diversify.”

The producer of the show, mm2 Entertainment, had told The Straits Times in May that it had acquired the format licence to produce the Singapore/Malaysia version of The Voice in Mandarin “based on the assessment that it is most commercially viable.”

Source: www.thestraitstimes.com

July 8, 2017