PA Malay Committee to “integrate” new citizens via dance and silat
February 17th, 2010 | 
Author: Written by Our Correspondent
Channel News Asia (CNA) is living up to its “reputation” as Singapore’s KCNA or “Korean Central News Agency” (of North Korea) by spinning stories on behalf of the PAP regime to promote “social integration” of the new immigrants of late, never mind if the story does truly reflect the reality on the ground.
After sending a TV crew to film an Indian PR having reunion dinner with a Singapore Chinese family, the Malay community (or at least that of the People’s Association) is roped in to lend some form of legitimacy to the nationwide effort to “integrate” the new citizens which has been foremost on the PAP’s agenda.
While in other countries, it is the immigrants who are expected to adapt to local culture and norms, it seems to be the other way round in Singapore.
In October last year, the Ministry of Youth Development, Community and Sports unveiled a $10-million dollar Community Integration Fund to make the newcomers feel “welcomed” in Singapore, courtesy of Singapore taxpayers.
According to a CNA report yesterday, the PA’s Malay Activity Executive Committee Co-ordinating Council or MESRA has been making an active effort to “promote social cohesion in Singapore’s multi-racial society” by putting up Malay dance and silat at community events.
Malay dance and silat are items put up at community events by members of the People’s Association Malay Activity Executive Committee Co-ordinating Council or MESRA.
Mustaffa Abu Bakar, chairman, MESRA, said:
“I think in a way, we have taken things for granted. We have been quiet and maybe we have to partake in the integration exercise by sending our tarian, our silat. But I think more needs to be done.”
How Malay dance and silat are going to help the newcomers from mainland China and India “integrate” into Singapore society is anybody’s guess.
Perhaps the PA is able to entice them to attend the events with free food and drinks after which they will simply leave with little or no interaction with the locals.
Due to the ruling party’s liberal immigration policies, foreigners now make up 36 per cent of Singapore’s population, up from 14 per cent in 1990. Of the remaining 64 per cent who are citizens, an increasing number are born overseas.
As too many foreigners are allowed into the country within too short a period of time, Singapore is now experiencing a grave problem trying to integrate them.
Many of the newcomers prefer to mingle around within their own communities rather than to reach out to Singaporeans because there are already significant number of their compatriots in Singapore.
In fact, certain parts of Singapore like Geylang now resembles more like cities in China than Singapore itself. It is little wonder that they don’t feel out of place in Singapore.
At the rate the ruling party is mass importing foreigners to replace native Singaporeans, it is only a matter of time before we become a minority in our own nation.
CNA’s reports are getting more and more “divorced from reality” that they are putting even KCNA to shame. Even the latest article from KCNA on Kim Jong IL’s birthday being “observed” in various countries cannot be compared with this “masterpiece”.
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29 Responses to “PA Malay Committee to “integrate” new citizens via dance and silat”
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LHL and his ministers should all perform a dance on stage to welcome these people.
Your title “PA Malay Committee to “integrate” new citizens via dance and silat” is derogatory and meant to mislead. It is quite clear you have an agenda to insult the malay community and belittle our practices.
MESRA chairman was pointing out how to date, the malay contribution to such evens have been performances to expose new citizens to cultural dance and martial arts. He himself was recognizing how more should be done in terms of involvement in these integration programmes.
These could include spearheading some events instead of participating in them.
Maybe the government should just pass a law stating that we must integrate with these foreigners or a fine of S$500!!
excuse me, shouldn they integrate with us. not the other way round.
most immigrant comes from China and India. obviously the malay community will have more difficulty in reaching out to them
LOL
Typical response.
Very parrot-like reaction. Authorities say malays youths causing trouble, malay community creates a anti-trouble programme.
Authorities say malays getting poor academic results, malay community creates educational programmes.
I wonder if the Malay community really enjoy being bashed by the authorities day in day out. It seems the occurings of this minority always gets headlines.
Its a vicious cylce I tell you. I’m sure the malay community is doing well in terms of intergretion and welcoming foreigngers. Any foreign malays coming here wont really experience a huge culture clash. I mean, we are living in the MALAY archpeligo.
Its should be the other way round. The FT whereever they are from, they are the one should blend in to our community. This is nonsense. Another waste of time & money for our local to organise and perform for them. We been taken for for granted …not FT.
It takes 2 hands to clap. Foreigners will integrate when the locals will make an effort to welcome them. I am sure that there is more to Malay culture than Silat and dance.
Even the local non-malays are not interested in malay dance and silat, so why would the foreigners be interested?
Very soon new Law for native singaporeans.
“”" Any Native Singaporeans caught not Kowtow while communicating with PRC and Indian National or New Citizens be fine or jail up to twenty years or both. ***
*** Any Native Singaporeans caught stating that PRC, indian nationals & New Citizens need to serve National Service be sentenced to life imprisonment. ***
*** Any Native Singaporeans caught not giving PRC, indian national or New Citizens jobs be sentenced to death. ***
As too many foreigners are allowed into the country within too short a period of time, Singapore is now experiencing a grave problem trying to integrate them.
Our homeland is now a total messed up with so many foreigners, and if not handled properly and soonest, the end result could be very serious to the point of social havoc soon.
A tue fact that our Malay Singaporean abang are the hardest hit in economic term. They already need to compete with every local Singaporean and fact they are not doing too weel.
Now worse..they got to compete against the cheap workers from other Countries. Let face this fact as you can see so many malay abang families camping out in Singapore beaches and the Park officer kept chasing them off the beaches because they did is illegal or the goverment trying to clear this ugly scene??.( while the good for nothing President Nathan doing his weekly walk. They got no job or work to keep them going…To all Malay voters..please seriously consider your votes in the next election as the polcy of the goverment is not good for all your ones and threatening your survive.
@ citizen Z
Good idea! And they also have the opportunity to do the “upturn the downturn” song spearhead by the Labour Head!
I’m sure the new citizens will enjoy the showmanship of our $million minister! What a cast that will be!!
If the Malay Singaporeans seriously listened to what the government said, they will lose their respect and dignity !
Why should our Malay Singaporeans have to help these bunch of Idiots Talented people to integrate ???!!!!!!
Already these trash Free From National Service.
It is not necessary to treat these PRC and II ( indian immigrants ) and new citizens like Kings !!!
Soon we will be forced to clean their assholes when the PRC & II & New Citizens feel like it.
Personally I feel that the government is belittling the Malay Community by requesting so.
If these rubbish cannot integrate it shows they have mentality and character problems.
To Religion Choice on Wed, 17th Feb 2010 3:40 pm
Don’t worry about the Malay vote. Majority have never voted for MIW. Why you think the Malays been discriminated and punished for so long?
Dear readers,
Thanks to PAP, I got a free scholarship. Who says there’s no free lunch in this world? Anyway, have you ever wondered why there is a well-known so-called Chinese Table in the dining hall of every elite universities in the states? Well, because we PRC cannot integrate lah! PAP is really kind to people by providing free “integration” food and A*STAR scholarships.
A*STAR Scholar Lan Jiao
A*STAR Scholar Lan Jiao
That was a good knock on LKY’s head by LAN JIOA
A*STAR Scholar Lan Jiao
be careful later you make lky and lhl to-lan, they come and bit you then you know
What intergrated ? All bullshit and propoganda .. I heard a story a of malay abang taxi driver that most of pax who hail his Tx if FTrash sure can’t speak their distination in english so how to cari makan even want to go orchard rd also speak in their own language and he feel sometime that he himself was in a foriegn country ;
I’m a Malay and I say whatever. We have bigger social problems to solve like teenage pregnancy, early divorces and school drop-outs. If the the Malay leaders can’t solve these problems and instead wasting time trying to integrate with others, we as race will always be left behind.
@ human being
Agree with you!
In malay they have a saying, something like… “anak di rumah ditinggalkan, kera di hutan disusukan.”
I don’t understand why Singaporeans thinking that this country still belong to them.
Singapore belong to PAP for decades.
Since they owned this country, they can do whatever they want.
They can choose who’s going to be their citizens.
The “inhabitants” can stay but have to make way for the New Citizens and PRs. Inhabitants who choose to stay MUST learn “New Culture”. Otherwise they might get retrenched or out of jobs.
Sorry guys. We voted them to parliament remember?
MESRA.
Please don’t disgraced Malays any further.
They had enough.
MESRA: Please don’t waste your time lah. I’m sure you have better things to do within the Malay community. PAP wants you to help solve the problems they are created. Already many of your fellow S’pore Chinese don’t bother to help the PAP regarding this integration issue. I’m very sure the Malays have their fair share, if not more, of the problems the FT have caused the Singaporeans.
BTW, do you really think the Malay dance and silat will attract or impress the FT? Ask your fellows S’pore Chinese and Indians?
HEY MESRA,
after reading the malay papers yesterday, it sadden me that the malay community has no or little eduaction on housing policies. being cheated off their money by ruthless and heartless house agencies. Families have to sleep on the beaches due to irresponsibles buaya agencies. u MESRA, why not help your own community by educating them or at least approach these need of help families rather then u to impress your Silat and dance to the FT…! i think you dance and silat is more inportant than your own community…!
To the Malays who commented in this post.
Have you forgotten the time when LHL questioned the Malay loyalty? And the Malay leaders, wanted an explanation from him?
And when the time came, did he explain why he said that? No he didn’t. Instead, he threatened to stop giving govt. aid to the Malay organisations.
That is why, you will never hear any complaints from the current Malay leaders. If they do so, they will not be able to receive any aids to help the Malay community.
The Malay community is a small community and the majority are from the middle and lower-income groups. How the heck you think these organisations survived for so long? So, kindly put your shoes in their place. Do you really think they can say no to MIW’s moronic ideas/policies?
To you it may seem they are kowtowing to the MIW…but you have to see from a larger perspective…the small aid they received from the govt. will ensure that the Malay community will receive some help in the long term.
You may wish to volunteer your time with the Malay organisations and see for yourself the problems they faced with funding and how to redistribute the measly funds they received from the MIW to help the Malay community.
@human being
Totally agreed with you 100% …Malays here have bigger social problems to solve like teenage pregnancy, early divorces and school drop-outs. The Malay leaders should focus more on such major problem instead wasting their time trying to integrate with others so-called FT by conducting wayang kulit and silat dances. What the priority??? Malay leaders!!!. Malay race will always be left behind further. I am Chinese Singaporean showing concerns to our fellow Malay Singaporean. Nothing political!
Incredulous brought up a very interesting perspective here -that at the end of the day, a little carry-balls have to happen in order to get the funds needed to settle all the problems we have.
It’s bad enough that the minister in charge of malay/muslims are “embarrassed” of the community he’s supposed to look after. i wonder why he’s not replaced. i thought if a manager fails to look after a restaurant, he usually gets fired and replaced. how come this guy is still there?
To MESRA… I really can’t understand why we must bother so much about the new citizen… Why don’t MESRA look at our Malay community problems instead and find ways to improve or solve it.. and I believe they should integrate with us… Have they done that???????