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Tag: Singaporeans

  • The Voice SG & MY: Participants Can Be Of Any Race Or Nationality, But Have To Be Fluent In Mandarin

    The Voice SG & MY: Participants Can Be Of Any Race Or Nationality, But Have To Be Fluent In Mandarin

    Popular international reality TV show The Voice has now made its mark in Southeast Asia, with a new show aimed at Singaporean and Malaysian audiences.

    The singing competition will now be adapted for the countries under one program, co-produced by mm2 entertainment along with cable providers StarHub (Singapore) and Astro (Malaysia).

    They’ve now opened entries to aspiring singers from these two countries, and they assure that they’re “on the search for true talents with good voices regardless of their appearances.” But there is one curious catch: you must be able to sing in Mandarin.

    “There is no restriction on race as long as you have a good voice, are fluent in Mandarin, and are able to perform Mandarin songs,” they state on the FAQ page on their official website.

    It appears that this version of The Voice is primarily targeted towards Mandarin-speaking audiences. This differs from the Singaporean adaptation of American Idol, where contestants sang in English.

    Social media users are understandably angry over this rule, raising questions over the show’s language exclusivity.

    It’s likely that this show is aiming to reach the level of success of Sing! China, which was formally known as The Voice of China and mainly featured singers, which included finalist Nathan Hartono last year, performing in Mandarin. mm2 will not be allowing entrants to sing in Hokkien or Cantonese.

    While some are crying foul over the show’s discrimination against non-Mandarin speakers, B-Quartet frontman Bani Haykal threw in a slightly different perspective on the matter on Twitter: speculating that the rule is likely a strategic move for the show to appeal to audiences in China, the same way Sing! China became popular with audiences in Southeast Asia.

    He explains more in an entire Twitter thread, and it is an interesting argument: Sing! China‘s finals broke viewership records in China, and the country remains an extremely attractive prospect for foreign media to target (*cough* The Great Wall).

    The Voice for Singapore and Malaysia could simply be an attempt at replicating the success of Sing! China, but with the emphasis on multi-racial growth in both countries, could this be simply a tone-deaf strategic move by mm2?

    Registration

    StarHub announced on Friday (May 5) that those aged 16 and up can begin to apply for a spot on the show as of 6pm.

    Again, although participants can be of any race or nationality, “talents have to be fluent in Mandarin and able to perform songs in Mandarin”, according to a press release from StarHub.

    They must also submit a clip of themselves singing. Clips must be no longer than 90 seconds, and dialect songs such as those in Cantonese or Hokkien are not allowed. Other than that, there is no restriction to the language or genre of the song selected, and applicants may choose between singing a cappella or with an instrument, said the press release. Singing with accompanying music tracks is not allowed.

    The auditions close on May 31. Visit www.thevoicesgmy.com

     

    Rilek1Corner

    Source: https://www.bandwagon.asia and http://www.todayonline.com

  • SDP: Just Whom Is The PAP’s Education Policy Serving

    SDP: Just Whom Is The PAP’s Education Policy Serving

    When he was Minister of State for Education, Dr Ng Eng Hen said that “Our universities must become engines of growth for our economy.”

    In 2012, Minister for Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang reinforced this point saying that our education system is “to build industry-relevant manpower capabilities for the economy.”

    We had even wanted to become the ‘Boston of the East’, with our universities modeled on Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

    But Education Minister Ong Ye Kung now says that the number of graduates will be capped at 30 to 40 percent of the student population because the government had, in the past. placed an over-emphasis on academic qualifications in education.

    This chop-and-change approach to education has damaged the country’s ability to plan for the longer term. For example, the PAP had at one time focused on Information Technology and later switched to preparing students for life sciences. Its current emphasis is on “technology adoption” – whatever that means.

    Such short-sightedness contradicts PM Lee Hsien Loong’s boast of the PAP’s “far-sighted leadership who can anticipate problems”. If the leadership is. indeed, far-sighted, how did we place emphasis on our universities being growth engines for our economy and become the Boston of the East only to realise now that we have over-emphasised academic qualifications?

    Serving local or foreign students?

    And while the PAP caps the number of Singaporean graduates, it subsidises foreign students under the Global Schoolhouse project.

    A majority of international students studying here are given Tuition Grants (totaling more than $200 million per year) as well as scholarships (some of which are not open to Singaporean students). It is reported that foreign students make up between 18 and 20 percent of the total undergraduate intake in Singapore.

    In addition, foreign students receiving the grants have to serve a bond upon graduation (which many, by the way, don’t fulfill). They further compete with local graduates for jobs, many of whom are as it is having a hard time finding employment.

    The discrimination is made even more unpalatable when one considers Singaporean parents spending an average of $21,000 a year on their child’s university education. This is more than twice the global average, with over half of the households going into debt because of it. These parents even prioritise funding their children’s education over paying their bills or saving for retirement.

    And the PAP is limiting the number of local graduates while funding foreign ones? Mr Ong Ye Kung must explain whom exactly his latest policy is serving.

    Read SDP’s alternative education policy: Educating For Creativity And Equality: An Agenda For Transformation.

     

    Source: http://yoursdp.org

  • Selangor Side Up For SOS Cup Challenge

    Selangor Side Up For SOS Cup Challenge

    It’s been almost three months since they last won a match.

    Despite a winless run of eight matches, PKNS coach E Elavarasan is hopeful of leading a Selangor Selection side to a win over a Singapore Selection side in the main match of the Sultan of Selangor’s (SOS) Cup at the National Stadium tomorrow.

    Previous Selangor Selection sides in the exhibition friendly usually comprised the Selangor FA squad with a few invited players, but Elavarasan will lead out essentially his PKNS side for tomorrow’s battle.

    The 52-year-old coach told The New Paper over the phone yesterday: “Pride is on the line (for us).

    “Being nominated to represent Selangor in the SOS Cup is an honour for PKNS.

    “Anyway, a one-off match like this is totally different from a league match… and on Saturday, both teams will go all out for the win.

    Among them are Liberian international striker Patrick Ronaldinho Wleh, who has scored 48 league goals in 4½ seasons in Malaysian football.

    PKNS also have several players capped by Malaysia, such as defenders Amiridzwan Taj, Azmi Muslim and Sabre Mat Abu, midfielders Affizie Faisal and K Gurusamy, and forwards Safee Sali and Khyril Muhymeen.

     

    Singapore Selection coach Fandi Ahmad is not underestimating the quality of the PKNS players.

    “I still consider them a dangerous team because they have many experienced players,” said the local football icon yesterday.

    “As for us, making a new team gel with just two training sessions is not easy.

    “But whether we are underdogs or favourites is immaterial.

    “What matters is whether our players go out on game day, motivated and ready to perform to get the win.”

     

    SULTAN OF SELANGOR’S CUP 2017

    Where: National Stadium

    Who’s playing:

    • 4.45pm: Singapore Sports School v Selangor Combined Schools
    • 6.30pm: Singapore Veterans v Selangor Veterans
    • 7.45pm: Singapore Selection v Selangor Selection

    TICKET DETAILS

    Tickets for the match are priced at $8 for adults and $3 for concession holders, excluding ticketing fees.

    Concession tickets are applicable to students aged 16 and below, and senior citizens aged 60 and above. Children aged four and above must purchase a ticket for admission.

    Infants in arms and children under four years of age may be admitted free of charge, provided they do not occupy a seat.

    Tickets are available at www.sportshubtix.com, SportsHub Box Office, SingPost outlets and the Sports Hub hotline (+65 3158 7888).

     

    Source: www.tnp.sg

     

  • Two Arrested For Sending Threatening Letters And Hell Notes To Ministers

    Two Arrested For Sending Threatening Letters And Hell Notes To Ministers

    The police have arrested two people, aged 18 and 53, for their suspected involvement in sending threatening letters and hell notes to four Cabinet ministers and a reporter.

    The Straits Times understands the 18-year-old is a woman, while the 53-year-old is a man.

    Between April 27 and May 4, the police received several reports that threatening letters related to the closure of the Sungei Road flea market had been sent to these individuals, under the name of the chairman of the Sungei Road flea market’s association.

    Among the Cabinet ministers who received the letters were Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

    The Straits Times understands that the letters were written in English and had hell notes attached to them.

    Officers from the Central Division and Criminal Investigation Department identified the two suspects and arrested them on Thursday (May 4).

    Handwritten letters, mobile phones, a laptop, envelopes and hell notes were seized after their arrest.

    The case has been classified as criminal intimidation by an anonymous communication under Section 507 of the Penal Code.

    If convicted, the suspects are liable to up to two years’ imprisonment, in addition to the punishment in Section 506 – punishment for criminal intimidation – of up to two years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both.

    Speaking to The Straits Times, Mr Koh Eng Khoon, chairman of the Association for the Recycling of Second Hand Goods at Sungei Road flea market, said: “I’ve been cooperating with the police. I’m glad that they have arrested the two suspects. I hope the right people will be punished.”

    Investigations are still ongoing.

     

    Rilek1Corner

    Source: http://www.straitstimes.com

  • Ahmadiyya Response To MUIS

    Ahmadiyya Response To MUIS

    On the 2 May 2017, Yahoo News Singapore published an article titled “Behind the belief: The Ahmadis of Singapore’.

    Yahoo interviewed Ali who is one of about 280 active members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission in Singapore, based in a mosque along Onan Road. These believers claim that the Ahmadiyya movement is a branch of Islam, with one key difference: while it accepts the divinity of Prophet Muhammad, it does not believe that he is the last messenger of Allah. Ahmadis look to their founder Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, a 19th century religious leader from the Punjab, as the prophesied Mahdi, or redeemer of Islam.

    Mainstream Muslims in Singapore and around the world do not consider the Ahmadis to be their co-religionists. The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, or MUIS, issued a fatwa (ruling) in 1969 declaring Mirza Ghulam to be “not only a kafir (unbeliever) who is murtad (a Muslim who has rejected Islam), his teachings are misleading and could lead people astray from the real teachings of Islam”.

    Read more about the article by Yahoo here.

    Response to MUIS fatwa against Ahmadiyya

    “MUIS or MUIS fatwa (edict) committee issued a fatwa (edict) dating back to 23 June 1969 declaring the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Community, Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (on whom be peace) who claimed to be the Promised Messiah of the later days, ‘not only a kafir (disbeliever) who is murtad (apostate), his teachings are misleading and could lead people astray from the real teachings of Islam’, God forbid!”

    Some of the extracts from their 17 paged response:

    The full response can be found here or http://ahmadiyya.org.sg/response-to-muis-fatwa-against-qadiani-ahmadiyya/

     

    Another believer when prompted, replied emphatically, “Yeah, of course. Very thankful, we are quite fortunate. Our government is…very particular that we should not instigate or use religion to incite others. Otherwise, we could not have (this building).”

     

    Rilek1Corner

    Sources: https://sg.news.yahoo.com and http://ahmadiyya.org.sg

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