LGBT advocacy “remains a socially divisive issue” in Singapore, the Singapore Police Force said in response to the application to hold the Pink Run on 16 August.The application was “rejected in the interest of public order,” said a police statement, quoted on the organisers’Facebook page.
The statement suggested an alternative venue for the event at Speakers’ Corner, in a small park in the centre of Singapore where protest events can be held without a permit.
“It is disappointing but what I am more concerned about was the response that was given and how the police has framed advocacy as socially divisive,” said organiser Nicholas Deroose.
“We just wanted to go out for a run; we were not planning to upset public order.”
This is the second time LGBT advocates have tried to organise the Pink Run. The first attempt seven years ago was also aborted after organisers were told on the day that they were contravening the Miscellaneous Offences Act.
Organiser said he will try again next year.
Dear Mr Nicholas Deroose,
Please refer to your permit application, PP/20140630/008.
The purpose of the proposed event you have stated in your application is related to LGBT advocacy, which remains a socially divisive issue. We regret to inform you that your application is rejected in the interest of public order. You may wish to consider conducting your event at the Speakers’ Corner instead.
Please contact Inspector Patrick Koh Kok Keong of Compliance Management Unit at DID: 6557-5133, should you have any queries.
SINGAPORE – The Nigerian woman who was sent from Gleneagles Hospital to the Communicable Diseases Centre at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) on Thursday morning does not have Ebola as first feared.
Professor Philip Choo, TTSH’s chief executive officer, told The Straits Times that it was a false alarm and that she has since been discharged.
“We saw a patient with a history from Nigeria,” he said, but her detailed history revealed “no contact with any suspect or confirmed patients.”
Ebola is a highly-fatal viral disease that is spreading in West Africa, raising fears that it might spill over to the rest of the world.
The woman in her 50s was identified as a possible Ebola case by doctors in Gleneagles Hospital on Thursday morning.
She is believed to have flown into Singapore recently and arrived at the hospital’s emergency department with a fever. She was immediately isolated and transferred by ambulance to Tan Tock Seng Hospital.
Tending to mangled bodies in road traffic accidents, putting out blazing fires and saving lives.
These were some of the things Mr Shazni Bin Mohamed Salim, 27, did while he was serving his National Service (NS) with the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) in 2007.
“It was through my NS experience that I realised the importance of saving lives. As responders, we make a difference between life and death for the people involved,” said Shazni.
He decided to embark on a career as a professional firefighter with ExxonMobil as he wanted to gain more experience in the private sector before signing on with SCDF after completing his studies.
At ExxonMobil, Shazni responds to incidents occurring within the company’s facilities and tries to resolve them before the arrival of SCDF.
He also handles the daily maintenance of firefighting equipment and is the trainer for in-house firefighting courses for technicians and contractors.
Inspired by his NS stint with SCDF and wanting to contribute to society with his firefighting abilities, Shazni made the next step of joining the Civil Defence Auxilliary Unit (CDAU).
“My NS experience was instrumental in motivating me to be a firefighter. After becoming one, I thought I could make myself useful by volunteering with CDAU to serve the public,” he shared.
Shazni is posted to Ang Mo Kio Fire Station and does a minimum of 16 hours each month, working alongside regulars to conduct rescues. “I might only be an auxiliary firefighter, but my duties are similar to those of the regulars. I believe we all play an equally important role,” he said.
The camaraderie among SCDF firefighters and the shared effort put into rescues are reminiscent of his NS days, and they never fail to bring a smile on Shazni’s face.
“SCDF’s culture is very close knit. The team is very united and we watch out for each other. It reminds me of how it was like during NS. It may be exhausting at times but the positive team spirit keeps us going,” said Shazni.
Besides pledging allegiance to SCDF’s mission of protecting and saving lives and property, he also lives by his two favourite quotes—“All men are created equal, then a few become firemen” and “Leave no men behind”.
Shazni recalls a particular fire incident along Rowell Road that took place in 2012.
Tired and hungry from a full day’s work, he was about to tuck into dinner with his fellow firefighters when they were suddenly called to assist in a rescue. Although he was originally assigned to set up a supporting appliance, tables turned at the scene and he had to help put out the raging fire instead.
“In rescue missions, situations can change quickly and we need to be alert and responsive. You quickly forget how hungry and tired you are when you are engrossed with fighting the fire,” said Shazni.
For those who are considering being a CDAU volunteer, Shazni emphasises, “Having a good team spirit and putting others before self are essential qualities to doing this job well. Take the first step and make a difference in the lives of our people.”
Several Singaporeans found themselves turned back from Batam immigration yesterday after possibly flouting new rules.
Miss Ann Fernandez and two friends were among a group of eight who were turned back from the Batam Centre Ferry Terminal after taking the 9.40am ferry there.
The 33-year-old tutor said they were waiting to clear Indonesian immigration when an officer made them, along with another woman, stand in a separate line. Their travel documents were also taken away, she said.
The women said a senior immigration officer made an announcement to the entire hall and gestured at a sign which portrayed a finger on the lips.
“It wasn’t until much later that another officer came out of a room and asked us to follow him,” she said. “He also handed our passports to a worker from the ferry service operator.”
They were taken to the departure point, where there were another four Singaporeans who had apparently been picked out earlier for either talking or using their mobile phones.
Miss Fernandez said immigration officers could have at least told the group what they had done wrong. They found out more details only after they returned to Singapore.
A previous report in Chinese evening daily, Shin Min Daily News, quoted ferry operator Wave Master Holidays Club saying that about 50 Singaporeans are turned back every week.
I congratulate you and your government for the generous recognitions of the pioneer generations, however, I would also like to bring to your attention on some issues which have been bugging the minds of fellow Singaporeans, I hope you would spend sometimes thinking about it
When I was doing business in Indonesia they called me as ’ orang Singpore’ there were some Chinese and Indian Singaporean, they all were also called ‘ orang Singapore’ not ‘orang Cina Singapore‘ or ’ orang India Singapore’ although it is different here in Singapore we are segregated into different racial groups for whatever reasons are
It is the same in Taiwan, although we rarely seen Malay Singaporean in Taiwan and we all know why
In USA they have progressed from treating the black people as slaves to their current social status as equals, during the world war two, it is amazing that the black people who were treated as second class citizens where they were not allowed to go to certain school, swimming pool restaurants and so on, but when they were drafted into the army they would fight for the country, now even the President of the USA is a Black man, how amazing !!
After fifty years we have come a long way as citizens of Singapore but yet we were still being treated like a second class citizen, we were prevented into certain area in the Army installations, not to mention the Air force and the Navy, it is ironic that the government would accept foreigners to even work as a police officers but are still suspicious of the Malays who has been born and bred here
T he question is how do you know that the people you would employed as police officers are not extremist from Xinjiang or Southern part of Philippine or rapist from India ? And how do you know that they would not bring their culture of corruptions into this country?
Although during the Japanese occupation the Malays were the one’s fighting hand in hand with the British Soldiers against the Japanese invasions
With the current immigration policy where foreigners from other Asian countries readily admitted to Singapore except for the Malay stocks, they would come with a minimum of a diploma or a degree, whereby due to high unemployment of a lower paying job held by the Malays due to your current policy of not allowing the Malays to work in the defense sectors where, thousands of jobs could be offered to us with a reasonably paying salary, as a result our kids were not able to compete on a level playing field with all other races, not even with the new immigrants, because their fathers would be either out of job or holding a lower paying job, as a result there are 70% of our kids are in the ITE instead of the institute of the higher learning !
As a result of your government suspicions on the Malays, the sentiments had transpired into the private sectors too, because the people running the defense sectors would eventually being released into private sectors and the suspicions continues
Of course you will have some Malays in certain places just to show that you are truly practicing what you preach, a meritocratic system of government, however don’t you know that the world is getting smaller with the existence of internet media and the people around the world would not be bluff anymore ?
My estimation is that this vicious cycle would continue and we would remain as the Pariahs of Singapore for a very long time
There are so many Malay MPs in parliament, however none of them have the guts to tell our three Prime Minister about what they should not do for the well being of our country, they should have told our Prime Ministers ? racial segregation is bad for the country, politics of the sixties are not relevant anymore to Singapore, we have come a long way, we speak the same lingo in which we called Singlish, we have grown to accept ever y body’s habit and culture
For economic viability the defense sector should remove their suspicions against the Malays, are we not your true blue Singaporean brothers and sisters ?
The Malays are not known to be a business man, but we are a good and well discipline employees, and has been proven time and again Malay soldiers and police officers don’t back out on their duty to protect their country
I see the defense sectors as a good job opportunity and an opportunity to protect our beautiful country
I have some Filipino friends who spoke Singlish like us, some PRCs nurses who speak with the word ‘lah’, my doctor from India spoke with the word ‘lah’ too these are all genuine people who genuinely wanted to live and build our country together with us, and we have accepted them, if we can accept these people why cant the PAP accept us and remove all their suspicions ?
