2/05/2008

Halal canteen in a Singapore school!

This is shocking. We have been telling everyone everyday that we must respect other people's religion, culture etc and way of life, but not to impose our own way of life on others. How could this happen to Boon Lay Garden Primary School? I read it in the Straits Times but not in Today. What is more shocking is that it was implemented for more than a week! And School Discipline Master and Security Guards were checking the food the children brought to school to make sure that they were halal. Shouldn't they be spending time checking for terrorists? For such things to happen, there must be several meetings among the teachers and principals before it is being implemented and letters sent to parents. The sheeples as usual just like to keep quiet and be led around. If people are thinking, if teachers are thinking, the whole mess should not have taken off. It would have been stopped in the meeting room and not allowed to progress so far. This is the price we are paying for an unthinking populace, an unquestioning people that fears authority. Just take orders. Keep quiet, don't get into trouble by arguing with authority. What is happening?

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Come on, Redbean. The Muslims only constitute 15% of the population, I dare say even less now what with the masisve influx of foreigners over the last few years. They neither have the political clout nor the economic might to impose anything upon anyone in Singapore.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

these are sensitive issues that should be nipped in the bud. once it comes out into the open, clamping down will also invite controversies.

barrie said...

I believe that the principal has reversed his decision based on MOE's advice.

Talking about sensitivities of minorities, I have commented on that too over here.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

thanks solobear.

welcome to the blog. i agree with your comments that there are discriminations in govt policies based on races. but there are positive and negative discriminations. one thing for sure in singapore is that the govt cannot afford to have negative discriminations against the minority races. we will have riots and serious race problems if that happens. there are some exceptions related to defence and security which we are in no better position to know why such things must be done. and the govt has real problem trying to explain them to the minority leaders.

with regard to your reference to Mendaki, CDAC and Sinda funds, if i am not mistaken, the separation is a kind of compromise and agreed upon by the different parties involved. i stand to be corrected on this. my understanding is that the different groups want the money to be spent in different areas. some emphasise education, culture, some religion etc.

then there is the sensitivity of the contributors and how they want their contributions to be spent. but given the principle or proportional representation, those who contribute more will want to get a bigger share.

it will present many other problems to have just one central fund. the compromise is that everyone contribute to their own fund and have full authority to decide what they want to do with it. imagine the bickering and quarrelling when a committee of different racial groups trying to divide the collection and use it the way they like.

practically it will be a no go situation.

and these are not govt fund but money from individual citizens.

Anonymous said...

The principal should be sacked. That is totally not right to impose his own religious believes on all students and even getting the security guard into the fray. MOE seems to be trying to downplay it and focus on the halal issue. As usual...in lalaland.

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

if the principal is not a minority he will be sacked immediately. but we are practising positive discrimination. he will keep his job and may be promoted at the same time.

this is how we work.

Anonymous said...

Sack or no sack, the ministry has taken note of this incident, there is a mark on his file at the ministry. Usually, they will let it slide away first while he is still doing his job but some officials will monitor his every move from now onwards. When the time is right, he will be "transferred" or "promoted" to other area where he has no control of a school.

Remember the dunking incident of SAF soldiers in the commando training. The former Commando Chief (COL Noel Cheah) was transferred out to become a Defence Attache of the NZ High Commission.

Welcome to the Singapore way of handling things like this.

Anonymous said...

this is the smartest thing the dude has said.

Anonymous said...

this is the smartest thing redbean has said.

Anonymous said...

And School Discipline Master and Security Guards were checking the food the children brought to school to make sure that they were halal.


i thought it sounded like bullies/ heavy handed.. do these people really have more common sense than primary school kids?