SINGAPORE — From early next year, the Syariah Court will require divorcing couples with children who are minors to discuss their co-parenting plans at the counselling stage, as part of efforts to better protect children during divorce proceedings.
The move, announced by Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim at a seminar yesterday, will help ensure that parents consider the best interests of their children from the onset of the divorce process, he said.
On average, more than 2,000 children below the age of 18 are involved in divorce proceedings every year, said the Syariah Court in a statement.
In his speech yesterday, Dr Yaacob said divorce hurts the family even when it is amicable and that the impact on children can continue into adulthood.
“Research has shown that those who experienced divorce as children face challenges breaking the cycle in adulthood,” he said. “The last thing we want is for the legacy of tragedy to be passed on from one generation to another.”
To ensure a more child-centric divorce process, the Syariah Court said couples with children below the age of 18 will need to submit a post-divorce co-parenting and care arrangement plan for their children. The plan must be prepared at the marriage counselling stage before divorce proceedings commence in court.
“This would make it compulsory for parents to consider their children’s welfare and the custody, care and control and access arrangements when making decisions that would inevitably affect their children,” said the Syariah Court.
As part of the Syariah Court’s collaboration with Malay-Muslim self-help group Mendaki, a family social services initiative called Nadi Khidmat will be extended to the court’s clients, especially those with children who are minors, to help them access information and referral services to national agencies for other forms of assistance.
In August, the Syariah Court’s marriage counsellors will undergo a skills-based workshop to enhance their knowledge of working with children. This will provide them with a better understanding of the complexities of helping divorcing couples who have children.
Currently, existing administrative measures to safeguard the interests of children include pre-divorce briefings conducted by the PPIS As-Salaam Family Support Centre and the Muslim Law Practice Committee.
The Syariah Court also refers cases of divorcing couples who have children to the Housing and Development Board, so they can receive guidance on housing after the separation.
Social welfare reports are also prepared to help the court make informed decisions on cases that involve child custody disputes.
We are extremely disturbed and disappointed in a small number of Singaporeans who harbour such negative thoughts on Muslims and Islam. Singaporeans have lived together for so long as neighbours, and yet some of us do not make an effort to try understand those people who do not share the same faith. It is more convenient to hastily generalised people, and for this unfortunate case stereotyped Muslims as Evil, Jihadist, Disease.
We would like to remind our non-Muslim readers that Islam is not a bad religion like what Nonis Michael Aloysious have occasionally mentioned in his Facebook postings over a period of time from 2011 till year 2014.
Islam is also not a disease. Islam is not evil. In fact no religion in this world is evil. All religions teach human beings to be good and love each other regardless of colour, language, race, and/or religion.
The Internet allows us to share information and connect easily with one another. We should harness this powerful tool positively and responsibly. Let’s remember to be mindful of our words and to respect one another. We must uphold our racial harmony and social cohesion.
Tidak semua nombor E yang digunakan untuk membuat sesuatu produk makanan berasaskan dari sumber yang haram. Bahan-bahan aditif ini boleh bersumberkan tumbuhan, sintetik, mikrob, semulajadi, kimia dan haiwan.
Sehubungan itu, sekiranya produk tersebut merupakan produk tempatan dan mendapat sijil Pengesahan Halal Malaysia, maka ia boleh digunakan tanpa was-was sekalipun mempunyai kod E-kod. Tetapi sekiranya produk tersebut bukan produk tempatan serta tidak mendapat sijil pengesahan halal Malaysia walaupun menggunakan e-kod yang sama, pengguna dinasihatkan agar berhati-hati dalam memilih produk tersebut.
Penjelasan daripada Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Melaka Biotech; En Bardul Hisham Badrudin berhubung carta aliran pengesanan DNA Babi dalam makanan dan minuman.
Credit: Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (Jakim)
PUTRAJAYA: Local products with the ‘E’ code in their halal certificate can be consumed by Muslims, according to the Malaysia Islamic Development Department (Jakim).
Jakim Director-General Datuk Othman Mustapha said food products with the E code or number on the labels were not necessarily processed through haram or prohibited sources.
“However, consumers should be cautious if the product has an E code but is not processed locally and does not have the Malaysian halal certification,” he said in a statement, here, today.
He said the E code referred to additives and commonly used by European Union countries, Australia, New Zealand, northern America particularly Canada, and Israel.
“The numbering scheme is based on the International Numbering System set by the Codex Alimentarius Committee.
“It is a collection of various standards, codes of practice, recognised international guidelines related to food, food processing and food safety aimed at safeguarding public health and to ensure compliance with the ethical trading code of conduct,” he said.
“Not all additives with the E serial number to make food products are from non-halal sources. The sources of the additives could be plants, synthetic, microbes, natural, chemicals and animals,” said Othman.
However, he said, E471, a mono and diglyceride emulsifier, had been the most queried additive.
“It is synthetic fat derived from glycerol and natural fatty acids found in plants such as oil palm or animal fat.
“It is generally a compound of various edible substances similar to natural fat,” he said.
Othman urged food industry players to clearly define the additives in their products so as to leave no room for doubts among Muslim consumers as to the food’s status.
Jakim through its Halal Hub division would also require companies which apply for the halal certificate to fully declare the contents of their products including additives, he said.– BERNAMA
The owner of The Fabulous Baker Boy has announced that the restaurant has never been halal. We would like to applaud TFBB for making it clear to customers that the restaurant serve alcoholic beverages on their premises, and some of the food served contain alcohol. It shows that they care about their customers.
For those who do not know, The Fabulous Baker Boy is a renowned restaurant owned by Muslim siblings Juwanda Hassim and his sister Hanita Hassim.
We heard really good reviews about the food and desserts (yums*), and we do not deny that we are sad because we do not get to try them. Hopefully in future TFBB will consider making the restaurant 100% halal certified by MUIS. Sure many more Muslims will show support to another halal joint.
Photos contributed by R1C reader Tinily
EDITOR’S NOTE
Thank you Tinily for the photos and informing the readers of Rilek1Corner that the restaurant is not 100% halal certified. Sharing is caring 🙂
We wish to inform everyone that the consumption of halal food is an individual responsibility. Whether you want to eat halal or not, it is ultimately your choice. No one should fault the business owners regarding their decision to obtain halal certification from MUIS/SMCCI or decide not to go halal at all.
However, it is important for all business owners like TFBB to make it very clear that the food served is halal certified or the restaurant as a whole is 100% halal certified. This is to avoid confusion and cause unnecessary distress to old and prospective customers.
Muslims can patronise an establishment that is not Halal-certified as long as they are confident and can ensure that the food has been prepared according to the Islamic Law.
‘Halal-certified’ refers to products which have been endorsed as Halal by a credible Islamic body (third-party certification). Often times, Halal certification involves a series of steps including ingredient verification, inspection/audit and approval by committee. In general, all Halal-certified products are Halal, but not all Halal products are Halal-certified.
If you have any questions regarding halal certification, please contact MUIS:
Halal Certification Strategic Unit
Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura
Singapore Islamic Hub
273 Braddell Road
Singapore 579702
This letter is dedicated to Miss Adee Sardali, the lady clad in tudung or hijab as seen in the Pinkdot video 2014.
——–
Dear sister in Islam who has a beautiful name Adee Sardali.
I may not know you, but I do know we share the same religion, we are both from the same race, and we don the hijab.
The only difference now between you and me is that, I am a mother of a newborn baby. Just want to share my life story with you Adee, and the readers of Rilek1Corner.
Just like you, I was an avid supporter of PinkDot SG for two years, in 2010 and 2011. The reason why I was a supporter of PD was because I have been a closet gay since I was in secondary school but only came out and revealed myself to close friends when I joined the Singapore Police Force. I met my first girlfriend in the police force during training.
She was a beautiful and smart Malay girl with big eyes and fair skin. The first time I laid eyes on her, my heart skipped a beat. That was the start of my gay life. And it was a also the start of many heartbreaks and sleepless nights. Partying and getting drunk is a norm. Life without alcohol and sex is meaningless. Sex was amazing, and I learned to do things that I never thought I could. In short, my life was happening and I enjoy being a lesbian. And I have never regretted being one, up to this day.
I met more likeminded people in lesbian pubs and back then it was a popular place located at Far East Plaza. I changed partner easily because as long as you are attractive and charming, life as a lesbian can be very exciting and and lively. Quarrels on the other hand can get violent. Bruises from punches and kicking was a norm for me.
I love my parents and they have no idea that I was gay. But my mom seemed to have growing suspicion that I was gay because I only bring home girlfriends and they usually sleep overnight in my room, door shut and locked.
Soon my mom began to drop hints that I should settle down after several years in the police force. She said she is growing old and she wants to see her grandchildren before she pass away.
I felt pressured. I felt I had to succumb to societal conventions. Mentally and emotionally there is a tussle between who I really am and the person that my mom and society wants me to be. I hate being myself and there were thoughts about ending my life because I don’t want to continue this life and living a lie.
Soon someone in the same station introduced me to a guy who is also in the home team. He seemed very interested in me because he said I was not as girlish as those he knew. He doesn’t know that I am gay and we continue to be friends. After 2 years of knowing each other, I decided to bring him home to shut my mom up from nagging about marriage everyday. My mom was very happy and started asking him questions about settling down. I was so angry and disappointed in my parents.
Soon he brought his parents over and the engagement and marriage dates were finalised. In less than a year I was engaged to him. My girlfriend was there as my chaperone. She said I was selfish and heartless for doing this to her. She braved herself to come down and help me with all the engagement preparations. She told me I can change my mind and we can quit the force and leave the country. I chickened out. I was not ready to disappoint my parents and break their hearts. But I broke the heart of the lady I love the most at that point. I was a mess.
A year lady, I got married to the home team guy. My girlfriend refused to be attend my wedding. She tried to MIA from my life. I was broken. I wasn’t ready to lose her.
After marriage I continued my life as a lesbian. I was defiant, hated having sex with my husband. I felt it was a chore but i had to do it because i do not want him to find out about my lesbian life. He worked shifts, and so do I. I was a terrible wife, I couldn’t be bothered about him. I never pick up his phone calls unless necessary. I was a bad wife and mean.
But I couldn’t care less. My priority was to reinstate my relationship with my girlfriend. I wanted her to know that nothing has changed since I got married and I am still the same person. Marriage doesn’t change me at all. We got back together but things can never be the same again. She cheated on me again and again because her reason was I cheated on her and got married. I forgave her many times but soon realised I got tired of forgiving someone who cheats on me.
Soon my husband, seldom came home. He went out with his friends regularly since he was bored that I was home late all the time. He started partying. One day I caught him partying at St James. I told him we should get a divorce and accused him of having sex with prostitutes. He got a shocked. I went ahead and filed for divorce at Syariah court. My parents was so sad. My dad fell ill. My mom was distraught. My husband’s family was disappointed in both of us. They encouraged us to fix things, but I remained adamant to get a divorce and get my life back as a lesbian. I wanted to be single and be who I really am. Gay in every sense of the word.
I got drunk everyday. My husband tried to make amends. He changed and put up with alot of my crap. I threw all his favourite things, scratched his brand new car, sold his expensive clothes to karang guni. I even put dead rats in his working boots. I was a bitch. I made his life miserable because he made my life miserable as a his wife.
One day, I met my good friend and confidante who is a straight guy. He heard about what happened to my marriage. He also knew about my life as a lesbian. He told me that I was lucky that my husband doesn’t find out that I am a lesbian. He told me that I have never been a filial wife let alone give him any care and concern. I never respect myself because I cheated not only my husband, but also my lesbian girlfriend and my parents. In truth he told me to give my marriage another shot and clean up my act. Give a chance for my lesbian girlfriend to move on with her life and stop making her pin hopes for nothing.Happiness starts with me and only I can make a difference in my life and the lives of others who loves me.
Fast-forward, I changed. I really did. Don’t know why i changed but I changed for the better. I stopped all contacts with all my lesbian friends. I went cold turkey. I learned to like my husband. Gradually love blossoms and now I can safely say that i am much happier than I was before. My objective and goals are clearer. I am no longer confused and messed up. In April this year, I gave birth to our first child. A daughter has bring joy and meaning to my life. Nothing else matters except her.
If you ask me if I regret being a lesbian, My answer again is no. It is part and parcel of life and discovering myself. Till today, my husband has no idea about my life as a lesbian. And I can never imagine what happens if he finds out about it. Let that be my secret. Good and bad memories, I take it as life lesson. It made me stronger and it made me understand about myself better. I even started wearing tudung when i got back with my husband.
Now, I fully understand my mom whenever she says “one you will only understand how I feel about you my dear daughter, when you give birth to your own flesh and blood”.
And now, I share this advice with you sis Adee Sardali. One day…one day, you will know.
Allah has a reason for making things haram. When something is haram it’s for our own good. If all men married men and all women married women how would the human race continue? Perhaps, you have not been a parent and you don’t know how it feels like to raise a child. The day you give birth to your child, your own flesh and blood, you will understand how your parents feel about it. As parents we have high hopes for our children. Good or bad, we take it all in. Our hope as parents is to see our children grow up as responsible individuals and live long enough to see our grand children grow and continue the generation. Maybe, you will get that one day. And I am sure, at the point you see your newborn child, you will understand what i mean right now. At this time, and given your age, you will not understand. Not yet. God created women for a reason, he created women as a companion for men, for each other. So if men were meant to have sex with other men, God wouldn’t have created women.
Sis Adee Sardali, I wish you well and hope you will ponder on what I have been meaning to tell you. If you wish to contact me, please contact the editors of Rilek1Corner as I have given them permission to release my email address to you only. And you only.
Nat
EDITOR’S NOTE
We have received many emails asking if Sis Adee Sardali is gay or a lesbian. Rilek1Corner are in no position to comment Sis Adee’s sexual orientation. However, Sis Nat reiterated that this letter is dedicated to Sis Adee because of her open support for PinkDotSG and not because of her sexual orientation. Sis Nat merely shares her life story so that Sis Adee and readers of Rilek1Corner can learn thing or two about life as a Muslim gay or lesbian in Singapore.
Thanks Sis Nat for sharing your interesting life story. To Adee Sardali, please email us at [[email protected]] if you wish to contact Sis Nat.
