PENASIHAT akar umbi baru di GRC Marsiling-Yew Tee Encik Zaqy Mohamad melawat beberapa penduduk di rumah mereka semalam, kali pertama beliau berbuat demikian, sejak diumumkan sebagai pengganti Cik Halimah Yacob di sana. Encik Zaqy menghadiahkan beg berisi makanan kepada beberapa penduduk rumah sewa di Blok 3 Marsiling Road. Ia sebahagian program kebajikan tahunan Bringing Cheer @ Marsiling yang dianjurkan oleh kesatuan pekerja Lembaga Pembangunan dan Perumahan (HDB).
Encik Zaqy, yang juga Anggota Parlimen GRC Chua Chu Kang, dilantik sebagai penasihat Pertubuhan Akar Umbi (GRO) di sana bagi menggantikan Cik Halimah yang mengundur diri dari semua jawatan politik selepas mengumumkan hasratnya bertanding di Pilihan Raya Presiden bulan depan. Bercakap kepada penduduk Marsiling di acara yang diadakan sempena Hari Kebangsaan baru-baru ini, Encik Zaqy berkata beliau bertekad meneruskan beberapa projek yang telah dimulakan Cik Halimah, seperti pembinaan pusat penjaja makanan baru, pusat dialisis dan memperkukuh khidmat bas awam di kawasan itu.
Dalam pada itu, Encik Zaqy, yang berpengalaman 11 tahun menjadi AP akan terus berkhidmat sebagai penasihat akar umbi di GRC Chua Chu Kang. Sebelum ini, Menteri Pembangunan Negara (MND) EnciK Lawrence Wong, yang juga mewakili penduduk Marsiling-Yew Tee, berkata penduduk tidak harus bimbang bahawa perhatian AP di kawasan undi itu akan berubah, kerana pasukan AP di sana, termasuk Encik Ong Teng Koon dan Encik Alex Yam, akan bekerjasama untuk memastikan program kawasan undi dan Sesi Bertemu Penduduk (MPS) akan dijalankan seperti biasa.
Mr Zaqy Mohamad has been appointed as adviser to Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC Grassroots Organisation, after Madam Halimah Yacob stepped down with effect from Aug 7, the People’s Association said on Tuesday (Aug 8).
Mr Zaqy, 42, is currently adviser to Chua Chu Kang GRC GROs, but he will work concurrently with MPs from Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC – including Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong and MPs Ong Teng Koon and Alex Yam – to serve the residents there, the media release said.
The Minister for Environment and Water Resources, Masagos Zulkifli, has lashed out at Workers’ Party Member of Parliament, Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap, for raising “divisive” issues in the House.
At the heart of Mr Masagos’ concerns is how the constant airing of such “sensitive” issues would “stir the community.”
The minister said “there is a right time, a right place and right way” to discuss such matters.
“The way to make progress is gradually and quietly, working under the radar to strengthen mutual trust and understanding among Singaporeans, so that we can move forward step by step,” he said.
The minister’s criticism came after Mr Faisal’s latest parliamentary question asking for the Government to allow Muslim nurses and uniformed officers to wear the tudung (a Muslim headscarf) at work.
Mr Masagos also pointed out that Mr Faisal had previously raised other “potentially discordant” issues as well, such as halal kitchens in navy ships and the perceived discrimination of Malays in the Singapore Armed Forces.
In his response to the accusations from the minister, Mr Faisal said that as an elected MP, he had a right to raise issues of concerns from his community in Parliament.
He added that since he was elected in 2011, he had raised the tudung issue and asked for the Government to address it.
“How does that cause divisiveness and discord?” he asked.
Saying that Mr Faisal “does not need to intend to sow discord” in raising these issues, Mr Masagos said nevertheless by doing so, Mr Faisal has “subtly and frequently [brought] issues that are sensitive to the community, knowing (they are) not easy to resolve and cleverly turning it into a state versus religion issue.”
“These are all very dangerous moves,” the minister said.
“It leaves a feeling of (something) unresolved and unsolvable, and impatience that one day I believe will explode,” Mr Masagos said. “Is that what Mr Faisal wants?”
Mr Faisal had also raised the tudung issue in Parliament last month (March), where he said that “the Malay/Muslim community is also concerned about Muslim women being allowed to wear the tudung when serving in uniformed groups like the army, the Home team and nurses.”
“I sincerely hope that the Government can do something to address the concerns of the community,” he said.
The tudung issue has been raised several times by various quarters in recent years, including from PAP MPs.
In 2016, PAP MP for Jurong GRC, Rahayu Mahzam, also spoke on the matter in Parliament.
“One other thing that is constantly in the minds of our community is the tudung issue,” she told the House. “As a woman who wears tudung, I definitely hope that all women can pursue their career of choice. Hence, I hope this can be reviewed, and flexibility be given where possible, so that there will not be too many barriers for women to choose their own careers.”
Ms Rahayu also called for more open dialogues in such matters.
She said:
“Our efforts in encouraging racial and religious harmony can no longer be at a superficial level of attending each other’s cultural events. We should allow for space to talk about our identities, our religious practices such as the burning of incense paper, the wearing of the tudung, the playing of music during Thaipusam, for example. And there should be open dialogues as such conversations allow for better understanding of each other’s concerns.”
In 2015, PAP MP for Choa Chu Kang, Zaqy Mohammad, had talked about “the increase of religiosity and issues like the wearing of the tudung as part of a ‘new normal’ in governance and society in Singapore.” (See here.)
Mr Zaqy, along with Mr Faisal, had also called for the authorities “to provide more space for the discussion of identity and religion.” (See here.)
In 2013, the Suara Musyawarah committee, which is tasked to gather feedback from the Malay/Muslim community, said “that many girls coming out of madrasahs would work as nurses if they could wear the headscarf.”
“The reason given for not allowing this is that tudungs are not part of nurses’ uniforms,” the Straits Times reported then.
In his speech in 2015 at the Community Leaders’ Conference organised by OnePeople.sg, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that race and religion remain “difficult and sensitive” issues for any society.
He said while there is room for open discussion, it would be unwise to assume there is no need to be careful when dealing with such matters.
“We discuss things more openly now,” PM Lee said. “Even sensitive matters, we discuss openly in mixed groups and we speak candidly with one another from the heart. But it is very unwise to assume that we do not have to be careful, that we do not have to be sensitive when we are dealing with issues of race and religion.”
When interviewed about the issue in 2016, Mr Masagos was asked whether the government can be more flexible on allowing discussion of identity and religion, including the wearing of the tudung.
The minister said, “We may feel that the time is right for us to discuss it amongst ourselves or with the other races. But it can also easily lead us to open old wounds that can instigate riots, and we do not want this to happen.”
Religious matters, he said, belong in the domain of scholars who “not only possess deep knowledge, but they also practice and impart religion wisely.”
Noting that “some people like to interfere in such matters, especially if they can politicise it”, Mr Masagos added: “This will make a particular issue turn into something more complicated than what it was initially.”
Asked if there are any new developments in the discussion about the issues concerning religion, race or the wearing of the tudung, Mr Masagos replied:
“All matters pertaining to any religion are often discussed in the Cabinet and we do look at ways to lead society to be more open, more accepting. But we are careful in doing this.”
After meeting with the in charge for enrollment, to our disappointment we were told that the earliest most possible intake for Nabil is next year in January 2018.
He’s of a P2 age this year…it’s been 2 lengthy years already..how long more do you expect my son to wait… I can’t help feeling the negative vibes that Nabil is like not being considered for a place at all when being told to go and try for other sped schools or private schools…..this is easier said than done.
It is beyond my understanding why distance between school and home is not being considered during a sped school enrollment just like how it is being applied in mainstream primary schools.
Really could not comprehend the system how a student who resides in as far as pasir ris and tampines are prioritized and get a slot in Eden (Bt Batok) while we the apparent west residents (CCK) are left hanging precariously by the hook.
We as parents are truly exhausted. Have tried numerous means of help…even to the extend of approaching the Member of Parliament of our area Mr Zaqy Mohamad in hopes to expedite the enrollment but till today..we have yet to receive even a reply from him regarding the matter regrettably.
It is just emotionally tiring and draining to say the least…as a husband, seeing your wife shedding her tears helplessly in public as we step out of Eden School earlier on while hugging my son was the last straw for me!
Seek help from Ministry of Education, Singapore you say?? How could we when in the first place, they couldn’t even help to issue a student ezlink card for Nabil just because he has yet to get enrolled into a school. Yes. My son all this while has been paying adult fare whenever he took the train since he turns 7. How justifying is this…?! You see how my son has been tossed back and forth all these while….
The system got to change…someone has got to look into the cases which falls through the cracks…that’s where our unheard voices are being suppressed unfairly….?
Anggota Parlimen (AP) GRC Chua Chu Kang, Encik Zaqy Mohamad, akan mempertahankan kerusinya bersama pasukan Parti Tindakan Rakyat (PAP) GRC itu dalam Pilihan Raya Umum akan datang.
Ini merupakan pilihan rayanya yang ketiga sejak beliau menceburi politik pada 2006 ketika bertanding bagi GRC Hong Kah.
Sejak dilantik menjadi AP, Encik Zaqy telah diberi beberapa tanggungjawab seperti Pengerusi Majlis Bandaran Chua Chu Kang, Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Parlimen Pemerintah (GPC) bagi Perhubungan dan Penerangan, dan Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Bulan Bahasa.
Beliau kini merupakan seorang Pengarah Akaun Asean dan Pembangunan Perniagaan di Ernst & Young.
