The Association of Muslim Professional's (AMP) has had its fair share of rocky relations with the govt. Recently, it tried to form a Community Forum (ComFor) to discuss issues pertaining to the Malay-Muslim Community. That idea was shot down. By none other than PM.
From the Straits Times Online dated 30 Aug 2012. You need to read between the lines of the report to understand the political implications.
AMP drops proposal for new community forum
Plan had raised fears among some that it may rival existing platforms
The AMP struck a compromise in the wider interest of the community, said the chairman of the convention steering committee, Mr Nizam Ismail. -- PHOTO: AMP
That's a diplomatic way of saying, "We had to give the idea up because the PM thinks our objective is detrimental to PAP's."
AFTER concerns arose over a proposal to start a new forum for the Malay- Muslim community, the Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP) has decided to drop the idea.
The group had in June talked about a Community Forum (ComFor) to discuss issues of concern to the community.
But this raised fears in some quarters that it could rival existing platforms with similar aims and cause divisions.
So the AMP will instead expand its own annual forum, called Community in Review, to take in some of ComFor's objectives, it said yesterday.
The move was quickly cheered by community leaders, with one calling it "a show of solidarity within the Malay-Muslim community".
The idea for ComFor was first mooted at an AMP convention in June.
One of its aims was to re-position Malay-Muslim organisations into groups that "engage a national, inter-ethnic, issue-oriented agenda".
But on hearing of it, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong urged AMP and other groups to "have a care if you are venturing into civil society issues which are not primarily to do with the Malay-Muslim community".
Who the *#@$! does the PM think he is, getting involved in the nitty-gritty ops and admin of NGOs? So free and overpaid that he must find some work to do, izzit?
He cautioned that AMP should not lose focus of its primary task to tackle social and economic issues in the Malay-Muslim community and improve the community's well-being.
Micro management from the PM. You can't get a higher VIP who's more involved in your affairs. AMP should be thankful for this privilege.
AMP leaders later clarified that ComFor was meant to address issues relevant to the community.
There's nothing to clarify. PM saw where AMP was heading towards and he didn't like it. AMP should just admit that they have once again stepped on PAPpy's toes trying to encroach into PAPpy's territory.
Yesterday, the association said it came to its decision after holding "rigorous discussions" with community and political leaders.
Why is there a need to discuss with political leaders? You think those Malay-Muslim MPs would support your renegade plan to compete with PAP's platform? Right after their boss said he didn't like it too?
PAPpy doesn't like competition -
AMP was trying to be too smart. But not smart enough. It wants to set up a platform because it thinks that it could set the direction for the Muslim community in Singapore. So it set up ComFor. But this is in direct competition to the existing PAP backed Community Leaders Forum (CLF). Here is CLF's vision and objective.
Vision
To bring about confident, creative and self-reliant individuals and families, anchored in Islamic faith and values, for a Community of Excellence.
Objectives
The inaugural Community Leaders’ Forum (CLF) on 11 October 2003 arose from a series of dialogues and focus group discussions,amongst Malay Members of Parliament, community partners and activists, on strategies to enable the community to realise its shared vision for excellence. The event marked the beginning of a concerted, collective and conscientious pursuit by partners in the Malay/Muslim Voluntary sector (MMVS) to:
Work together to address community issues
Garner community engagement and support through dialogue and knowledge exchange
Build its capacity to help the community in effective and relevant ways
Saw that? CLF involves Malay Members of Parliament. AMP's ComFor if allowed to operate is therefore an affront to the PAP because:
1. It shows that many PAP's Malay MPs are sleeping (hey, as if we don't know that already) and there are sections of the Malay community who want to see more action.
2. It is a direct competition to PAP's authority because it snubs the Malay MPs (and other PAP linked groups) within the CLF.
3. It also implies that the PAP-puppet CLF, since Oct 2003, has not been working for the last nine years and hence, an alternative platform, ComFor, has to be set up.
So come what may, AMP can't have its ComFor competing PAP's CLF. Period. This ain't the first time AMP has had a brush with PAP in its long history that has also been troubled with its own internal squabbling.
Rest of the article from ST below.
There were mixed reactions to the idea, it reported.
Some were in favour of an independent platform to add diversity to existing ones like the Community Leaders' Forum (CLF), of which AMP is a member.
The CLF brought together 132 partners as of last year, including Malay-Muslim organisations and community clubs. Self-help group Mendaki is the secretariat.
But others worried that "ComFor might be perceived as a platform to rival CLF and could potentially divide the community", said AMP.
So the association struck a compromise in the wider interest of the community, said the chairman of the convention steering committee, Mr Nizam Ismail, 45.
AMP's 12-year-old Community in Review forum will now take on some of ComFor's aims.
These include being an independent platform that takes a bottom-up approach to discussing community issues and tracking the progress of proposals put up at the convention.
"What guided us was the fact that we believe there is good for the community in pursuing these objectives," said Mr Nizam. "We just hope that by doing it in a different, current platform, it will remove some of the misperceptions."
Activities being considered include research and surveys "to feel the pulse of the community on various issues", setting up a debt advisory centre, programmes to deepen knowledge of Islam and a research network on education.
Malay MPs and community leaders yesterday welcomed AMP's move and encouraged it to continue its good work under the CLF umbrella.
Mendaki chief executive officer Moliah Hashim, who called it "a show of solidarity", praised AMP for listening to feedback from the ground.
ComFor's intent is not likely to be lost, she added, as AMP could continue to bring issues to the table through its existing platform.
Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports Halimah Yacob hoped that AMP would make more use of the CLF to raise issues.
MP Zainal Sapari called it a "wise decision" for AMP to work within existing frameworks, "so as not to send any mixed signals to the community".
Said MP Zaqy Mohamad: "It's not about the platform but about getting people to the ground to do the hard work, whether it's mentoring students or working with families. That's really the crux."
Note Zaqy's words at the end of the report. Well, Zaq, if you truly believe what you say, why didn't you support ComFor? After all you said that the platform doesn't matter.
Disclaimer - I am neither pro or anti ComFor, whatever that is. I only came to know that such an idea existed when I read the news. My article is to highlight that PAPpy tries to control anything and everything it sees as a threat to its existence. The opinions and side commentary I gave are mine and mine only, and not supposed to represent any party or group, affiliated or not affiliated to AMP or PAP.
Barrie, Where the Bears Roam Free
*Article first appeared on http://wherebearsroamfree.blogspot.se