Singapore Democrats
Something is stirring within the Malay-Muslim community in Singapore. On 30 August 2012, the
Straits Times reported that the Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP) had been discussing the idea of setting up a new forum to
“engage a national, inter-ethnic, issue-oriented agenda”.$CUT$
This happened during one of its conventions in June this year. It set off alarm bells within the PAP Government which resulted in Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong stepping in and cautioning AMP against the initiative. The organisation promptly dropped the idea.
One day later, the Straits Times reported Mr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for Muslim Affairs, announcing that a new “independent” committee would be formed to “increase engagement within the Malay-Muslim community.”
The Government first shoots down a proposal by an independent NGO to form a new group and then says that the Government will form an “independent” group in its place – to be headed by a Mr Salim Abdul Kadir, a member of the Board of Mendaki which Mr Yaacob chairs.
How stupid does the PAP think Singaporeans are?
But what is really intriguing is that all this happened after the SDP announced on 21 August 2012 our Malay forum which we will hold next Saturday, 8 September.
Remember, AMP mooted the idea of a new forum in June and nothing happened for two months until the SDP announced our forum in August. In steps the Prime Minister to stop AMP and, a day later, Mr Yaacob announces the formation of a new “independent committee”.
If ever there was any doubt that the PAP is bankrupt of ideas and desperately playing catch-up to the SDP, this latest development removes it all.
The Singapore Democrats are concerned about the on-going discrimination against our fellow Malay Singaporeans in the context of the influx of other nationalities into our country.
This ideology is driven by the party’s founder Mr Lee Kuan Yew whose shockingly offensive racist views about Singaporean Malays have caused much anger within not just the Malay community but across ethnic groups in Singapore.
With our forum, the SDP hopes to bring together all the races in Singapore to stand up against the discrimination against our Malay-Muslim sisters and brothers, and to stop the PAP’s immigration policy that threatens the very make-up of the Singaporean people.
We need an alternative to the PAP’s divide-and-conquer tactic. The SDP Malay forum will help formulate and develop such an alternative which has been missing for too long. There may still be developments before the forum on 8 September. Watch this space.
For the record, Mr Yaacob has declined SDP’s invitation for him to speak at our forum.
Public Forum: The future of Singapore – do Malays have a part?
Date: 8 Sept 2012 (Sat)
Time: 2pm -5pm
Venue: Bras Basah Complex, #04-41, Action Room
All are welcome