Daily Lessons from Life 30 September 2017 - Forget not the National Pledge

Last day of September 2017. With a blink ofvthe eye we hv completed 3/4 of the year! I hv done not too badly on my 2017 resolutions thus far. The 10th charity marathon may be at risk with my lower back challenge! 2 more months to work on alternative!!

"‘‘Special effort’ needed to maintain religious peace and harmony in Singapore: DPM Teo

SINGAPORE: It takes effort to maintain religious peace and harmony in Singapore, whether it is mechanisms like housing and education policies to promote multiracialism, the Group Representation Constituency scheme, or the recent changes to the Elected Presidency, said Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean.

Mr Teo was speaking on Saturday (Sep 30) at a lunch for members of the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG), Inter-Agency Aftercare Group, and other community leaders and volunteers to thank them for their contribution to Singapore's counter-terrorism rehabilitation and various social integration programmes.

Speaking in Malay, Mr Teo said that the terror threat in Singapore is at its highest level since authorities dismantled the Jemaah Islamiyah group in 2001. While there has been good work by rehabilitation groups and volunteers, more needs to be done, he said.

First, individuals who show signs of being radicalised should be reported to relevant agencies early, so that they can receive religious and psychological counselling. This can help to "save them from harming themselves and others, and bringing even more distress to their loved ones", said Mr Teo."

Are we underestimating the resilience of the Muslim community? Are Malay race naturally Muslim? Is that the reason why the PM n gov so intent on installing a female Muslim EP?

Indeed our harmonious n peaceful multiracial, multilingual n multireligious society takes a lot of smart n hard work to maintain. 

Besides whatever DPM Teo had mentioned, there is the interfaith council n interreligious circle work. 

Yet at the end of the day, equity n fairness for all races at the starting block r what everyone wanted. If course, anyone, regardless of race, language n religion as pledged daily in our National Pledge, will get help. e.g. the recently advocated pre-school.

The government needs to be cognizant of this broader need as well as respecting the progress made by individual race n religious group.

Peace n stability r the pre-requisite for prosperity, n happiness, to be pursued.