Dr Albert Winsemius

Singapore's growth as a city-state is planted from the time it was under the perview of the United Nation in 1963. Herein, the role of Dr Albert Winsemius came to shape. Dr Winsemius was instrumental in the economic, military and social aspects of Singapore's development. He pioneered the growth of industries and government-business relations, established a highly trained armed forces and developed housing for the people in Singapore. Albert's position as a post-war public housing consultant in Holland, relations with the business entity and military networks via the Jewish circles, helped Singapore leaders who were seasoned street politicians to have a solid foundation of guided governance henceforth. Dr Winsemius provided the urgent needs of the country prior to separation and guided our leaders who were inexperienced in governance to have a great headstart and on-the-job learning from Albert himself and through his networks. Perhaps it is time for an academic book, a coffee-table book and a think-tank should be named after him, in honour of his selfless sacrifice for our country.

Reflections from Europe

REFLECTIONS FROM EUROPE (PART I)

City of Mainz near Frankfurt Germany
A reflection of European history is there to see
The stronghold of Holy Rome in the year 800AD
Let me share the story of my trip
To great places you have never been

In my first experience in the city of Mainz
I notice the serenity and tranquillity around the town
How the people live with no pretensions or staring I see
Everyone leads their life judgement-free
That is a symbol of a civilised society

The Institute of European History is a pride indeed
Knowledge and resources many and plenty
The Library itself is a greatness one could see
What more the association with professors
In the aristocratic setting this institute has to offer

The Rhein River adds to the beauty
Castles and castles laid out in the hills and mountains
To live in the history of this great country
A thousand more years for us to feel
The richness of Germany is abound there is

The city of Trier intensify the glory
The Roman Empire was there in 300AD
Their relics and remains are signs of majesty
Trier was a city second to Rome in Italy
It is today alive just as how it has been

As I set myself in the churches of Mainz and Trier
I feel the ambience of worship and holiness among the people
The cardinals and bishops are laid in the plains
As witnesses to the congregations that place their hope
On God and Catholic religion till the end of time

Mainz is a great place to be in
Trier too is just as wonderful a view
If I have to make to a choice between the two
I will stay in Trier and work in Mainz
To have the fulfilment of both Trier and Mainz

Four days in Germany is all I have
To Leiden in Holland we now shall move on
The city where I hope to find my place
Just as how I certainly do hope
That the city of Mainz can be suitable for me too

REFLECTIONS FROM EUROPE (PART II)

Leiden University is the pride of Holland
The symbol of intellectualism many hope to be in
The Central Library has plenty of links
On the branches of knowledge throughout the country
No wonder Syed Hussein studies in Holland afterall

In this place called Leiden University
Campuses are spread throughout the city
Many thinkers are from this great university
Snouck Hugronje the orientalist and Nasr Abu Zayd the freedom fighter the few I could think
With wisdom, insight and knowledge all-encompassing

Leiden itself has few places to see
The Mummy Museum is certainly rich and awakening
Two millennium of history are rest in here
The story of mankind pursuing immortality from near
Ended up as dead bodies without a soul

The Law Faculty is a testimony of history
Understanding of once colonial territories is there as display
Shelves of resources are there to be used
For the Dutch and whoever wants to pursue
Further knowledge of Indonesia and Islam in general

ISIM, IIAS and KITLV are institutes within the city
Research and publishing are features of their expertise
Many in the world seek their assistance in acquiring and producing
Knowledge discourses of Asia and The Muslim World
Enriching Leiden as an intellectual territory concomitant

Thirteen days in Europe is now up
To Germany and Holland I say goodbye
I will be back if He permits
With financial strength and study opportunities
To pursue masters and attain doctorate by the time I am 40

REFLECTIONS FROM EUROPE (PART III)

Europe has much history in it
Of human successes and failings too
Europe is built within hundreds of years
With human effort from time immemorial
The suffering and happiness is similar I hear

Orthodox Christians was once dominant
Then came the Catholics who re-establish religion
The Protestants expounded their ideology hundreds of years
All three are now mainstay of European society
Certainly Europe is no less religious as Asia is

With more than two millennium of Christianity in the region
The society are therefore rooted though open and liberal
If other religions wish to have a place here
They will get adherents with the advancement of time
But to displace Christianity is a foolish attempt

The religion of Islam permits everything to be consumed
Except liquor, drugs and pork-related products
Fish, bread and cheese are the staple of Europeans
That we can enjoy other than meat that is endogenously slaughtered
For Islam is simple as life’s guidance

They say Europe is too open and liberal
Pornography and free sex are there to be exploited
There is for sure no one in the streets of Mainz, Trier and Leiden
Behaving wildly to fulfil that testimony we have always promote
They are clear on public civility and private space all the time

Which university shall I choose
Leiden and Mainz both are equally good
Acquire a language if I am really keen
Either Dutch or German is certainly fine
That shall be the highlight from now till then

REFLECTIONS FROM EUROPE (PART IV)

I ask God when awake and asleep
Why He gives me help when my sins are many
For indeed He declares that He will help
As long as we seek and be sincere in relationships and ambitions
He shall assist whenever is needed

I ask God when awake and asleep
Why He sent Peter Borschberg to help me in this
When it is my people that I render my services
Yet they throw at my face insult and jeer
Explain to me the attitude they has been showing me

This trip to Europe has been an eye-opener
The lessons are many and the questions are plenty
Certainly I am happy that I have made this trip
For many of my peers have never been there
Near as I am they will therefore envy but…..

That is not my problem as you know it
For it is time that I pursue my dreams urgently
Leave some people who bring no benefit to me
Except harm and ill-will springing from envy
For the integrity of family lays supreme

Thank you to my loving wife and dearest kids
Being away from them thirteen days is a huge, huge miss
Now that I am back I can plan and think
One-year from bond is all I have
Before the postgraduate studies begins its course

O ALLAH bless me and my family too
For what I am about to do will be another struggle through and through
Though I am tired and worried, yes I do
I hope and pray for Your Help and Mercy all the way through
Bless my journey till the end of my life, Amin.

Ad’ha
18 June 2006
5:23pm

The Objectives of Education

Education in general is meant to produce people who are critical, inquistive, energetic, responsible and emphathatic towards the development of their society. While going about achieving them, they also are engaged in work which enables them to provide for themselves and their families. They are viable in the economic and social sense. In Islam, the objective of education is to produce people who are confident of their religion and always ready to convey the message of Tauhid to people around them. This is by no means a small or marginal effort. In fact, it is the mainframe and topmost objective of education in Islam. In his/her own community, the objective of Islamic education is also to produce people who can improve the spiritual and psyshological state of the people around them, so that they will understand and act upon their beliefs to the best of their ability. While no society is without problems, education that only serves to fulfill the economic needs does not produce population that shares the sufferings and difficulties of others. In fact, they are not even ready to be true impetus of betterment for their wards and constituents. The tauhidic paradigm aims to elevate people from debasing needs to higher attainments, which assists greatly in the final salvation when one faces God in the hereafter. For the essence of life is to worship and worship is in fact to admit that He is the Greatest. It is an all-encompassing approach to life. When that is done and the participation of the masses is real and fulfilled, we will then see how ALLAH's religion shine in this world, thus He be pleased on us and we pleased on Him. O ALLAH, help us to strength our faith, makes us deep in our conviction to convey your existence and place us among those who are successful in this world and the hereafter. Amin.

The Virtue of Patience

Patience is an attribute which is loved by ALLAH swt. As-Sabiruun (those who are patient) are praised endlessly by ALLAH swt for it brings about a rational and fruitful outcome to any engagement that is to take place from a situation of difficulty, stress, tension and conflict. Patience during fasting month, patience during tribulations, patience in time of ease and patience awaiting judgement are the few forms of patience worth mentioning here for it encompass what we are going through generally in our life. Patience makes a person uses his spiritual strength and mental prowess to overcome the debasing urge of the animal instinct of rage and anger. It is in the persuasiveness of patience that one find the coolness of the heart to accept problems and challenges that beset oneself. Without patience, man is allowing himself to be controlled by the situation thus rendering himself unable to command over the environment that he has been made to be in charge of.

The Way Back

I am but a man
Of sin and deeds I dwell herein
The soul and the form struggle and took its toll
To rediscover myself of what I was if I could know

I am but a man
Lost my way in the sea of sins and wrong-doings
Is there a way back for me to be accepted by Him
For forgiveness is the key of His Mercy for those who seek

He is One, does not begot and begets not
For He is the Only One The Most Powerful throughout
The whole universe submit to Him in worship involuntarily
Yet we men are given the choice, thus what do we seek?

He is The Prideful One who all seek for help
Seek Him we must in the day and at night
For He will come to us with His Gifts open wide
Choose O my slave! Which one you would like?

The pleasure of God is indeed what I seek
To encourage good and forbid evil is what I must do
Establish prayers and struggle against oppression I must uphold
For the sweetness of paradise is better than what this world has to offer

The pleasure of God is therefore what I seek
Stand firm with justice yet compassionate in punishing certainly
For our life, death and actions are all for Him
O ALLAH, help us who is very much in need

I am but a man
Of mistakes and error I once commit
I ask your succour for the weakness that is deep in me
Forgive my sins and help me uplift

I am but a man
Once lost in the valley of darkness
But now I have come back, making my way back to Him
My creator, ALLAH, the Most Merciful and indeed Esteemed

The Wonders of Integrated Education

Singapore prides itself as having the best education system in Southeast Asia. Students from all over the world: mostly from Southeast Asia, place their children in this country with the believe that the concept of 'Thinking Schools Learning Nation' provides the gest of the myriad educational objectives of the schools here. Yet, we can hardly admit that education does not only encompass knowledge that empowers oneself with the know-how of this world, it must also prepares one for the hereafter through the dialectic between theory and praxis. That is at least a believe in the Islamic concept of education.

An integrated education provides students with values which are rooted in tradition and religion thus preparing them for spiritual strength against social ills. As the modern world with its influence of materialism (form) impresses many, one cannot but see that if graduates of an integrated education in one way or another is affected by the tide of ownership, individualism and self-fulfilling ideals, one can imagine how students in main stream schools whose exposure to values which are rooted in tradition and religion is certainly absent, cope with the influences of aforementioned challenges. An integrated education provides another layer of shield against the personality of individualness, preparing one to embrace both of this world and the hereafter. For God, society and man himself. An integrated believe of life.

Indeed, parents and families in Singapore are constrained by political and structural impediments thus unable to fully pursue the ideals of an integrated education in a single setting. Many therefore have to relent with the mainstream system, and thereafter on weekends send their children to religious classes whose time limitation is telling on the impact it can give on these young impressionable minds. Parents with strong will and family environment which are rooted in traditional systems can offset these lackingness in mainstream education system. Moreso, the quest for economic dominance made us believe that people feed on food and not values. Thus it decreases the value of religious and cultural pursuit till one reaches a stage of feeling that what they have gone for - materialism - is a fleeting and thin vineer attainment. Man is first the soul and then body comes to form yet returning later to the state of the former - its true self. Coupled with a match and patch opportunity based on the impediments imposed on families to overcome the challenge of mainstream education, the destruction of social bases who is rooted in culture and tradition creates a new man that has all of the world but loses it soul. What is left of us is just the physique minus the spirit. Is this the way forward?

It is therefore worrying that with the challenges of modernity taking its height, integrated education marginalised and substantial culture diminishes to form, the fate of of modern Singaporeans is seemed to be in the hanging. If we love this country and believe that politics of narrowness brings nothing but satisfaction to the few, we must provide more avenues for religious and cultural education to be in the grasp of many either by way of an integrated education and/or dakwah of reforming the people to hold on to the rope of ALLAH for verily His Rope will never break asunder. And it is the believe that only ALLAH Azza Wa Jalla must be pleased that will make us strong enough to carry on this mission forward for our life, death and actions are all for Him and only Him, Sustainer and Provider of the Universe.

Bastions of Social Demise: Culture & Religion

Though much has been said of the achievements of Singapore as a first world economy, the social malaise facing the city-state is a major concern for many. Divorces, youth delinquency, frauds, social bickering, mismanagement and financial inadequaciea have tainted the beauty of a national building project that is set to take shape in years to come. With the population engulfed in consumerist behaviour, the project of making Singapore a keen tourist destination adds on to the vibrant economic setting which Singaporeans do not want to miss. Live life to the fullest, live to the moment, live for today, tomorrow shall be better seems to be the believe that many Singaporeans hold in order to offset the disappointment of class permanency and problems that beset them as part of life tribulations.

Indeed such personal slogans may give a positive outlook to life, yet one questions why such slogans are the mantra of modern people when modernity by its own premise promises happiness through the mechanics of materialism. And why do we need slogans if modernity has prepared for us through its modes of production the beauty of life? Structurally we are better off than our predecessors were. Shouldn't we be better spiritually too? Herein lies the contradiction. As Singaporeans hold on those slogan mantras, it is done not with any other intention but to ease the thought of what they seem to be owning requires rigorous effort to maintain it, not knowing whether they will live to an old age to enjoy the fruits of their labour. The temporal sense of ownership ranging from goods to relationships in a modern city-state make us realise that a first economy may not afterall bring about first world attitude and belief. People becomes more individualistic and self-centred. Shared values as part of curriculum in schools and national vision have not been able to abate the growing trends of self-preservation, at times at the expense of others.

All is not lost. If we look back into history and ponder on the how our forefathers have been able to maintain social solidarity, community sanity and personal dreams, we can point to the strength that culture and religion have provided for the people then. Institutions, codes, morality and personalities in culture and religion helped in butressing the individual and community from an endemic demise yet admittedly knowing that one or two among the social groups may fall into error. This is indeed much better that the situation know where out of ten people, five to six of them are committed to social ills. This return to the authentic source of culture and religion must be done in full sincerity, disregarding political concerns that the government of the day may have. For if one were to point to the riots of 1964 and 1969, and the Nadra Tragedy as bigotries of ethnic and religious solidarity, one could also put a high share of responsibility on governance that emphasise of skewed ideology of pragmatism rather than on truth and justice. The common denominators for social peace is to accept each one of us in their own way yet finding common spaces to work together. This is different from creating a new space and force these cultural and religious societies to fit into a mould that is alien to them. As a result, we see today many Singaporeans have lost their sense of identity, not knowing whether they are East or West, secular or cultural-religious. In the deliberation of politics, this dilemma is cause by the advent of nation-states which provide social instability and removes authorities that provide social harmony at large. Society is deconstructed to the detrimental of the society itself.

Culture and religion are bastions of social demise. Culture which is rooted in tradition and religion provides the ingredients of values, morality and institutions that will help communities overcome the challenge of social ills that will burden Singapore in the future. And this has to be done with great commitment, sincerity and trust, rather than a policy initiative that is structural and politically monitored. That can only be done if we want to see the country move ahead as a first world both in terms of economy and social cohesion.