On 23 December 2023, Reverend Dr Munther Isaac delivered the Christmas eve sermon at the pulpit of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem, West Bank[1];. In his stirring address, he said “If Jesus were born today, he would be born under the rubble in Gaza. […] Born among the occupied and marginalised. He is in solidarity with us in our pain and brokenness.” Representing the Palestinian Christian community, Rev. Munther expressed his unwavering solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, regardless of faith. He criticised how leaders around the world had […]
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First Among Equals: Lawrence Wong as Prime Minister and What Lies Ahead
The much-awaited question has finally been answered: Finance Minister Lawrence Wong will succeed Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien Loong as the leader of the Fourth Generation (4G) of People’s Action Party (PAP) leaders, and thus, as the next Prime Minister of Singapore.
The announcement made in April should be welcomed by all Singaporeans: for far too long, there was too much speculation about the identity of the next PM, with three candidates – Ministers Chan Chun Sing and Ong Ye Kung being the other two – talked about as potential leaders. The speculation even led to rumours about discord and jostling within the party for the coveted position.
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Role of Singapore Muslims During the Ottoman-Balkan Wars
In the early 18th century to the end of the 20th century, with the rise of the Industrial Revolution, colonial powers such as the Great Britain, France and Russia started to expand their power to other regions such as Asia and Africa through colonisation. Their main goal was to search for wealth abroad and extract the resources there to expand their economical markets and influences on other regions.
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Leader of the Opposition and Political Evolution in Singapore
The appointment of Pritam Singh, the Workers’ Party (WP) chief, as the formal Leader of the Opposition (LO) is undoubtedly a significant step in the maturing of the political system in Singapore. Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien Loong’s gesture showed a recognition of the desire of the electorate for greater opposition representation.
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Narrowing the Generational Gap
One of the most discussed topics in school while I was growing up was the ‘generation gap’. It used to be about communicating with parents or those older than us, or on new technologies used by us versus those used by older folks, the youngsters back then and the experiences of our parents.
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A Prime Minister in the Making: Will Heng’s Open, Consultative Style Take Off?
On 23 April 2019, the long wait for a clear indication as to who would be Singapore’s next Prime Minister (PM) seemed to be over. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) announced that Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat will be promoted to Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) as part of the latest changes to the Cabinet.
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National Day Rally 2018: The Key Issues
Judging from responses on social media, Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien Loong’s National Day Rally (NDR) Speech 2018 was well-received this year, compared to last year when a number of commentators in mainstream and social media suggested he left out some pressing issues affecting the everyday life of the average Singaporean.
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Mr Masagos Zulkifli: Leading by Collaborating
More than a decade ago, some years before he entered politics, Mr Masagos Zulkifli was selected to receive a prestigious community award, presented by local Malay daily Berita Harian. Mr Masagos was then the Chief Executive Officer for SingTel’s Global Offices. Despite being based overseas, he was actively contributing to the community through local Muslim non-profit organisation Perdaus. I was then tasked to inform him about the award.
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Cabinet Changes and the Future
The recent cabinet reshuffle was an eagerly anticipated one because it marks the ascension of the fourth generation (4G) leaders and the retirement of several long-serving ministers. The Malay/Muslim community bade farewell to Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, who served as the Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs from 25 March 2002 to 30 April 2018 and who also held various other ministerial portfolios including Communications and Information, and environment and Water Resources.
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