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DPM Wong: Hold fast to need for religious peaceDate : 18 January 2010 The Straits Times - DPM Wong: Hold fast to need for religious peace18 January 2010 Don't let religious tensions in Malaysia spill over here By Rachel Chang THE Government is watching the situation in Malaysia very closely to make sure the religious tensions there do not spill over to Singapore. Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng said yesterday the situation there also underscores the need for Singaporeans not to take racial and religious harmony for granted. He stressed that Singaporeans, while concerned, must continue to be calm and composed in their reactions. 'It is understandable for Singaporeans to be concerned about this development in our neighbouring country, but our people have reacted with calm and composure. We must continue to do so,' he said. Mr Wong's remarks are the first from a Singapore leader on inter-religious tension in Malaysia in the wake of a High Court ruling that allowed a Catholic newspaper to use the word 'Allah' to refer to God. A total of 10 churches, a Sikh temple and a mosque have been vandalised since the ruling. There was no report of any new incidents yesterday. DPM Wong, who is an MP for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, spoke during his constituency's bursary presentation ceremony cum family carnival at Raffles Institution. A total of $127,000 from the Citizens' Consultative Committee of the GRC was presented to 619 students from the constituency. In his speech, Mr Wong also stressed the need for Singaporeans to stay united and cohesive, for only by doing so would the country be able to tackle its problems effectively and build a good foundation for peace and continued growth. The rise of violent religious and racial tensions around the world makes keeping the peace at home all the more urgent, he noted, citing recent incidents in Europe, Australia and Malaysia. He added: 'One of the things that often worries me is that some Singaporeans are lulled into complacency, believing that racial and religious conflicts can never happen in Singapore.' Speaking to reporters later, he said these tend to be younger Singaporeans who have no first-hand experience of racial tensions. Older Singaporeans who remember the race riots of 1964, or have parents who went through them, have told him they are troubled by what they see unfolding in Malaysia. 'They are concerned that it may happen in Singapore if people take things into their own hands,' he said. Singapore and Malaysia are closely linked, with many Singaporeans having family in Malaysia and vice versa. The two countries are also similar in history, culture, and the make-up of the population, he pointed out. 'We think Singaporeans are mature enough to handle the situation. But I think we cannot take this attitude for granted,' he said, noting that issues of race and religion can flare easily into bigger problems. Because of this, the Government is extra vigilant, and will deal with incidents pertaining to race and religion straight away so as to prevent them from 'becoming a bigger issue'. Asked about the Government's stand on allowing protests or other demonstrations of sympathy for situations in other countries, he said: 'I think Singaporeans must have the care to not bring problems like this to themselves. Of course we live in an interconnected world; we cannot be divorced from events happening in other countries. 'But at the same time, we must be rational and examine when we bring such problems to our shores, what are we trying to do? Are we trying to express sympathy only, or will doing so result in more problems for our own community? 'That's the most important thing that Singaporeans must remember.' Referring specifically to events in Malaysia, he added: 'I think we should stay out of the trouble in other countries. We should not be embroiled in the affairs of other countries.' Likewise for foreigners who come to Singapore to live and work: If they are from countries experiencing racial or religious tensions, they must 'not allow what happened in their own home to affect what happens in Singapore', he said. (With thanks to SPH - StraitsTimes.com) Note : No reproduction or downloading of this Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) article is allowed in any medium. Permission has to be obtained from SPH. Lianhe Zaobao - 黄根成吁国人保持理智: 不应卷入国外种族宗教问题 18 January 2009 ● 林妙娜 发生在国外的种族或宗教问题可能引起国人关注,但国人应避免卷入,因为这将威胁到本地社会秩序。 副总理兼内政部长黄根成昨天谈到政府是否允许国人通过示威或其他方式来表达对国外事件的看法时说,即使国人要对某个事件表示同情,他们也应保持理智,思考这是否会对我国社会造成更多问题。 他说:"我们应该避开发生在国外的问题。我们不应该卷入发生在其他国家的事件。" 社会和谐并非理所当然 黄根成昨天在碧山—大巴窑集选区公民咨询委员会的助学金颁奖礼上致词时也引述近年来发生在瑞士、意大利和澳洲的种族及宗教风波,提醒国人不要以为眼前的社会和谐是理所当然的,或因此感到自满。 他说,最近发生在马来西亚的宗教事件引起了新加坡人关注是可以理解的,毕竟两国不论在历史、文化,甚至是宗教和种族结构都有相同的地方。 据内政部观察,国人珍惜花了很多年建立起社区和宗教和谐,因此担心这个平衡点受威胁。多数人都冷静地、并以成熟的态度对待马来西亚"阿拉"字眼风波,政府也将密切留意事件发展。 黄根成说:"不论是内政团队的执法人员和国家领导,我们都意识到种族和宗教问题的敏感性,特别是当问题涉及种族和宗教课题。一旦发生任何与种族或宗教有关的事件,我们就会立即查出问题根本,遏止问题扩大及恶化。" 马来西亚天主教和基督教堂近日来遭袭击,前天也发生第一起回教堂被人破坏事件。这是自吉隆坡高庭上月31日裁决天主教«先锋报»可使用"阿拉"字眼后所引发的一连串风波。 他也指出,即使没有新移民,促进种族和谐、国民融合的工作仍需继续进行,才能建立有凝聚力的社会。 黄根成是碧山—大巴窑集选区议员。碧山—大巴窑集选区其他议员教育部长兼国防部第二部长黄永宏医生、哈里古玛、杨莉眀、再努丁也出席这项助学金颁奖礼。 区内619名小学至大专学府学生获得的助学金达12万7000元。基层组织也在去年6月颁发另一轮助学金。 黄根成说,受经济不景影响,我国在过去一年经历了许多挑战。不过,国人在面对挑战时团结一心,发动民间资源和支持,协助自己的同胞渡过难关。 (With thanks to SPH - Lianhe Zaobao.com) Note : No reproduction or downloading of this Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) article is allowed in any medium. Permission has to be obtained from SPH. Edusave Scholarship & Edusave Merit Bursary Awards Presentation Ceremony at Bishan Community Club - Speech by DPM & Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng 16 January 2010 Principals, Community Leaders, Award Recipients, Parents, Ladies and Gentlemen, Good afternoon and Happy New Year to all of you. This afternoon, 258 students from Bishan East will receive the Edusave Scholarship and Edusave Merit Bursary (EMB). Tomorrow, the Bishan East Citizens’ Consultative Committee (CCC) will be giving out in bursary awards to 123 Bishan East students at the Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC CCC Bursary Presentation Ceremony cum Family Carnival. I congratulate all the recipients of the scholarships and bursaries. You have done well in your studies. You have made your parents proud and I hope that these awards will encourage you to continue to excel in your studies. Pulling through a difficult year Last year, the Bishan East CCC presented more than $52,000 in bursaries to students in January and June because Singapore was facing a rapidly weakening economy and recession. The outlook ahead was uncertain then, and we expected families to be affected by job losses or wage cuts as the year unfolded. The quick and timely response of the Bishan East CCC was part of the collective national effort that helped us pulled through a difficult year. The Government introduced measures aimed at keeping people in jobs through the Jobs Credit Scheme and helping those who lost their jobs find new ones. Companies and Singaporeans tightened their belts. Unions, employers, grassroots organisations and community volunteers chipped in to help Singaporeans in various ways. The bursaries we presented to Bishan East students is one such example. We weathered the difficulties last year because we stood united as a nation and helped our fellow citizens in need. The outlook has improved and the situation is better today. MTI forecasts that our economy will grow by 3 to 5%, compared to a contraction of -2.1% last year. As the economic outlook improves, we still must continue to take measures to transform the Singapore economy, create jobs and upgrade our workers’ skill. We will continue to invest heavily in education as it provides the foundation for our students to develop their potential to the fullest. Investing in education, investing in Singaporeans The Edusave Scholarships and Bursaries presented today are given to students who are Singapore citizens. The bursary awards that the Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC CCCs will be giving out tomorrow are also given to students who are Singapore citizens, or one of the parents must be a Singapore citizen. This is an investment by the Government and our community partners on our people. In tandem with Government’s effort to invest in our children’s education, we also took positive steps in our community to nurture our young ones. For example, the Bishan East PCF opened a new childcare centre at Blk 178 Bishan East Street 13 in January. Called Hampton Pre-School, the centre was set up by the Bishan East PCF and managed by EtonHouse. This is the first PCF childcare centre in Singapore managed by a private education provider. It provides another choice to meet the needs of our residents. The response was good. It shows the importance parents place on their children’s education. Conclusion While the Government continues to invest heavily in education, we can do our part in the community too. As fellow Singaporeans, we should continue to help one another in times of need. Those of us who are financially able can extend a helping hand to those families in need. For example, the CCC bursaries that we will be giving out were made possible because of the strong support for the fundraising efforts by the Bishan East Grassroots Organisations. There is a Chinese saying "取之社会,用之社会". It means that you should remember to give back what you have taken or benefited from the society. I urged all the award recipients here today to do just that. I encourage you to volunteer your time and help other members of the community in whatever way you can. 副总理兼内政部长,碧山-大巴窑集选区国会议员黄根成 碧山东教育储蓄奖学金及助学金颁奖典礼致词 碧山民众俱乐部
2010年1月16日 校长、基层领袖、 各位获奖同学及家长们、 先生们、女士们, 午安! 今天,有258名碧山东区的学生领取总额10万6千元的教育储蓄奖学金及助学金。另外,碧山东公民咨询委员会也将在明天举行的助学金颁奖典礼曁家属嘉年华会上,为123名学生颁发2万8千6百元的助学金。 让我祝贺所有获得奖助学金的同学们。 熬过一个艰难的年头 去年,由于全球市场严重萧条导致新加坡经济急剧萎缩,碧山东公民咨询委员会分别在1月与6月颁发超过5万2千元的助学金。 我们能熬过艰难的一个年头,靠的是全国上下共同努力 - 政府推行的各项措施,人人献身尽一份力。碧山东公民咨询委员会如此迅速提供及时的援助就是一个例子。我们从困境走了出来,是因为我们全国一心,向有需要的同胞们伸出援手。 如今,前景已明朗化。随着经济复苏,我们有必要采取具体措施来改革经济,投资教育是其中之一。 投资教育,投资新加坡人 政府的首要职责不外是新加坡人。今天和明天所颁发的奖助学金,只限于新加坡公民的子女所领取。这是政府还有社区对于我们人民的一种投资。 为配合政府推广孩童教育,我们在社区内也积极着手抚育我们的下一代。人民行动党社区基金会(PCF)就在今年1月份在碧山东13街第178座兴办了一间托儿所。这是PCF首个交由私人业者管理的托儿所,为的是给居民提供多一项选择。 托儿所收到良好反应,显现了父母对于教育子女的重视。我们将继续着重栽培我们的子女,为他们人生的起步打好基础。 总结 除了政府,我们在社区内也能尽一份力,在有需要的时候伸出援手相互扶持。也正是因为碧山东基层组织所筹备的募集资金活动得到强有力的支持,公民咨询委员会才得以颁发助学金。 所谓"取之社会,用之社会",意指将从社会获得的利益,都回馈于社会。我鼓励今天所有领取奖助学金的学生们都这么做。 最后,让我向所有筹备这次颁奖礼的基层领袖致谢,也再次祝贺今天所有获奖者学业蒸蒸日上。 谢谢。 |
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