Rilek1Corner

Tag: Singaporean

  • Adopted Woman Seeks Hokkien Relatives As 70th Brthday Approaches

    Adopted Woman Seeks Hokkien Relatives As 70th Brthday Approaches

    Tew Suat Sim, the daughter of Hokkien immigrants Tew Lai Keng and Sng Soon Keo, was given away at birth, at the close of World War II.

    She was brought up by Malay adoptive parents, who renamed her Zawiah Ahid.

    The 69-year-old said she could not have had better parents to care for her than Mr Ahid Arip, a civil servant, and housewife Halima Abdul Rahim.

    But now that she is suffering from a liver tumour and undergoing palliative care, she yearns to know a little about her biological parents and why they gave her up.

    Growing up as a Chinese girl in a Malay family, Madam Zawiah says she was always curious about her origins.

    But another family had handed her to her adoptive father and mother, who had no direct link to her birth parents.

    She got to know their names only after checking with the birth registry.

    Speaking in Malay, Madam Zawiah said she enjoyed a comfortable childhood alongside two brothers and a sister.

    At 25, she married production operator Mohamed Omar, now 81, and had two sons and a daughter.

    Now, with her 70th birthday approaching in October, an ideal present would be to link up with any relatives from the Hokkien side of her family.

    Explained her younger son, network engineer Razali Mohamed, 35: “She sometimes wondered why she was given away, and felt abandoned.

    “If we discover the reason she was put up for adoption, it might bring her some closure.”

    Those with any information can contact him at 8168-0554.

     

    Source: www.straitstimes.com

  • Wakaf: Hajjah Fatimah Mosque

    Wakaf: Hajjah Fatimah Mosque

    ===========================
    Philanthropist #2: Hajjah Fatimah
    ===========================

    Gazetted as a National Monument in 1973, Masjid Hajjah Fatimah is one of the mosques named after a woman. This is in recognition of the generosity of this wealthy tradeswoman, who contributed much to help the poor and needy in Singapore. She also generously built several houses around the area for the poor to reside.

    Consistent with the spirit of perpetual giving in wakaf, she wanted her charitable acts to continue even after she had passed. Thus, Hajjah Fatimah made a bequest that upon her death, the income from the leased houses was to be used for the maintenance of the mosque. Hajjah Fatimah’s grave lies in a private enclosure within the mosque’s compound, together with her daughter, Raja Siti Kraeng Chanda Pulih and son-in-law, Syed Ahmad Bin Abdulrahman Alsagoff.

     

    Source: MUIS

  • Indonesian PhD Student Convicted For Outrage Of Modesty

    Indonesian PhD Student Convicted For Outrage Of Modesty

    An Indonesian PhD student was convicted on Tuesday of outraging a woman’s modesty on an MRT train.

    Irfan Syanjaya, 26, had been taking the train from Buona Vista to Jurong East on Aug 12 last year, when he deliberately stood close behind the 20-year-old student to do so.

    He was sentenced to six weeks’ jail following a two-day trial.

    The court heard that although the train was crowded at first as it was the evening peak period, it grew more empty after leaving Dover station. Nevertheless, Irfan continued to stand close to the victim even though there was space to move away.

    She confronted Irfan, who apologised. Other commuters came forward to help and he was detained by security officers at Jurong East MRT.

    During the trial, Irfan, who was unrepresented, maintained that he had touched the victim accidentally.

    He had admitted during police investigations earlier to intentionally touching her, but denied this in court.

    When asked why he kept standing so close to her, he said through a translator: “She seemed to have no negative thoughts about me so I did not move away.

    “I assumed she had no problem about me standing where I was.”

    Three witnesses who had been in the same carriage testified that they had seen Irfan make deliberate contact with the victim, even after she tried to avoid him.

    One, Ms Nur Sharida Md Farok, said Irfan was standing close enough to whisper into her ear.

    Another, Mr Johan Tay, said it was obvious that he had been inching towards the victim. He said he had tried to stop it from happening by putting his bag in between Irfan and the victim, but that Irfan had persisted.

    At the time, Irfan was doing a PhD in electrical and computer engineering at the National University of Singapore.

    For using criminal force to outrage the victim’s modesty, Irfan could have been jailed for up to two years, fined, caned, or any combination of the three.

     

    Source: www.straitstimes.com

  • PRC Company’s Slipshod Work Will Pose Danger To Singapore Residents

    PRC Company’s Slipshod Work Will Pose Danger To Singapore Residents

    Normally I wouldn’t write about this, but a recent incident has reminded me to warn everybody about these unscrupulous PRC contractor companies.

    Few years ago I worked as a consultant for developer to check on the safety and building quality of their contractors’ projects. This happen in 2010, and by then many of the construction contractors in Singapore were being run by PRC companies.

    Many times when I went to check on their work, all of their work was slipshod and lousy. Cement mixture that is too diluted, cracks in structure beams and columns, missing ribald for on-site casting structures, you name it they do it! I remember I had to argue and scold so many managers from these PRC companies to get them to redo their poor quality work.

    Some of them even have the cheek to offer me undertable money and say that if I close one eye, I can get benefits.

    I told them, “f**k you, I am Singaporean!” I am responsible for the lives of the Singaporeans who live in these places.

    These PRCs think that just because they are here to make a profit, they can simply cut costs and do dangerous practices.

    Now I am retired. Almost all construction work is taken over by PRC companies in Singapore. I don’t dare to think if some of these buildings are structurally sound anymore. I can only hope the current batch of inspectors have Singaporean interests at heart.

     

    Anonymous Retired Singaporean

    Source: www.allsingaporestuff.com

  • ‘Superwoman’ Tidak Wujud

    ‘Superwoman’ Tidak Wujud

    Wanita tetap perlukan sokongan semua orang di sekitarnya dan boleh lakukan lebih lagi untuk majukan masyarakat bersama kaum lelaki, kata Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif PPIS, Cik Maznah Masop

    SOALAN (S): Apakah trend mengenai wanita Melayu/Islam yang anda lihat hari ini?

    JAWAPAN (J): Wanita hari ini lebih berpendidikan, lebih ramai bekerja serta lebih lantang dan berani meluahkan pendapat mereka, lebih-lebih lagi dengan adanya media sosial.

    Mereka tidak lagi hanya membincangkan peranan mereka sebagai ibu dan isteri, bahkan sebagai anggota masyarakat. Mereka bercakap tentang budaya, kepercayaan mereka, isu tentang hijab, misalnya, perkembangan semasa dan dasar pemerintah.

    Ini trend positif tetapi kami juga berhati-hati. Ada cara untuk meluahkan pandangan secara objektif untuk memastikan apa yang kita luahkan boleh dikaitkan dengan orang lain, bukan kita syok sendiri sahaja.

    S: Apa isu wanita Melayu/Islam yang menjadi keprihatinan anda?

    J: Saya prihatin mengenai wanita, yang dalam tekanan kehidupan hari ini, hilang arah, matlamat dan nilai pegangan hingga boleh menjejas tingkah laku moral mereka.

    Apabila ini berlaku, ia boleh mendatangkan kesan ke atas anak-anak mereka yang mungkin hilang panduan atau menjejas hubungan suami isteri.

    Contohnya, dahulu kita dengar tentang suami mempunyai hubungan sulit. Sekarang, kita dengar tentang wanita juga terlibat dalam hubungan sulit. Ada hamil dengan anak bukan daripada suami mereka. Secara anekdotal ini sedang berlaku.

    S: Apa pendapat anda tentang wanita berpendidikan yang menjadi suri rumah?

    J: Saya memahami keperluan duduk di rumah selama beberapa tahun, tetapi saya tidak pasti apakah ia perlu berlarutan.

    Jika seseorang dianugerahkan bakat, saya fikir ia satu pembaziran jika beliau tidak keluar bekerja untuk menyumbang kepada masyarakat.

    Ini pendapat peribadi saya, mungkin ada tidak setuju.

    Sudah tentu ada wanita juga menghadapi isu apabila keluar bekerja seperti isu penjagaan anak mereka. Tetapi harap-harap mereka boleh huraikan isu itu dan mendapat sokongan keluarga.

    Mereka juga mempunyai sokongan struktur dengan tersedianya pusat jagaan kanak-kanak atau pusat jagaan pelajar.

    Jika kita jelas bahawa peranan wanita lebih daripada berada di rumah sahaja, kita boleh lakukan lebih lagi untuk memajukan masyarakat kita bersama kaum lelaki.

    S: Apa pendapat anda tentang peranan suami dan bapa dalam konteks kehidupan hari ini di mana wanita juga turut keluar bekerja?

    J: Kaum lelaki perlu mengubah pemikiran mereka dan sedar bahawa wanita berperanan penting, bukan sahaja di rumah, bahkan dalam masyarakat.

    Mereka perlu lebih proaktif dan menyokong isteri mereka yang berpendidikan untuk menyumbang kepada masyarakat.

    Perubahan minda ini harus ditangani sekarang. Ini kerana wanita akan menghadapi lebih banyak cabaran sedang penduduk menua.

    Wanita akan memainkan peranan tambahan menjaga orang tua, selain perlu mengimbangi kerjaya dan menjaga anak-anak.

    Lelaki mesti mengubah pemikiran mereka dan turut proaktif memainkan peranan juga.

    S: Apakah pendapat suami anda tentang jawatan anda sebagai CEO (ketua pegawai eksekutif) sebuah pertubuhan untuk wanita?

    J: Isunya bukan saya menjadi CEO. Isunya ialah saya menyumbang secara aktif kepada masyarakat. Perkara ini kami persetujui sebelum kami berumah tangga.

    Beliau tahu ini laluan kerjaya yang saya pilih dan beliau menghormatinya.

    S: Bagaimanakah anda mengimbangi kerjaya dan keluarga?

    J: Saya mempunyai sistem sokongan baik di rumah, baik daripada suami mahupun ibu bapa saya.

    Satu episod mencabar bagi saya ialah apabila saya perlu menjaga ibu bapa saya yang sakit. Ayah saya, sebelum beliau meninggal dunia, menghidap barah dan ibu saya telah menjalani pembedahan penggantian pinggul.

    Saya bersyukur kerana turut mempunyai sokongan kukuh daripada adik-beradik saya.

    Di tempat kerja saya mempunyai majikan dan pekerja yang memahami keadaan saya dan membolehkan saya bekerja secara fleksibel. Saya juga mempunyai seorang pembantu rumah yang banyak membantu.

    ‘Superwoman’ tidak wujud dalam dunia ini. Seorang wanita perlu sokongan semua orang di sekitarnya.

    BIODATA

    NAMA: Maznah Masop

    USIA: 44 tahun (Julai ini)

    KERJAYA:

    • 2009 – sekarang: Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif (CEO) Persatuan Pemudi Islam Singapura (PPIS)
    • 2005 – 2009: Ketua, Pembangunan Dana, Madrasah Al-Irsyad Al-Islamiah
    • 1998 – 2003: Pengarah, Amni Management & Promotions Pte Ltd
    • 1994 – 1998: Eksekutif, Perdaus

    KELUARGA:

    • Dua anak perempuan berusia 17 tahun dan 15 tahun
    • Suami jurutera di sebuah syarikat berbilang negara

    PENDIDIKAN:

    • Ijazah Sarjana Muda Sastera (Ekonomi), Universiti Nasional Singapura (NUS) 1993
    • Diploma Undang-Undang Syariah, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) 1998

     

    Source: http://beritaharian.sg