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Tag: Singaporeans

  • New Report On Iraq Invasion Raises Questions Around Singapore’s Involvement

    New Report On Iraq Invasion Raises Questions Around Singapore’s Involvement

    In 2003, Singapore deployed servicemen, ships and aircraft to the Persian Gulf in support of the Iraq war, as part of a mission to “maintain security” and to see Iraq achieve self-government through a political transition.

    Singapore was officially part of the Multinational Force — Iraq (MNF-I) from then until 2008, with the Defence Ministry describing it as supporting “reconstruction efforts” in Iraq.

    The Government publicly showed its support for the US-led invasion of Iraq, in what is perceived as it acting without the mandate of the United Nations Security Council. On March 14, 2003, in response to questions raised by Members of Parliament, then Foreign Minister, Professor S Jayakumar, asserted that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction.

    Former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and President Tony Tan (then Defence Minister) issued similar statements asserting the legitimacy of the invasion of Iraq.

    Earlier this month, on July 6, the Report of the Iraq Inquiry was published by the United Kingdom and it seriously questioned any purported justifications for the invasion. The report unanimously concluded that peaceful options for disarmament had not been exhausted and therefore, military action was not a last resort.

    Significantly, the report also concluded that “(t)here was no imminent threat from Saddam Hussein”.

    The effects of the illegal invasion of Iraq were devastating, and continue to be so. Between March and April 2003 alone, 6,882 civilian deaths were caused by US-led forces. Even today, Iraq may be viewed as entering a phase that could prove every bit as destabilising — perhaps even more so — than the war against the Islamic State.

    But the report also raises important questions for Singapore: Was the Government independently satisfied of the factual and legal basis for invading Iraq, or did it take the US’ word for it, as the UK did?

    Did the Government feel compelled, as Tony Blair did, to stand together with an important ally? How does our involvement square with our oft-stated principle of acting according to the rule of international law?

    The answer is important not only because it goes to the heart of our foreign and defence policy, but also because Singaporean lives were put on the line. Singaporean assets deployed to support the illegal invasion of Iraq were withdrawn only in March 2005.

    With respect to the democratic values of accountability and transparency in government, and for the rule of law, I appeal to the Singapore Government to address these issues in Parliament.

    As our elected representatives, the decisions made by our Government reflect our entire nation. As a member of the global community, the devastation of the Iraq invasion is a responsibility borne by us all.

     

    Source: TODAYOnline

  • Revising Your Studies? These Two Did It At A Mosque

    Revising Your Studies? These Two Did It At A Mosque

    Saw this secondary students from a neighbouring school near the mosque.

    The first reaction i felt was, “masyaAllah”. Two buddies, in a mosque, one is revising school work while the other is reciting the Quran.

    How having good companies around you play a major role in your struggles in this world.

    May Allah broaden their knowledge and love for each other and may they grow up to be a contributing role models for the betterment of our ummah.

    “The example of a good companion (friend) in comparison with a bad one is like that of one who sells musk and the blacksmith. From the first, you would either buy musk or enjoy its good smell, while from the blacksmith you would either get burned or smell a bad scent.” Saheeh Al-Bukhari

    FB: Adzan Khairuddin

     

    Source: JOM

  • Racial Harmony Alive In Singapore: Multiracial Effort Helped Old Man Who Fell Off From Bike

    Racial Harmony Alive In Singapore: Multiracial Effort Helped Old Man Who Fell Off From Bike

    What happened last night reaffirmed my beliefs that RACIAL HARMONY is still strong in Singapore !

    About 7:30pm last night, I was about to chase a bus back home at Elias CC. Then a woman yelled “that old man fell down”
    My wife and I turned and we saw that an old man fell off his bike. We got nearer by walking and realized he was bleeding. It then turned into a sprint.

    I yelled to my wife to call the ambulance while I dug my bag for a shirt. I immediately applied pressure on his head where he was bleeding from. He was shivering and muttering. I continued applying pressure and carried him up to sit at the ledge. At that point of time all I could think of is to stop his bleeding as it has already went down to his shirt.

    Out of nowhere, a few passer by came by to help.
    1) a Chinese woman shielded the old man with an umbrella while asking the old man for his family member’s contact.
    2) a Malay man came to us and took the old man’s bicycle aside (it was still in front of me)
    3) An Indian man rushed to the nearest clinic and called the doctor to help
    4) a Bangladeshi man stood behind me to shield me and the old man from the rain while I was still applying pressure.

    The scary part to me was holding the shirt and feeling it getting heavier and warmer. I didn’t want to apply too much till I hurt the uncle nor do I want to be too soft till blood keeps flowing.

    Shortly after, the doctor that the Indian man went to get, came down. He came with an assistant. I relieved my position and the doctor covered the old man’s wound with a gauze. While this was happening :

    1) Malay man was constantly looking out for the ambulance
    2) the Chinese woman got a hold of the old man’s family and comforted the old man that they are on their way
    3) the Indian man gave his wet tissues to my wife so she could wipe blood of the old man’s hand and face
    4) the Bangladeshi man was still using his umbrella to cover the old man and also the doctor

    Like what it seems to be forever, the ambulance finally came. Bringing the old man and his grandson to the hospital.

    I don’t even know the names of the people who helped me last night but I was truly touched and moved by the unconditional help by our fellow Singaporeans (and Foreign help!!)

    What gave me hope that the uncle can make it was that he was even asking for his bicycle when he was being put on the ambulance ?

    Thank you my wife Jenny Insyirah Farhanah Lim for calling the ambulance and aided them to come to the exact location. Then also helping the uncle wipe off the blood on his face and hands.

    But most of all, to those people who rushed down and help, thank you very much. I am extremely touched (‘:

     

    Source: Khairul Farhan

  • Bangladeshi Expat: Books With Militant Propaganda Being Distributed To Bangladeshis Working In Singapore

    Bangladeshi Expat: Books With Militant Propaganda Being Distributed To Bangladeshis Working In Singapore

    They write provocative things against Jews and people of other religions.

    In a place like Singapore, where there is no prominent Muslim organisation for Bangladeshis or any influential cleric who they can follow, many of the overworked expatriates struggle to find spiritual comfort in their everyday life.

    As the pent-up stress and frustration of living in a foreign culture continues to grow, Islamist radical groups swoop in to brainwash these vulnerable expatriate workers into believing that hatred and violence are paths to salvation.

    In the city-state of Singapore, most militant propaganda are spread through books that speak of radicalised interpretations of Islam, the Dhaka Tribune found during a recent visit there.

    “It is easier to brainwash those of us who live in a foreign land. It is because we do not have any organisation here. We do not have any Pir [religious preacher] or religion-based group. So, different kinds of books are often distributed among us,” a young Bangladeshi expat told the Dhaka Tribune at Mustafa Centre, a hotspot for local Bangladeshis.

    “Even last Sunday [July 3], several thousands books were distributed in the Mustafa Centre area. A group of young men came and quickly distributed these books among everybody. One of the books is titled ‘Uphold Islam even in a foreign land.’”

    Several other young men who also spoke with the Dhaka Tribune at the Mustafa Centre said many Bangladeshis take these books back to their rooms. The books are written in a way that anyone getting a glimpse would be wanting to read more, they said.

    Fearing for their safety, the men requested that their voices not be recorded and that their names be excluded from the news report.

    Asked to describe what is written in these books, they said the authors mentally blackmail the Bangladeshis, writing provocative things against Jews and people of other religions. Sometimes references from the Qur’an are mentioned and words in Arabic are included.

    Even though no one understood what the Arabic words meant, many Bangladeshis believed whatever translation or interpretation was included in the books.

    “The books push Muslims to boycott Jewish products and offer namaz, and speak about jihad,” one of them said.

    Some of the youths, however, had a different explanation about the source of the books.

    They said these books might be distributed by Bangladeshi shop owners around Mustafa Centre to encourage Bangladeshis to boycott Singaporean products and buy stuff from their own stores instead.

    Several of the men also voiced their opposition against such books.

    “In Bangladesh, such books would have been known for spreading militancy. But since there is no such scope in Singapore, these books are now spreading fast,” one of them said.

    So far, at least 35 Bangladeshi nationals have been arrested in Singapore in connection with plotting terrorist activities.

    Earlier this month, a Singapore court convicted four Bangladeshi workers for financing terrorism and sentenced them to jail terms between two and five years.

    ‘Malaysian students being targeted’

    A different scenario was found in Malaysia, where university students told the Dhaka Tribune that they were the main brainwashing targets for extremists. Speaking on condition of anonymity, several of them said they receive many anti-Semitic messages regularly.

    The Bangladeshi students who regularly offered prayers and fasted were the ones usually targeted by militant recruiters, they said.

    But since it was revealed that Nibras Islam – one of the killers from the Dhaka terror attack – used to be a student in Malaysia, everyone has been on high alert, they added.

    The founder and incumbent president of Bangladesh Students Union Council, Mohammad Mohiuddin Mahi, told the Dhaka Tribune that monitoring of Bangladeshi students in Malaysia has been increased since the July 1 attack.

    “We have news that around 8,000 Bangladeshi students in 60 private, two public and six semi-public universities in Malaysia are being monitored. Malaysian police are secretly collecting information on where these students were living and who they had contact with, as well as tracking their mobile phones.

    “We have Bangladeshi student organisations at 29 Malaysian universities. Through these organisations, we have asked all expatriate Bangladeshis to stay alert,” Mahi added.

     

    Source: www.dhakatribune.com

  • Singapura Tidak Boleh Biarkan Serangan Pengganas Pecah Belahkan Negara

    Singapura Tidak Boleh Biarkan Serangan Pengganas Pecah Belahkan Negara

    Keharmonian kaum antara kaum dan agama berbeza adalah prinsip asas bagi Singapura.

    Perdana Menteri Lee Hsien Loong berkata demikian sempena Hari Keharmonian Kaum hari ini (21 Jul).

    Dalam satu catatan Facebook, PM Lee menulis rakyat Singapura harus merai kepelbagaian mereka dan berkongsi adat dan budaya satu sama lain.

    Beliau berkata di banyak negara ada lebih banyak kes orang menolak kepelbagaian.

    PM Lee merujuk kepada serangan pengganas baru-baru ini di Orlando, Amerika Syarikat, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Nice di Perancis dan Puchong di Malaysia.

    Setiap kejadian itu kata beliau sifatkan sebagai menakutkan, didorong kebencian dan menyayat hati.

    Beliau menambah bahawa Singapura harus sentiasa bersatu sebagai satu bangsa, dan tidak membenarkan keadaan sedemikian memisah atau memecahbelahkan negara.

    Sekolah di Singapura memperingati Hari Keharmonian Kaum bagi mengingati rusuhan kaum di Singapura pada 1964.

    Dua rusuhan kaum selama lima hari itu mengakibatkan lebih 30 orang terbunuh dan sekurang-kurangnya 500 cedera.

    Source: http://berita.mediacorp.sg

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