Malay Presidential Candidates: Timely to appoint a Malay President who is in touch with the ground

Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien Loong announced that next year’s presidential election will be reserved for candidates from the Malay community. The credentials of two possible Malay candidates to stand for this election are pretty impressive as described in The Straits Times published on Monday, 14th November 2016.

Initially, I was of the view that it does not matter what race the president belongs to, so long as the executive was eminently qualified.  However, now that PM Lee has taken pains to provide a comprehensive explanation in Parliament, I believe it is fair that a Malay President is selected as it has been 46 years since we have had one.

Given that the President has to ensure that our national reserves are protected and money managed wisely, it is a must that he/she has sound financial knowledge.  Added to that a President who has good family values and practices high moral standards will gain the respect of all our citizens. 

To me, a plus will be if the appointed Head of State is a People’s President – one who is able to relate to all sectors of the population is in touch with the ground and has the welfare of all Singaporeans. 

My personal encounters with Mr. Abdullah Tarmugi and Madam Halimah Yacob gives me a sense of comfort and satisfaction to know that they are both in the running.

During his tenure as Minister for the then-Ministry of Community Development, Mr. Tarmugi was very open to suggestions and showed a deep sense of caring for the elderly sick and those who have disabilities. 

When I sent a proposal to Mr. Tarmugi to have a radio show for the elderly sick who are in hospital titled “Radio request programme for the aged and the sick” way back in March 1998, through his unflagging support, both SAFRA Radio and NTUC Radio Heart implemented the suggestion which had benefited the elderly sick.

Noting my wife’s absence at a community event, I still recall how Mr. Tarmugi inquired where my wife was and how she was coping when he presented me with a Model Caregiver Award in 2007.  At an NTUC INCOME function, the retired minister went from table to table to chat with the diners who attended a colorful gathering.  He will be a great President.

Madam Halimah has always championed workers’ rights in the Labour Movement as well as being a staunch advocate for the mentally ill and their caregivers. She will also make a good President.

A positive trait of both Madam Halimah and Mr. Tarmugi is that they have always remained humble despite holding high positions in public office

Raymond Anthony Fernando

http://happy-tv.com/article/malay-presidential-candidates-why-like-dat/

 

 

 

Raymond's letter to The Straits Times: Teach students how to manage anger

Do read my next press letter on the bullying that took place by school students.

Abuse in any form at any place – be it at schools, in the community, on the roads, in hospitals and in homes, etc, must never be tolerated. How would any parent feel if their child was beaten up like this? To this end, I am glad that the online community has come out strongly to condemn the bullying. We have to be mindful that those who are abused or humiliated are prone in having to grapple with mental health issues - sooner or later.

Singapore is not a cowboy town where people can go around bashing up one another and taking matters in their own hands.

Let’s get students involved in worthy projects and community work; and everyone can play their part to meet this objective. During the period when my wife was alive, our church (Church of The Holy Spirit) carried out a project where students from Raffles Institution (RI) spruced up our home for 6 weeks; spending their Saturdays cleaning up our home and while doing so took the opportunity to better understand my wife’s schizophrenia illness and learnt from me how I have taken care of my wife, through the years.

Thus, collaborations with churches on such useful and meaningful schemes should be promoted.

Raymond's letter to The Straits Times:  Teach students how to manage anger

 

My letter to The Straits Times on the above matter is published today, Tuesday 15^th November 2016.

 

My former schoolmates and I are alumni of the St Andrew’s family of schools, and we were shocked at the bullying incident captured on video (“Video of boys beating another goes viral; police probing case”; last Saturday).

This has tarnished the school’s good reputation.

 

In life, conflicts are bound to occur from time to time, but they should never be allowed to escalate into unmanageable anger which leads to violence.

To enable students to better cope with uncontrollable emotions and anger, it would be useful to tie up with experts in anger management, such as those from the Institute of Mental Health (IMH).

They could speak to educators, students as well as parents on how to better manage anger and emotions.

The IMH conducts talks at the hospital, as part of public mental health education. Schools could also take part in this programme.

Raymond Anthony Fernando

http://www.straitstimes.com/forum/letters-in-print/teach-students-how-to-manage-anger

 

Sincerely,

Raymond Anthony Fernando

 

 

 

Raymond Anthony Fernando’s letter to The New Paper: BOY ATTACKED BY PEERS - Students must be caned, counselled

My press letter on the above subject is published in The New Paper today, Mon 14 Nov 2016 on page 19. Alongside my letter is another letter from TNP reader who says” Punish teen attackers under criminal law."

Do read my footnote as well.

Sincerely,

Raymond Anthony Fernando

What is happening in our schools these days?   Educators and parents have their hands full with cases of students misbehaving.

First, students were caught taking upskirting images of their teachers, and now there is this case of a student being bashed up.

This unfortunate incident does not put the school in good light and as a former student of this school, I am disturbed. The worrying question is:  What would have happened if this incident had not been captured on video?

The attackers must be disciplined and caned. 

In addition, all the students involved must receive in-dept counselling and be closely monitored.

Their parents should also be involved in their rehabilitation.

And experts from the Institute of Mental Health should be invited to educate everyone involved on how to manage conflict.

RAYMOND ANTHONY FERNANDO

Footnote:  During my school days under the guidance of the late Francis Thomas, Principal of SAS and discipline master Vivian Quek and Yee Teck Peng who was in charge of the boarding school in St Andrews, we received holistic education that was bordered on Christian values.  Thomas loved his students and would not hesitate to cane any of them if they stepped way out of line. We all learnt about the values of sports, discipline, and the importance of doing social and community work. Although all these 3 educators enforced strict discipline, they always had the welfare of their students and the community within the school in mind when carrying out their tasks.   This was how I got involved in doing community work. We reached out to the poor in Potong Pasir and I have fond memories of the school.

The pastors of this school should reinforce living values to the students during chapel sessions, giving a big no, no, to violence.

Yee who is now retired and still very much active in the school activities is responsible for an E-newsletter that reaches out to old boys and current students of SAS. He should be invited to give  pep talks to the students periodically so that they channel their energy through meaningful purposes such as sports and reaching out to the elderly by sprucing up their homes. This is where the District Mayors and MPs can have collaborative efforts to ensure that our seniors are not neglected, but cared for in their twilight years. 

 

I would like to see the day arrive when media reports of social problems are published and civil servants and policy makers make the effort to give a helping hand before being asked to do so.

Now that is what I call a proactive, inclusive and gracious society.  

Will that day arrive?

Article on Happy TV: Good neighbors are Good for the Soul

Grieving is never easy to cope with, but when you have kind-hearted people within the community who can to lift the human spirit, it makes a big, big difference.  

Although I was saddened to read of the demise of Mrs. Foo’s husband who lost the battle with colon cancer in July this year, I am happy to know that there are, in our midst, kind-hearted people who know how to feel for another human being in the report (“Grieving widow finds solace in neighbours”; The Sunday Times, Sunday, September 4, 2016).

With more than 90 percent of Singaporeans living in HDB flats, where neignbours are physically as close to us as our own relatives in our own homes, it is vital that giving a helping hand or a listening ear is put into practice every day or at least when someone has fallen by the wayside.

The single most important factor in healing from loss is having the support of other people. Even if you aren’t comfortable talking about your feelings under normal circumstances, it’s important to express them when you’re grieving. Sharing your loss makes the burden of grief easier to manage. And I am glad that Mrs. Foo has the courage to talk openly about her loss.

The other advantage of being blessed with kind- hearted neighbors is that they can be the ‘eyes and ears’ for you when you go overseas for a holiday or on business trips. In such situations, good neighbors can watch out for each other and their property. Living in a proactive neighborhood can increase your family’s safety, as a watchful eye can help thwart criminal activity and promote a safer area. 

If you have potted plants that requires watering once or twice a day, helpful neighbors can do this chore for you otherwise your plants will wither away and die if it does not get the attention it needs.  To show our appreciation to such helpful neighbours and to build on the healthy relations, it would be good if some souvenirs can be presented to the neighbor who helped out when we return overseas. Such gifts will be a constant reminder of good neighborliness.

At other times when you are short on supplies for cooking, such as fresh ginger or chilies because you had forgotten to buy these from the wet market, neighbors can help to temporary replenish it. On a few occasions, my helpful Malay lady who lives 3 houses away from my flat has willing given me these items, and in turn when I have extra groceries like sugar, biscuits and ready-to-cook Maggie Mee packets, I would give her some.

My wife, Doris and I were blessed to have some helpful and supportive neighbors when we first got married in 1974.  Our immediate neighbors to our right and left, both Chinese; as well as a Malay family who lived 4 doors away from our flat were not in any way biased towards Doris although they knew she had a serious mental disorder in Schizophrenia which splits the mind when a relapse occurs.

They would rally around us, buy us meals, bring us gifts during Christmas and comfort both my wife and me whenever Doris was ill in hospital and returned home.  It was good neighborliness that helped prevent my wife from suffering from relapses for 5 long years when we lived in our rental flat in Ang Mo Kio Avenue one; and I will always cherish those wonderful memories.  

Raymond Anthony Fernando       

http://happy-tv.com/article/good-neighbors-are-good-for-the-soul-why-like-dat/

 

 

Raymond’s press letter: Duterte on right track, but must improve his image

My letter to MediaCorp’s TODAY newspaper on the above matter is published today, Wednesday 9th Nov 2016.

I share the views expressed in the letter “Duterte’s actions aimed at getting more foreign investment, trade” (Oct 31).

As the United States election campaign turned ugly, the Philippine leader had the foresight to build closer ties with another power, China, as well as Japan and Brunei, and seized the opportunity to secure investments.

Likewise, Malaysia’s Prime Minister has turned to China to finance and build its East Coast Rail project.

Clearly, Mr Rodrigo Duterte also has an axe to grind with the US and wants foreign troops to leave his country in two years’ time.

The fiercely independent politician is clamping down on drug pushers and addicts, and wants to rid his country of drugs and corruption.

Although human rights groups question the manner in which he tackles its drug problem, he is popular with Filipinos, for they know that drug addiction has plagued their country, leaving many to struggle with poverty.

His job of rebuilding the country is not easy. He is also getting tough on telcos by warning them that if they do not improve communication services, they would face foreign competition.

Singapore understands that, as the Philippines is an Association of South-east Asian Nations member, there must be unity within this group so that economic growth can benefit all member countries.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has started building rapport with Mr Duterte by meeting him and extending good wishes to him in Laos in September. Having healthy relations and mutual respect among all 10 nations will see better cooperation.

To be able to take the Philippines to greater heights, however, Mr Duterte must be mindful of his communication skills and language, especially his use of expletives to hit out at those whom he dislikes.

If he can secure a dynamic public relations team to guide his communication and improve his image, he could soar and secure international support that would enable his country to prosper.

 

RAYMOND ANTHONY FERNANDO

http://www.todayonline.com/voices/duterte-right-track-must-improve-his-image

 

 

 

 

Raymond Anthony Fernando’s letter to The New Paper: UPSKIRT INCIDENTS IN SCHOOLS – Moral education, talks for students

My letter to The New Paper (TNP) is published today, Monday 7^th Nov 2016 on page 18 of TNP.

There have been many reports of adults convicted of upskirt offences, and now this humiliating behaviour has spread to schools.

Our hardworking educators already face considerable stress and such an invasion of their privacy can have severe implications on their well-being.

Still the police did the right thing by only warning the students involved. They have to be careful not to come down too hard on them, as that may frighten the students.

To eradicate or at least significantly reduce this problem in schools, I propose the following preventive measures:

* All schools should have living values and moral education programmes as part of the curriculum.

* They should secure the services of the plainclothes police officers who can partner professionals from the National Addictions Management Services of the Institute of Mental Health to give talks to students of taking such videos as it can lead to porn addiction.

 

* The students could be feeling stressed over studies or just plain bored, and  school counsellors need to carefully find out why the causes  behind such unhealthy  practices and make it clear  that the school is there to help deal with their issues.

* Finally, the schools should get parents involved in moral education of their children.

Education is vital for students and it is not advisable to expel them student as that may push them to mix with the wrong company.

 

RAYMOND ANTHONY FERNANDO

 

Article on Happy TV: Be Sensitive to those Who Can’t Afford Fine Dining

In October this year, my church celebrated World Migrants Day to recognize the foreigners who leave their families behind and come to our shores to earn better wages. These hard working individuals who include domestic helpers are often in search of a better life and face the difficult experience of migration in its various forms.  Their working hours are long and draining and we should accord them respect and consideration.

We need to provide them with decent meals and it pains my heart when I see many of the foreigner construction workers sharing their meals during lunch time on the pavements near the sites where they toil from morning to night.

I was delighted when the Assistant Parish Priest of my Catholic Church, Reverend Father Cornelius Chng highlighted the need for the congregation to treat these workers fairly with kindness and compassion. Father Chng highlighted a very important message in his homily where he mentioned that while we give these workers a big treat once a year at Christmas; we tend to forget about them after the event is over. This is very true and many of those who are needy also experience this. 

During the period when my wife was alive, we always looked forward to some fine dining that was provided by our church 4 times a year.  I also got birthday treats on Valentine’s Day with my wife from an organization.  It not only gave us the opportunity for some fellowship, but we were treated to some great seafood meals and set meals. This prevented social isolation and made us feel loved and cared for.

Unfortunately, now that my wife has died, I can no longer benefit from such fine dining as I just can’t afford it. It is such a sad state of affairs that one has to be mentally ill or suffer from some form of disability before support is given.  Am I that easy to forget?

His counterpart, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong who was on a working visit to India from 3rd to 7th October this year to strengthen bilateral cooperation VIP hospitality and fine cuisine.  I read in a newspaper the sumptuous menu that was offered, and it included big prawns with masala, fried chicken, fish curry and a slew of other mouth watering dishes. While I am glad that our PM received the best fine dining, I wonder how those who are less fortunate and cannot even get 3 meals a day would feel when they read some material.  Given that there are many people, including children who go hungry on the hour, by the hour, we need to exercise some form of sensitivity? 

There are so many elderly wheelchair bound Singaporeans who are selling tissues at the MRT stations, some of them with legs amputated.

Visit the Philippines and you will see street children begging for a few pesos to buy a meal. India also has their fair share of people who are living in poverty.  The most powerful nation on earth – America has thousands of homeless citizens.

I hope that someday people who are financially secure will be able to find it in their hearts to offer some fine dining to those who long for some better meals so that we all learn to be gracious, caring and inclusive society. Will that day come?

 

Raymond Anthony Fernando

http://happy-tv.com/article/be-sensitive-to-those-who-cant-afford-fine-dining-why-like-dat/