TR EMERITUS

Kids, regardless of race, playing together during a flood in the olden days of Singapore (Photo http://blogtoexpress.blogspot.sg) I refer to the 5 Jun 2014 Straits Times letter “Striking a delicate balance” by Mr Kuek Jia Yao. My Kuek attributes Singapore’s racial harmony to the success of post independence government policy. It is not. Singapore has had racial harmony between the two main races of Chinese and Malays throughout our hundred over years of colonial rule by the British. Racial conflict arose during our tumultuous years of marriage into Malaysia when the political conflict between Lee Kuan Yew and Tungku Abdul Rahman led to racial politics. The divorce between Lee Kuan Yew and Tungku Abdul Rahman in 1965 disentangled their political conflict and the racial politics involved. Racial peace gradually returned to us after that. Similar to racial harmony is religious harmony which the Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO) has been promoting since its founding in 1949. The founding of the IRO predates the founding of the PAP so again it cannot be said that religious harmony was solely the work of the PAP (See below: Straits Times, Religious harmony as envisioned 65 years ago, 5 Jun 2014). I refer too to the 8 Jun 2014 Straits Times report “Use social media to fight extremism”. Minister Heng Swee Kiat said that the voluntary Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG) was supposedly ahead of its time when set up 11 years ago to rehabilitate radicalised individuals with extremist beliefs. But 11 years ago was 2003, two years after the 2001 world shaking, recession inducing Sept 11 Terrorist attack on America’s World Trade Centre. The Singapore Jemaah Islamiyah plan to bomb embassies was also uncovered in 2001. It would be more appropriate to say that RRG was set up in response to Singapore and global extremism rather than to say that it was set up ahead of its time. Thank you   Ng Kok Lim Straits Times, Striking a delicate balance, 5 Jun 2014 I WAS present at the opening ceremony of the Pre-University Seminar and I applaud Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin's clear arguments and sincere style ("Pre-U students zoom in on power of stories"; Tuesday). During the question-and-answer session, he cited racial harmony as an example of a post-independence government policy that was extremely successful. Indeed, it has led to a more progressive, multiracial society, laying the foundation for our stability and prosperity. In today's context, Singaporeans want more say in the governance process. How they go about expressing their concerns is beside the point, although attention-grabbing, unsubstantiated criticism is certainly not deserving of any scrutiny. The main difficulty is to strike a balance between government paternalism and the growth of civil society. They remain at opposite ends of the spectrum but are certainly not mutually exclusive. This balance affects most of the recent issues raised, such as government management of the Central Provident Fund, and even the regulation of the media and freedom of speech. Neither side is wrong, and Singapore has to strike a balance between societal self-regulation and the protective policies of a technocratic government. Also, I am puzzled by our excessive focus on internal issues. Without dealing with external uncertainty, our country will not even have a shot at domestic prosperity. I hope the Government can shed more light on how we plan to navigate the complex regional geopolitical environment, while preserving our neutrality. All in all, Mr Tan's frank, down-to-earth style certainly impressed many students. If the Government continues in this current direction, it will gradually include ordinary Singaporeans' views in the decision-making process. Kuek Jia Yao Straits Times, “Religious harmony as envisioned 65 years ago”, 5 Jun 2014 A HISTORIC collection of speeches on religion and peace was relaunched last night - 65 years after it was first published. The 1949 publication is a collection of speeches by the pioneer leaders of the Inter-Religious Organisation, Singapore (IRO) at its founding on March 18 that year. The 40-page book had faded from memory in the decades that followed, only to be rediscovered six months ago by IRO council member Imam Habib Hassan. While researching the organisation's history, he saw a reference to a book titled The Contribution Of Religion To Peace. He was intrigued by the fact that its editors were founding IRO president H. B. Amstutz and Dr Ahmad Mohamed Ibrahim, Singapore's first Attorney-General. After searching online, the imam found a London bookseller with a single copy of the book. "I didn't realise the importance of the book at the time," he said. It was only after the book arrived in Singapore by courier that its contents became clear: "We found that the religious leaders' words, complete, were there." The reprint aims to remind IRO members of their founding purpose, he added. To make for a more attractive read, the reprint is larger and includes photographs. It is not for sale, but 3,000 copies will be distributed to religious, community and government organisations, as well as secondary schools. At its launch last night, IRO president Noor Mohamed Marican noted that religious harmony in Singapore faces challenges such as a diverse population, the rise of social media and globalisation. "In order to rise to these challenges, the IRO will continue to follow the guidelines brought down upon us by our founders as contained in this book and reach out to the next generation of Singaporeans," he said. Minister for Law and Foreign Affairs K. Shanmugam, who was guest of honour, stressed that religious harmony should not be taken for granted. Atrocities have been committed in the name of religion and there are many messages of hate online, he noted. Organisations such as the IRO are important as they are "at the forefront of the war against religious extremism", he said. By fostering good relations between faiths and educating Singaporeans about different religions, the IRO provides "a shield against the lies and hate propagated by extremists". Straits Times, Use social media to fight extremism, Counter radicals who use it to sway young minds, minister urges rehab volunteer group, 8 Jun 2014 Thousands of people from countries around the world have answered the call of extremists to join Syrian rebels in their fight against President Bashar al-Assad's regime, and Singaporeans are "not immune" to this call, Education Minister Heng Swee Keat said yesterday. The extremists have been adroit at drumming up their cause and recruiting fighters on the Internet, posing a significant challenge to Singapore, he added at the 10th annual retreat of the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG). This is especially so, he noted, because Singapore's young people have grown up on a diet of social media and see it as a trusted source of information and news. But "radical ideologues" can use it as a weapon to manipulate young people's "spirit of altruism... to stir up emotional responses to the perceived oppression of Muslims in conflict zones, and to seed ideas of hatred", he warned, adding that there is a need to counter the misuse of social media by the extremists. He urged the group to explore how it can exert a greater presence on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to "reclaim the discourse from the radicals". "It will be an uphill task, but something necessary, so that there is a countervailing voice against the radical narrative being purveyed online," he said addressing about 30 people at the Holiday Inn Atrium on the second day of the group's three-day retreat focusing on the Syrian conflict. The RRG, a voluntary group of asatizah, or religious teachers, counsel radicalised individuals here to get them to abandon their extremist beliefs. Mr Heng praised the group for helping to rehabilitate those found to have "imbibed the terrorist ideology" and also for helping to reintegrate them into society. When it was set up 11 years ago, the group was "ahead of its time", said Mr Heng. But its method of counteracting the terrorist threat through stamping out radical ideology is especially relevant in today's "complex" terrorism landscape, he added. Describing how the terrorism threat has evolved, Mr Heng said the "enemy" has become more "amorphous", comprising self-radicalised terrorists who pick up radical propaganda online. The Syrian conflict, and the unrest in the Middle East and North Africa, has also "fed into the terrorist narrative that there is a global jihad that Muslims must be a part of", he said noting that many governments anticipate it could breed a new generation of terrorists. According to estimates by the Soufan Group, which provides strategic security intelligence services to organisations, about 12,000 foreigners have joined the Syrian conflict. RRG's co-chairman, Ustaz Ali Mohamed, also raised concerns about this trend yesterday when he made his opening remarks at the retreat, adding that some Singaporeans are already "attracted to the Syrian conflict". "The RRG is worried about the growing trend of individuals who are easily swayed by the narrative of performing armed jihad in Syria," he said. In March, the Ministry of Home Affairs disclosed it was investigating Singaporean Haja Fakkurudeen Usman Ali, 37, for allegedly going to Syria with the intention of taking part in armed violence there. The supermarket manager, previously an Indian national, became a Singapore citizen in 2008. Ustaz Ali said individuals like Haja may have been influenced by the "doomsday narrative" online that perpetuates the belief that the Syrian conflict is a prelude to the end of the world, and a "holy war" against enemies of Islam. "Such narratives are based on sayings of the Prophet (Muhammad) which are often misunderstood and taken out of context," he said. He added that there is a need to counter the narrative with an in-depth study of the hadith, or Prophet's sayings, quoted widely on the Internet, to "prevent the peaceful messages of Islam from being misused". Welcoming Mr Heng's suggestions for the group, Ustaz Ali said a public resource centre will be launched at Khadijah Mosque next month to provide research, information and counselling as part of the group's anti-terrorism efforts here. "We have an... important role to proactively inoculate the community against the dangers of terrorist and radical ideologies," he said.  Read More →

In a statement released today [Link], MAS said that the CPI-All Items inflation rate rose to 2.7% (year-on-year) in May last month. In April, it was 2.5%. MAS said the increase is due to "base effects associated with the fluctuations in COE premiums". The 2.7% inflation rate in May is more than the current 2.5% interest rate for the CPF Ordinary Account (OA). CPF Board announced earlier that CPF members will "continue to enjoy a risk-free interest rate of 2.5% on their Ordinary Account savings from 1 April 2014 to 30 June 2014" [Link]. For the next 3 months from July to September, CPF Board still said that all CPF members will "continue to enjoy a risk-free interest rate of 2.5% per annum on their Ordinary Account savings" [Link]. MAS said that price increases for all other major categories moderated slightly during May. Private road transport cost climbed by 8.1% in May, stronger than the 5.7% rise in the preceding month, mainly on account of the low base in May 2013. Petrol pump prices also edged up at a faster pace than in April. Accommodation cost rose by 0.9% compared to 1.1% in April, due to a slower pace of increase in rentals. Services inflation edged down to 2.5% from 2.7% in April, as holiday travel cost and health insurance premiums rose more moderately. Food inflation came in slightly lower at 3.0% in May compared to 3.1% in the previous month, reflecting a smaller increase in non-cooked food prices. Inflation as measured by CPI less rentals edged up to 3.1% in May from 2.9% in April, mainly reflecting the rise in private road transport cost. MAS Core Inflation, which excludes the cost of accommodation and private road transport, fell to 2.2% from 2.3% a month ago, due to lower contributions from services and food items. According to MAS, domestic cost pressures, particularly stemming from a tight labour market, are likely to remain the primary source of inflation. Taking these factors into account, MAS Core Inflation is projected to stay elevated at 2–3% in 2014, MAS said. "CPI-All Items inflation is expected to ease for the rest of 2014 with the dissipation of the base effect arising from the sharp correction in COE premiums in Q2 2013. For the whole year, car prices are likely to add negligibly to inflation. Given the large supply of newly-completed housing units, imputed rentals on OOA should stabilise this year. CPI-All Items inflation is projected to come in at 1.5–2.5% in 2014," said MAS.  Read More →

MANILA, Philippines (AP, 23 Jun) — A Philippine senator, the son of an ex-president, surrendered to police Monday after a court ordered his arrest on corruption charges, the second celebrity politician in days to end up in jail allegedly for plundering this poor Southeast Asian nation's coffers. Jinggoy Estrada was one of three senators indicted earlier this month on charges of receiving huge kickbacks from government development and anti-poverty funds. He arrived at the main police headquarters accompanied by his family, parents and supporters after the Sandiganbayan special anti-graft court issued an warrant for his arrest. Trailed by a mob of journalists, photographers and TV cameramen, Estrada first went to the house of his father, former president and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada. His young daughter wiped away tears, hugging her teary-eyed father as they left their upscale suburban Quezon City home. Estrada denied any wrongdoing and expressed confidence that he will be acquitted, and his lawyer, Alexis Abastillas, said she will ask the court to grant the senator bail, which is normally not given in such cases. "This is the last day of my freedom," he told reporters before surrendering. "I will fight for this case to my last breath." Estrada, a former movie actor, was charged with plunder along with his father in 2001, but was acquitted. His father, a hugely popular action movie actor, was convicted of plunder but was pardoned and won last year's mayoral election in the Philippine capital, Manila. The senior Estrada was president from 1998 to 2001. Sen. Estrada has been accused of receiving 183 million pesos ($4.2 million) in kickbacks in an alleged scam involving the diversion of millions of dollars from anti-poverty and development funds allotted to lawmakers for their pet projects. Corruption has plagued this poor Southeast Asian nation of 97 million for decades, fostered by a culture of impunity by powerful politicians and their allies, weak law enforcement and a slow justice system.   More in: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2014/06/23/philippine-senator-and-son-ex-president-charged-with-plunder-surrenders-to/    Read More →