Before I go anywhere. Congratulations to the Malaysia Paralympians for winning the Gold medals and with 1 world record to boot in the Rio Paralymic. Coming of age of sort for sports people in this part of the world!
1. 911 15th Years On ...
I could still vividly recalled my disbelief as I watched on CNN on the 911 attacks as the twin towers of the World Trade Center went crumpling to the ground in my own safe air-con living room early morning!
Much has been said about the attacks. Much written. Films were made too. Conspiracy theories swirled around. Many experts had explained and continue to try to explain and/or to understand the aftermath. YET, no place is safe from terrorists attacks TODAY!
As we remember the past in the present, we just have to get ready for the future. If it does happen again, hopefully we know how to handle it better. During and after since we must have failed to stop it before it happened!
As long as it is less dramatic and smaller in scale, most can live with it. That is the reality! At least in the USA.
For us in Singapore, we cannot afford to have such situation. Everyone must be able to go about his/her life unburdened by the fear of 'when it happen can we handle it?' The answer is: we can handle it. There is no choice. Life must goes on. Those closest to those who are hurt or killed will have a stronger response. Yet, they too must learn to let on and move on. Professional help may be needed. Yet, only they can turn the key to release themselves from the 'emotional prison'!
2. "Singapore 'far from ready' to do away with race categorisation: Ong Ye Kung - CNA 11 Sep 2016
SINGAPORE: Singapore is not ready to do away with a model which categorises people into the four major racial groups, or do away with race categorisation in identity cards, said Acting Education Minister (Higher Education and Skills) Ong Ye Kung on Sunday (Sep 11).
Speaking at a post-National Day Rally dialogue with youth in his Sembawang constituency, Mr Ong said many Singaporeans, particularly those from the minorities, still want to be identified by their race. "We are far from ready to say 'Let's get rid of everything and just be Singaporean'," said Mr Ong, who was responding to a student's question on whether the Chinese, Malay, Indian and Others or CMIO model should be re-evaluated.
He added to reporters after the dialogue: "What I was trying to explain is - if we are building a Singapore identity, we must understand that Singaporean as an identity is nothing very much. Singapore as a country existed only 51 years. The Singaporean identity itself is rather quite empty. What fills up a Singaporean identity is the identity of various races and all the traditions and cultures that we bring forth and create this tapestry (with). That is the Singaporean identity we are building towards.""
It is a good question to ask every now and then because we are a multi-racial society. At the same time, people may want to try to really understand the definition of a multi-racial society means we must have the 'race' data field in our IC and all other national databases! Why? Unless and until all races are ready to DO AWAY with the 'multi-racial multi-lingual and multi-religious' country that we are, we need to have them to help analyse issues, challenges and hence be able to offer targeted solutions.
For me, CMIO is not a great acronym. I would much prefer MICO as a name: Malay Indian Chinese Others. Create a national character called: MICO. Make a national custom called: MICO dress/shirt/pants. And when we are ready i.e. ALL races can vote on this with 100% needed to pass; we can ditch the MICO model!
Hopefully by then we will have a truly unique Singaporean character: regardless of race, language and religion, to build a nation of happiness, prosperity and progress for OUR people!
1. 911 15th Years On ...
I could still vividly recalled my disbelief as I watched on CNN on the 911 attacks as the twin towers of the World Trade Center went crumpling to the ground in my own safe air-con living room early morning!
Much has been said about the attacks. Much written. Films were made too. Conspiracy theories swirled around. Many experts had explained and continue to try to explain and/or to understand the aftermath. YET, no place is safe from terrorists attacks TODAY!
As we remember the past in the present, we just have to get ready for the future. If it does happen again, hopefully we know how to handle it better. During and after since we must have failed to stop it before it happened!
As long as it is less dramatic and smaller in scale, most can live with it. That is the reality! At least in the USA.
For us in Singapore, we cannot afford to have such situation. Everyone must be able to go about his/her life unburdened by the fear of 'when it happen can we handle it?' The answer is: we can handle it. There is no choice. Life must goes on. Those closest to those who are hurt or killed will have a stronger response. Yet, they too must learn to let on and move on. Professional help may be needed. Yet, only they can turn the key to release themselves from the 'emotional prison'!
2. "Singapore 'far from ready' to do away with race categorisation: Ong Ye Kung - CNA 11 Sep 2016
SINGAPORE: Singapore is not ready to do away with a model which categorises people into the four major racial groups, or do away with race categorisation in identity cards, said Acting Education Minister (Higher Education and Skills) Ong Ye Kung on Sunday (Sep 11).
Speaking at a post-National Day Rally dialogue with youth in his Sembawang constituency, Mr Ong said many Singaporeans, particularly those from the minorities, still want to be identified by their race. "We are far from ready to say 'Let's get rid of everything and just be Singaporean'," said Mr Ong, who was responding to a student's question on whether the Chinese, Malay, Indian and Others or CMIO model should be re-evaluated.
He added to reporters after the dialogue: "What I was trying to explain is - if we are building a Singapore identity, we must understand that Singaporean as an identity is nothing very much. Singapore as a country existed only 51 years. The Singaporean identity itself is rather quite empty. What fills up a Singaporean identity is the identity of various races and all the traditions and cultures that we bring forth and create this tapestry (with). That is the Singaporean identity we are building towards.""
It is a good question to ask every now and then because we are a multi-racial society. At the same time, people may want to try to really understand the definition of a multi-racial society means we must have the 'race' data field in our IC and all other national databases! Why? Unless and until all races are ready to DO AWAY with the 'multi-racial multi-lingual and multi-religious' country that we are, we need to have them to help analyse issues, challenges and hence be able to offer targeted solutions.
For me, CMIO is not a great acronym. I would much prefer MICO as a name: Malay Indian Chinese Others. Create a national character called: MICO. Make a national custom called: MICO dress/shirt/pants. And when we are ready i.e. ALL races can vote on this with 100% needed to pass; we can ditch the MICO model!
Hopefully by then we will have a truly unique Singaporean character: regardless of race, language and religion, to build a nation of happiness, prosperity and progress for OUR people!
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