The P65 Blog

35 Responses to “An increasingly open world, but many closed minds?”

1. Singapore Girl Next Door
   February 12th, 2010 at 10:04 pm

   ….only thru open discussions, understanding and EDUCATION, not detention and punishment, we learn to genuinely respect people of different cultures, values and beliefs.

   Not my words.

   I was invited as adjudicator in an open debate, and those words rang from a secondary student from Yio Chu Kang who bravely defended the motion of freedom to conscience.

   There is still hope afterall.

   In the meantime, we just have to do with what we have.

2. Megha
   February 13th, 2010 at 2:05 am

   Khartini thanks for this nice piece on racial harmony. It is something that I’m very grateful that Singapore has but at the same time I believe more can be done to increase awareness and understanding of the different races and religion.

   As Singapore Girl next door mentioned, we need to respect the religions of others.

3. PAP Member
   February 13th, 2010 at 3:41 am

   interact interact and interact.

   once you are friends, you will find it hard to insult your friends or to let others insult your friends.

   also lock up all racist parents. jk jk

   a malay girl in my son’s enrichment class taunted my son, saying that Jesus is not God. My son said it’s ok, as long as he believes, it doesn’t matter what others think. But she went on and on to harass him about this issue. Luckily my son is mild-temper (or timid) otherwise there would have been a quarrel, considering her persistent aggressive stance.

   I remember during my school days such incident would never occur. We were quite colour-blind and ok with whatever religion. What really happen within a few decades?

4. Khartini Khalid
   February 13th, 2010 at 3:53 am

   @SGND: Thanks for sharing, I do agree with the need for social policing more than the law but in some instances (more than others) I think the law needs to step in. Agree that more discussion and education is necessary.

   Megha: Ya, I think there is a big need to go beyond celebrating Racial Harmony Day in a kitschy way (oh that rhymes! )

   And I actually I was thinking about having “Tolerance” as the baseline. I don’t think it should be the baseline set for our society. I think we should make “Acceptance” as the baseline. Acceptance may not mean that one believes in or agrees in another’s beliefs or differences but that one accepts others as they are. “Tolerance” can connote a sense of mild irritation somewhat – it has a slightly negative nuance to it.

   @PAP Member – I am sorry to hear about your son’s experience. And I wonder where the ML girl got that view from – maybe her parents, or her friends..or religious teacher…who knows. I suppose we need to be aware that while we have our own views it is important not to impose our views on others. There would be no end to it – if everyone believes they are right, and no one can actually prove anything really (maybe until death? ) then it is a vicious cycle. I personally think it is a waste of time and energy to quibble over God and whose God is the actual God. Cos when we go beyond the “who is God” and “how do we pray to God” and get to values, there are lots of common values and overlapping aspects that are good for everyone.

   You also posed a good question for discussion, would like to know what others think. Were things better in the past? Were people more accepting? Or were people just less sensitive then?

5. Singaporean
   February 13th, 2010 at 11:57 am

   There is a big difference between “racial harmony” and “religious harmony”. The former is easier to deal with.

   The Rony Tan issue is about the latter.

   Certain religions and their doctrines, when rigidly interpreted by their “leaders”, simply do not tolerate (let alone accept) the beliefs and practices of any religion other than their own.

   These leaders are the very ones needing education in “religious harmony”.

6. Singapore Girl Next Door
   February 13th, 2010 at 1:45 pm

   Khartini, I do not disagree with you. The law definitely has to step in.

   But what is uniquely Singapore in this case is we have more focus (and closet preference) in deterence and detention more than dialogue, education and understanding towards achieving “harmony”.

   It’s not whether which method is right or wrong. It’s about having the right mix. Unfortunately, many believe that detention is the silver bullet.

   The reason I quoted a student is because the solution is in our schools. Unfortunately, the problem also starts here. But detention has no place there.

   Take for example the policy which prevents students from “taking religion with them” in schools. Malay Muslisms experience this first hand.

   This, above all, deceives the mind of our young into believing that “harmony” is achieved when you force people to be less of themselves and be compliant to the norm; and we all know this is the root of intolerance. We have an environment which subconsciously cultivates fear….and fear is contagious.

   But are we really sincere in rooting the nip from the bud?

   Or are we merely using opportunities like this to justify curbing more civil liberties. “Sedition” after all in Singapore has taken a new definition of its own.

   Because if there was a solution during that fateful day in September 2005…..it was detention.

7. Khartini Khalid
   February 13th, 2010 at 2:12 pm

   Excellent discussion points, @Singapore Girl Next Door. I agree with the importance of school (and parents) as critical points of educating the young on respecting and accepting differences. I suppose the question is what’s the balance between secularism, having religious symbols in public space, and discussing all of these matters. These are issues that the West is struggling with too….and different countries have drawn lines at different places.

   One thing for sure is that talking about these issues might be better than sweeping them under the carpet. The challenge would be to have teachers and parents who can talk about these things in perspective and with maturity and responsibility. But sometimes it is hard for some people to keep their biases to themselves and if they’re in a position of power or control of the discussion then it can become a double edged sword too.

   What do you all think? Please share your views on what myself, Singapore Girl Next Door or other bloggers have said here.

   P.S: Actually now I am unclear on the authorities’ position on these matters. So they have arrested and charged bloggers (on the dog in the cab case) & those who distributed the pamphlets containing disparaging remarks on Islam and Catholicism. For this round the pastor is not charged and the 3 boys are not but one of them has to go through 6 months of an MCYS programme. So what’s the basis for charging and not charging, really? Where is the line drawn? Why should the boy go through a programme and Pastor Tan not? How is the law applied in all these cases? I hope the authorities will shed some light on this. It is good to be clear on these matters and not leave things looking so fuzzy. I am just thinking out aloud as many other netizens and Singaporeans are too, I suppose.

8. Simplicity
   February 17th, 2010 at 9:05 pm

   Why many closed minds (in Spore) may we ask.

   I highly recommend this read, titled “Cultural Revolutions, Wilting Flowers”. Click to the link:
   http://theonlinecitizen.com/2010/02/cultural-revolutions-wilting-flowers/#more-20013

9. PAP and Gerrymandering
   February 20th, 2010 at 2:54 pm

   PAP Tricks.

   From Hardwarezone:

   - Attract younger crowd by appearing hip and using new media
   - Be more visible during election period
   - Censure and discredit opposition in the media
   - Disqualify opposition members via election process technicalities
   - Distinguish Singaporeans from PRs by making PRs pay more
   - Fear mongering
   - Handouts to poor
   - Highlight PAPy support in the media
   - Limit media reports on Temasek losses in billions of $
   - Sue opposition members for libel
   - Thank singaporeans publicly for taking on lowly jobs “keeping the unemployment rate low”
   - Use media to show positive economic figures , biased report of loss/ ains of “you-know-who’s” company
   - thank singaporeans publicly for taking on lowly jobs and keeping the unemployment rate low
   - draw a greater distinction between singaporeans and PRs, e.g. make them pay 10% more for school fees
   - propose Lift upgrades, Public housing upgrades, MRT upgrades and hold back from those who vote oppositions
   - announce more MRT routes (but announce increasing MRT price after election)
   - pretend to reduce foreigners and publicly announce about having too many foreigners is bad
   - raise FT levy
   - pretend to Cut PR medical subsidies
   - pretend to reform HDB resales market and give policy suggestions which would be forgotten after election
   - delay GST ERP (only to announce increase after election)
   - give a few hundred to citizens as GST offset, then announce to give more money after they win election, but raise GST suddenly
   - use newspaper/TV announce economy up 3-5%
   - visit resident house shake hands
   - attack the opposition contestant publicly criticize their background got problem
   - use sweet talks to confuse the people
   - use newspaper/TV announce employment rate go up
   - using veteran ministers like LKY to blast citizens as foolish to vote opposition
   - use TV show only PAPy talks, never broadcast opposition talks
   - use media announce opposition’s family tragedy/matters
   - put more photos of themselves on streets
   - TV showing many people attend PAPy rally/clapping/cheering
   - announce one or two policy packages to lure citizens
   - try to do good to citizens e.g. build lamposts, walkways rtc
   - treat food to community center people
   - remove low-poll SRC and combine into GRC to get walkover, gerrymandering
   - use TV to show citizens how successful is National Day and Youth Olympics this August 2010
   - more flash back TV programmes of PAPy
   - calling opposition liars, hooligans and uneducated
   - opposition who scolds PAPy back gets sued
   - limit opposition rally time length and dates
   - giving remarks that opposition cant lead country
   - when opposition gets scholar member, they say opposition scholar is EX-scholar and dont know how to lead country
   - Telling singaporean there’s no beggars, thus making all poor people thinking they are rich
   - tell citizens not to cast protest votes and think carefully
   - say HDB price/economy will fall if PAPy members lose election
   - warn unemployment go up if they lose
   - get media to spin stories on oppositions and minimal/zero coverage of opposition rallies & messages
   - getting media to interview phantom citizens on their favorable opinions of government policies
   - divert attention if citizens question the government
   - Import more foreigners and attempt to convert them to Citizens so as to dilute ‘dissent’ votes
   - Realised they screwed up, now they attempt to ‘quell and regulate the increase’.

10. Rodolfo
    February 23rd, 2010 at 7:27 pm

    Pastor Rony made quite a few unnecessary and insensitive remarks. Open societies like Singapore are inherently diverse in many ways. It doesn’t do any good to run others down like this. When it comes to religion, we should just live and let live.

    At the macro level, I think the growing number of foreigners will increasingly infuse new perspectives in Singapore. It would be in our interests to listen and embrace the best of what these foreigners have to offer.

11. Khartini Khalid
    February 24th, 2010 at 2:15 am

    Agree with you Rodolfo. Thanks for your comments. Yes, as people (of different faiths) get more and more religious or make more religious demands in the public space it will lead to different challenges and issues. Like you said, it is in our collective interest to continue managing these issues because they are critical for social harmony. I think it’s good that society spoke up against this case.

12. Khartini Khalid
    February 24th, 2010 at 2:18 am

    @PAP and Gerrymandering: In the academic circles, what you are doing (cut-and-paste) is called ‘plagiarism’.

13. PAP and Gerrymandering
    February 24th, 2010 at 4:32 pm

    @ Khartini

    I did say that it was from Hardwarezone.Maybe I did not reference it properly as in ‘published’ academic papers.

    I may have ‘plagiarised’ but I certainly do not GERRYMANDER.

    Which is more detrimental to a country’s future?

    GERRYMANDERING or ‘PLAGIARISM’?

    I think the PAP and YPAP should have a serious relook on political brinkmanship.It is losing credibility everyday.I personally feel that it is insecure.Therein lies the need to redraw boundaries,sue and jail political opponents,buy votes and have cooling off periods.

    The INSECURE PAP.

    Are these so many skeletons hidden in the closet?

14. Khartini Khalid
    February 24th, 2010 at 4:56 pm

    Ya lah but even with referencing it cannot be 100% cut and paste lah..maximum only 20 per cent, he he.

    Anyway. Have a good week ahead.

15. PAP and Gerrymandering
    February 25th, 2010 at 2:29 am

    Hi Khartini.

    I did make a little note that it was from Hardwarezone.Am not too sure about the 20% cap.Maybe you guys should have a set of rules and regulations on this website.Looks like real estate space is very expensive on this PAP sponsored blogsite.You guys are alienating dialogue on all fronts.The YPAP Facebook pages and Website are very unfriendly and top down.No avenue for debate.

    I remember your fellow PAP Member Fredric Fanthome also lambasted netizens for posting comments about general issues from other blogs.I thought that it would be a good idea that the Ivory Tower Party gets a general view of things since it ignores opinions which are critical of it in general.

    I ask you again, which is detrimental to a country’s future?

    GERRYMANDERING or ‘PLAGIARISM’?

    I am going to ‘dig’ into a lot of facts and figures in the next couple of months running up to election.I have friends and colleagues helping me out in this project.

    We have been keeping tabs on all you members and your business and career associations.You have a couple of things coming up for you with regards to PA for example.But we rather reveal all of this during elections.

    Timing is the essence.We are actually doing the NOT SO WHITE party a favour.Time to get the housein order.

    Am sure SPH will not report on this.But we do not need SPH anymore since we have the internet and the more credible international press.

    This is all going to hurt the WHITE PARTY.But it is necessary for Singapore’s sake.The NEW SINGAPORE will be transparent and accountable.

    Have a pleasant week ahead.Disappointed that Rony Tan and the three kids got away with a slap on the wrist.This is telling and sending the wrong message to Singaporeans.

16. Khartini Khalid
    February 25th, 2010 at 2:54 am

    @PAP and Gerrymandering: I was just teasing you with the plagiarism thing and the 20% lah! That’s generally the practice in school (I was teaching before and am now a student) but since we are not in school, it is OK for you to do it here. That said it would be better to hear an individual’s points as compared to someone else’s points but that’s just my preference.

    You sound very passionate about your project and I wish you and your members all the best.

    With regard to your point on Rony Tan – I’ve expressed my views in the article above and I suppose we agree on some points. I also read about his comments in homosexuals and saw the clips of his interview with an ex-lesbian. It is really unfortunate to have a religious leader using such an approach in preaching. Religion should open hearts, and not close minds.

    Have a good weekend.

17. PAP and Gerrymandering
    February 25th, 2010 at 1:25 pm

    Hi Khartini.

    What are your views on the PAP Gerrymandering at elections?We are going to see redrawing of boundaries again with Aljunied being carved up again since the Opposition got 45% of votes.Will Serangoon Central be part of Marine Parade and Aljunied GRCs?

    Imagine you are the Opposition and you have been canvassing for votes for a good 5 years and you find out a couple of days before nomination that the area you had support it has been carved up between three GRCs.It has happened countless times before.

    Imagine that you have been elected but are not appointed as the adviser to your own grassroots committees in the People Association because of your political affliation.You are representing 33% of Singaporeans, yet denied to your rights.

    So Khartini, your fellow PAP bloggers have mentioned Invicus,Karunya and an Open World.But doesn’t the PAP have a very CLOSED MIND? Or are there plenty of Skeletons in that Closet?

    The INSECURE PAP.

18. Khartini Khalid
    February 25th, 2010 at 3:20 pm

    You have asked questions that are out-of-topic and beyond my jurisdiction.I have no idea if Aljunied will be in Bedok or if Serangoon Central will be in Marine Parade GRC.
    Perhaps you could direct your questions (and frustrations) to the Elections Dept. Or to the politicians (of which I am not).

    Also please note that I have indulged you too much with this reply as it is irrelevant to my post. I do not usually address points that are out of topic/monologues. The Speakers Corner might be a good place for that.
    Cheers.

19. PAP and Gerrymandering
    February 25th, 2010 at 6:36 pm

    My sincere apologies if it is out-of-topic and beyond jurisdiction.I have directed my questions to the Elections Department and to some PAP politicians.The non-answer is telling.

    You might be right.The purpose of PAP GERRYMANDERING is probably a non-issue or irrelevant in Singapore.

    Apologies again Khartini if my content is not ‘at least 80 per cent original’.You guys have set a very high standard for ‘original content’.

    Declaration of Assets of Politicians.This has not been discussed to death.And I think something which should be of interest to Singaporeans.Or the sneaky removal of the estate duty tax.

    Or are all these irrelavant to the future of Singapore?But you do have to admit that the poster in Hardwarezone is quite right on the tricks.

    Timing is the essence.

20. Khartini Khalid
    February 25th, 2010 at 6:53 pm

    Hey, no worries. It’s just that I am the only one who can manage the comments coming in (we do not have a moderator, we moderate posts ourselves) hence that makes it difficult for me to engage on all and sundry whenever I put up a post. So to make it easier and more focused I ask that people stick to the topic of discussion. Otherwise it’d get quite tough to manage.

    That said if I or anyone here ever writes on political boundaries in future, then feel free to post your comments/questions on it.
    Enjoy your weekend! It must be sunny in Singapore. It is cold and rainy here in Boston, where I am. I gotta get back to my studies for now.

    Cheers.

21. Ironically, in the real world...
    February 27th, 2010 at 2:29 pm

    Thank you for the post, here is my share. My real real share….
    let me explain my predicament…

    For the past 5 years, I have been voluntarily organizing an international event called the World Harmony Run here in Singapore. Over 80 countries are taking part in this event where our volunteers runners run from nations to nations, from cities to schools to communities centres, to government offices, all for the purpose of promoting harmony in the world.

    In Singapore, what we would select a route that allows us to visit temples, churches, mosques etc. Along this route, we would pay short visits to these religious communities to share a moment of oneness and harmony. We brought along a flaming harmony torch and asked people to say a kind word or prayer for harmony in the world. By so doing, we are honouring different communities for their commitments to bring more harmony and peace to our society.

    No donation is being sought, all we asked were refreshments for our runners. Over the years a few temples and mosques have participated. The feeling was cordial and respectful. The runners felt happy and proud to be part of this wonderful event. So far so good.

    Over the years, I tried to get the government to support this event. First year, 2005, Ms Eunice Olsen and Mr Chan Soo Sen were guests of honour. Subsequently, Dr Amy Khor responded and the CDC sponsored the next event. Then I tried Mr Teo Sar Luck. He asked me to write to sports council. I wrote but gotten no reply. I went back to his secretary and asked if the Ministry of sports, Youth and Community could support this event. The answer was negative. Fine.

    I continued to organize the event. Last year, I planned to run from Bukit Batok to Merlion Park. For the first time, I managed to get all five religious organizations to participate. I managed to get some support from OneSingapore (who is in charge of the annual racial harmony celebrations) I went to meet one MP from Bukit Batok to invite him as a Guest of Honour but was told that he can’t support because mine is not a government organization and they have a protocal that MPs are only allow to support governmental related activities. He asked me who had supported the event, I mentioned Ms Olsen and Mr Chan, still he insisted that he can’t support the event unless I can get some kind of endorsement from the Sports Council. Fine, I moved on. Everything was going well, except that the police had not granted a permit. But the officer at Jurong told me shouldn’t be a problem since I have a good track record of the event over the years. Fine. I got all the logistics in place, without a Guest of Honour. I requested for packet lunches from a Hindu temple for all my runners and everything was going well. Then come the shocking news: The police decided not to grant the event 48 hours before the event without a reason given. All the runners had already paid up for the t-shirts, I have already printed the t-shirts, and suddenly I had to cancel the event. Everyone of us was shocked. I had to apologize to all the religious organization committee for the last minute change of plans, it was not easy. I decided to go ahead with the run at the East Coast Parkway, enquired for permit from National Parks and was granted permission within less than 3 hours. I had to contact all the runners within less than 48 hours on the changes and we went ahead to run at ECP. It was 25 July 2009.

    Over the fortnight PM Lee gave a national day speech and spoke quite a bit on the importance of upholding religious harmony. I wrote a letter to him and asked for support for future events. Few days later, a lady from Sports Council called me, we spoke and she called me a second time to tell me that the Sports Council has no policy to endorse this event and the matter stopped there.

    Despite this being an international event with high profile support from President Nelson Mandela, former Russian President M. Gorbachev, the late Mother Teresa, Olympic sprinter Carl Lewis, boxing great Mohamed Ali, and countless of other supporters all over the world, this event has gained little official support here. Despite the government asking the citizens to be proactive in nation building, volunteerism and upholding racial harmony, yet, here is an unsung volunteer spending countless hours and his resources on this cause-worthy project and still has to put up with so many red tapes.

    In mid december 2009, I submitted my next project due for April 17 2010, till today(26 Feb 2010), after more than 2 months, the police is still pending my application.

    Check it out:

    http://www.worldharmonyrun.org/schoolsandkids/video

    worldharmonyrun.org

    http://www.worldharmonyrun.org/singapore/news-2009/2009july25

    Sad to say, but ironical, this is the reality. So what have our MPs recently been saying about the importance of religious harmony? huh… I maybe a very very small fly, but my message is not.

22. Khartini Khalid
    March 1st, 2010 at 11:18 am

    Hi there,

    Thanks for your post. Pity how challenging it has been! I will contact you personally on this and see if I can help. I am all for religious harmony!

    Cheers.

23. PAP and Gerrymandering
    March 1st, 2010 at 6:43 pm

    Thanks Khartini.

    Looks like your access to our ‘leadership’ will expedite the concerns of ‘Ironically in the real world’.

    I had a friend who wanted to bring the Nike Stand Up Speak Up campaign which promotes racial harmony to Singapore.And the chap and his colleagues went through the same ‘bureaucratic’ processes that the gentleman above had to go through.It was a genuine campaign which was widely endorsed around thw world, except in sadly ‘multi racial and multi cultural’ Singapore.

    I wonder why.I willget hold of these people and get them in touch with the gentleman above.Looks like only the PAP can approve these programs.

    Very SAD indeed.

    Welcome to Singapore.Or PAPPYPORE.

    Have you all heard about the difficulty the opposotion have when it comes to permit.

    A history lesson:

    JBJ won the by-elections legitimately in Anson in 1981.He wanted to hold a children’s procession with a Lion Dance Troupe during Zhong Qui Jie (Moon Festival).The WP hoped to include a Lion Dance troupe,police refused.

    Just across the street, the PAP (who were not elected representatives of Anson) and their representaive Pang Kim Hin held a similar procession with Lion Dancers.This is Bureaucratic Favouritism toward the PAP.

    This incident was brought up in Parliament.The then Home Affairs Minister Chua Sian Chin dismissed it as a procession held in ‘Individual capacity’. Chua insisted that the Worker’s Party procession was illegal as it failed to get permission from the HDB to let CHILDREN, yes CHILDREN to assemble in front of JBJ’s constituency office which was actually a makeshift table in a void deck.

    Singapore is a nation where a bureaucrat could prohibit something as innocent as Lion dances in a children’s procession.

    My advice:

    Just sign up in the YPAP.Get a card like the 1000 who joined last year.Things will be smooth.Only PAP approved individuals and groups can get any form of plaudits in Singapore.

    Khartini, how about Political Harmony?Does that exist in the PAP Member’s Lexicon? I am still waiting for your views on PAP GERRYMANDERING.

24. PAP Member
    March 1st, 2010 at 10:35 pm

    “Khartini, how about Political Harmony?Does that exist in (the) PAP Member’s Lexicon?”

    Yes, it does exist in my Lexicon, not sure about my comrades though.

25. PAP and Gerrymandering
    March 1st, 2010 at 11:12 pm

    Hi PAP Member.

    Your views on PAP GERRYMANDERING?We are going to see the redrawing of boundaries again with Aljunied GRC being carved up since the Opposition got 45% of votes in GE 2006.

    Will Serangoon Central be part of Marine Parade or Aljunied GRCs?Actually,there is a fine line with this district.Willparts of Aljunied GRC find their way into Tanjong Pagar GRC.It is possible.In fact, Serangoon Central can also be part of Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC.

    Absolutely shocking that Marine Parade Town Council is right smack in Serangoon Central.Why not, since your fellow comrades are always at it,subsume this ward to East Coast GRC?

    GERRYMANDERING seems like a fun exercise.Lots of Karunya,Invictus,Increasingly Open and always in the pursuit of PAP happyness.

    Gong Xi Fa Cai.

26. PAP Member
    March 2nd, 2010 at 12:14 am

    My view is not important, my view is also not important to my masters. Once they lapse my membership, I’ll have to change nick to Ex-PAP Member.

    I am a simpleton. If I can vote, vote. My vote then is important. What I can’t control I don’t think too much. What I can control, I’ll try to do the right thing.

    Yes, lets huat together!

27. Khartini Khalid
    March 2nd, 2010 at 2:21 am

    As mentioned many times, I will only address points that are relevant to the topic. Thanks.

28. PAP and Gerrymandering
    March 2nd, 2010 at 6:11 am

    Sigh.

    Always thought that the PAP engaged in robust debates.

    What to do,it has happened.Let’s move on.

29. 'Yu Sheng' indeed
    March 11th, 2010 at 4:15 am

    Hi Khartini.

    Since you are all for religious harmony, let me remind you of the inner thinkings of your fellow ‘comrades’.

    “Three women were brought to the Singapore General Hospital, each in the same condition and needing a blood transfusion. The first, a Southeast Asian was given the
    transfusion but died a few hours later. The second, a South Asian was also given a transfusion but died a few days later. The third, an East Asian, was given a transfusion and survived. That is the X factor in development.”

    Here’s a video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWThOo6-Xo4 entitled Lee Kuan Yew: World-renowned statesman and race realist.

    How about his most recent interview with the National Geographic:

    “Well, we make them say the national pledge and sing the national anthem but suppose we have a famine, will your Malay neighbour give you the last few grains of rice or will she share it with her family or fellow Muslim or vice versa?”

    “The influence from the Middle East has made them have head-dresses for no rhyme or reason.”

    What is your take Khartini?

30. Khartini Khalid
    March 11th, 2010 at 11:31 am

    On the NatGeo article, I certainly do not share his comments on that. I think that it was unfortunate that he picked the Malays as an example. But since he said “vice versa” I think that goes the other way too, would a non-Malay share the last grains of rice with a Malay? That gives a different dimension to the discussion. I think I am more optimistic about race relations in Singapore.

    I assume you are saying that he has made certain disparaging remarks about Malays. As I have mentioned somewhere (I think it was in another post’s response to someone who asked me about this) I have disagreed with LKY’s views on Malays. I wrote a rebuttal to his points on Malays being too centered on mosques and not mixing enough with society some years back. It was featured in the Straits Times.

    That said, even though Mr Lee is an important figure in Singapore’s political structure, he is not the only one that matters. I do not think his view on this is shared by everyone else in Cabinet. I suppose sometimes it is hard to change the mindset of some people. And because he is larger than life, we take everything he says seriously.

    However, we must acknowledge that he and the 1st generation of PAP leaders have done many other things that have enabled Malays to be part of Singapore’s story of success and progress. And he has given speeches and interviews that contain positive comments on the Malays though of course, as usual, negative comments would draw more attention as compared to positive ones (bad news always make better news than good news). So although I disagree with him on some points, I acknowledge that he has done some things that are good for our community. For instance, I just read that the idea of the Mosque Building Fund (MBF) came from him in the 70’s and was not initiated from within the community. The MBF is critical to the state of the many mosques that we have today, which serves a central need of the Muslim community.

    As for the point on Middle East, this influence of Arabization of Islam in Southeast Asia is a phenomenon that has occurred gradually over the last 20-30 years or so. Even if they were pious, on the whole the Malays of the past were not as “Islamic” in their appearance and public behavior as they are today. Just watch P Ramlee movies, pictures of Malay women in the past etc and you wont see many women in headscarves, some were wearing lacey tight kebayas, bathing in the sea with their sarongs, etc. So there is a change. It is a relatively new phenomenon that is global (not only local) and it has to do with many factors. The Southeast Asian Malay-Muslim communities in the past lived with more elements of influence from Hinduism, mysticism etc, and can be said to have been more tolerant of pluralism in the past. But with increasing Islamization and Arabization, a lot of these elements (including cultural art forms etc) have died because when something is branded as “UnIslamic” it becomes “illegitimate” in the eyes of an increasingly religious society now, and you can see this in Malaysia too. I would actually say that Arab culture and ways of being has been creeping into the Malay community – you can see more Arabic sounding names now (some sound more Arabic than Arab names!), people wearing the Arabic jubah…etc….and Malayness has taken a backseat somehow and the Malay identity has evolved to include more elements of influence from the Middle East (dressing, mannerisms, etc).

    As for the headscarf – it would be right to say that more women are wearing it now as opposed to the past. Muslim women of the past in Singapore did not really include the headscarf as part of their daily attire. I would not say it is “without rhyme or reason” though, there are plenty of reasons – religious, social and so on.

    To relate it to my point in this post about religious harmony, on the whole, our govt has promoted religious harmony and takes pains to ensure that religious harmony is maintained in Singapore. There are many other examples of governments that inhibit religious harmony and practice rather than promote it. While we may disagree with what one individual in the government says about some things we also have to look at things holistically. We would not want to miss the woods for the trees. I think society also has to play a part in promoting these values, it is not the govt’s job alone in doing so.

31. the real story
    March 21st, 2010 at 8:18 pm

    Hi Khartini

    You do not know the actual historical fact about the Mosque Building Fund. Is not LKY who proposed it, a group of young Malays in Toa Payoh in 1969s who suggested it , put forward and use it a weak bargaining chip when Singapore Govt want to retake the Waqaf lands in Singapore and end its 999 years lease term. Since you are an English & Sociology graduate, what about you do some research on it and you will find the truth that you that will leave you pondering forever…

32. Khartini Khalid
    March 22nd, 2010 at 3:27 am

    That is stated in MUIS’s book for it’s 40th anniversary and in newspapers.The Toa Payoh people may have gone “knocking on doors” for money but the MBF as a mechanism for Muslims to contribute was from LKY. So I do not intend to ponder on this forever for the MBF has led to the building of many mosques, so it was a good mechanism, period. MBF is at least by the community for the community. If you want to talk about what the Malays “gave up” in the past I think you can come up with a lot of things the Sultans and the leaders of the past gave up during colonialism for their self-serving interests. Those were their choices for whatever reasons, as unfortunate and as unflattering as it is for the community’s history.

    MUIS
    Straits Times

33. PAP and Gerrymandering
    March 26th, 2010 at 4:44 am

    Khartini,

    why didn’t the PAP Muslim MPs not castigate MM for his remarks?Absoluely appaling that he has these views.So is this whole Singapore Multi racial country a sham?Something to gloss things over?

    Why can’t your PAP party look beyond race,language or religion?Are they no different than the British Colonial masters?

    It’s about time we introduce the sedition act on our leaders who seem to think that they can get away woth anything.Pandora’s box will open and we will look at their assets.Temasek and GIC’s losseswill be known very soon and pandemonium will break loose.

    We are being straighjacketed by a group of people who do not have the people’s mandate.They Gerrymnder and cheat their way to parliament.Get in through the backdoor and still have the audacity to vote on Parliamentary bills and change the Constitution as they please.

34. Khartini Khalid
    March 26th, 2010 at 5:46 am

    Sorry, I really have no idea. Do ask the Malay MPs if you wish. I do not speak for them, I only speak for myself.

35. PAP and Gerrymandering
    March 27th, 2010 at 6:54 am

    Khartini,

    if you were voted into parliament would you speak up for your community or would you let MM Lee Kuan Yew say whatever he pleases?

    The time has come to stick the spurs into the PAP’s ultra think hide.A couple of us are going to start a facebook group to vote out the PAP.I understand there is one with almost 5,000.We should aim for 500,000.

    Then the PAP will open the floodgate to a further 5 million foreigners.And I am very sure they won’t be any malays from Indonesia and Malaysia.Why is that?

    This is GERRYMANDERING.Redrawing rules,boundaries,increasing pays and bonuses,expunging inheritance taxes,suing opponents and newspapers for defemation.

    Which MP shall I ask?Any suggestions?