Ismail Menk and Haslin Baharim banned from Singapore for anti-Christmas comments

[Varun]

Two Muslim religious leaders were banned from entering Singapore on Monday because they planned to spread anti-Christmas propaganda on a religious-themed cruise, government officials said.

Ismail Menk and Haslin Baharim, citizens of Zimbabwe and Malaysia, respectively, planned to preach on a cruise ship traveling from Singapore to Indonesia. Both have warned fellow Muslims against wishing non-Muslims Merry Christmas, and they are known for promoting divisive rhetoric against multiculturalism. Baharim, for example, has called non-Muslims “deviants,” and Menk has said non-Muslims should be subservient to Muslims.

Singapore is the most religiously diverse country in the world, with a mix of Buddhist, Taoist, Muslim and Christian devotees, and the government takes a hard line against religious intolerance. Government authorities barred Menk and Baharim from visiting the country due to their intolerant views, and determined that the men were attempting to use the cruise ship to circumvent the ban and spread messages of hate and disunity in Singapore.

"They will not be allowed to get around the ban by preaching instead on cruise ships which operate to and from Singapore," government officials said in a statement. "Such divisive views breed intolerance and exclusivist practices that will damage social harmony, and cause communities to drift apart.”

Singapore has a strict code of conduct for religious leaders looking to obtain recognition in the country, and has a history of barring foreign religious figures who could threaten Singapore’s social cohesion. Under the law, religious leaders must register before they can teach and have to inform the government where they will be working.

Concern about the spread of the Islamic State to Asia has caused Singapore to increase surveillance of radical Islamists, but leaders of other religions have also been subject to Singapore’s stringent laws.

Last month, two Christian preachers were similarly barred from entering the country because of comments they made prior to requesting entry.

“They were very Islamophobic in their statements outside of Singapore, and we decided we will ban them," Singapore’s Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam said about the preachers at the time.

The Christian preachers had allegedly called Islam a confused religion interested in "world domination.”

Also on Monday, Singapore banned four Indonesian Islamic books because they contain what the government called "undesirable and harmful teachings."

"The threat of extremism is real and should not be taken lightly," Information Minister Yaacob Ibrahim said about the book ban. "The government strongly condemns the use of such publications to espouse destructive ideologies.”

http://www.newsweek.com/muslims-banned-singapore-christmas-696465

.

 

[Heisenberg]

Some sane countries left in the world.

 

[Madplayer]

Singapore has a right to take such measures if it deems them necessary for security and peace.

Would this be considered an attack on free speech and expression of opinions though???

I ask this even for the christian preachers who were banned for speaking against Islam.

 

[Dios]

What a poor title.

 

[MenInG]

Singapore are very strict on this and anyone breaking their law deserves to be punished.

 

[ExpressPacer]

Can't believe there's people who stop us from saying "Merry Christmas" to our colleagues and friends. Frankly, I don't blame the West for deeming Muslims as savages when "Muslim religious leaders" such as Menk are spewing such filth.

 

[CricketCartoons]

Can't believe there's people who stop us from saying "Merry Christmas" to our colleagues and friends. Frankly, I don't blame the West for deeming Muslims as savages when "Muslim religious leaders" such as Menk are spewing such filth.

You should blame both. They are the same people who malign "the other".

 

[ExpressPacer]

You should blame both. They are the same people who malign "the other".

You can't call an egg a rabbit. If these "leaders" portray themselves are such narcissistic alpha's then there is no point in crying over "Islamophobia". People wanting to avoid Muslims is justified when our so-called "leaders" are carrying such extreme beliefs. And the problem is, Muslim's aren't even being stereotyped for the acts of such few people. 90% of the people on this forum probably love Menk.

 

[Heisenberg]

You can't call an egg a rabbit. If these "leaders" portray themselves are such narcissistic alpha's then there is no point in crying over "Islamophobia". People wanting to avoid Muslims is justified when our so-called "leaders" are carrying such extreme beliefs. And the problem is, Muslim's aren't even being stereotyped for the acts of such few people. 90% of the people on this forum probably love Menk.

Top, top post. I see Waqar Younis liking his posts on Twitter all the time and he's clearly a popular scholar or whatever he is supposed to be. 2 million followers too. What's the difference between him and the EDL guy everyone hates?

 

[SandyB]

What's with barring people from wishing others for a festival ? You are not even praising another god or something . Last year we had some salafis in southern India barring people from wishing or participating in Christmas and other local Hindu/harvest festivals.

 

[ExpressPacer]

Top, top post. I see Waqar Younis liking his posts on Twitter all the time and he's clearly a popular scholar or whatever he is supposed to be. 2 million followers too. What's the difference between him and the EDL guy everyone hates?

Exactly. Islam isn't a bad or even extreme religion. It is these posers and self-proclaimed religious leaders who bring forward their own version of the religion, sugar-coated with lies, vilifying Islam. Unfortunately, a lot of Muslims actually start believing these bigots and their lies.

 

[Madplayer]

Exactly. Islam isn't a bad or even extreme religion. It is these posers and self-proclaimed religious leaders who bring forward their own version of the religion, sugar-coated with lies, vilifying Islam. Unfortunately, a lot of Muslims actually start believing these bigots and their lies.

Even if it was a practice in old times that you cannot wish a non-muslim, its not some hardcore fundamental of the religion which cannot be let go of in today's era.

Why do these muftis use internet to preach Islam when internet has blasphemous content on it? They should apply their logic here also but they wont because its inconvinient. I remember them crucifying Tahir ul Qadri on social media when he celebrated Christmas with Christians.

 

[ExpressPacer]

Even if it was a practice in old times that you cannot wish a non-muslim, its not some hardcore fundamental of the religion which cannot be let go of in today's era.

Why do these muftis use internet to preach Islam when internet has blasphemous content on it? They should apply their logic here also but they wont because its inconvinient. I remember them crucifying Tahir ul Qadri on social media when he celebrated Christmas with Christians.

Exactly. And it is very easy to implement Qiyas in this issue. The Prophet PBUH always protrayed himself in the best of manners and even won the hearts of his enemies through his behavior. Muslims are supposed to inspire others so that they follow the same path too, not drive them further away.

 

[Madplayer]

Exactly. And it is very easy to implement Qiyas in this issue. The Prophet PBUH always protrayed himself in the best of manners and even won the hearts of his enemies through his behavior. Muslims are supposed to inspire others so that they follow the same path too, not drive them further away.

True. And any distinctions they made from non-muslims at that time was because Islam was in its inception and some boundaries had to be laid down neccessarily to make it distinct from other religions of that period. Now that it is well established, these petty issues like wishing or not wishing should not matter.

 

[Abdullah719]

Can't believe there's people who stop us from saying "Merry Christmas" to our colleagues and friends. Frankly, I don't blame the West for deeming Muslims as savages when "Muslim religious leaders" such as Menk are spewing such filth.

Mate no one can stop anyone from doing anything, he isn't coming with you after a gun telling you not to say it. It's his advice that people shouldn't say it, it's not a command that you're going to be punished for, if you don't adhere to it.

From a theological point of view, obviously he will say what he believes to be true otherwise he would be a hypocrite.

Singapore are of course free to do as they wish as well.

 

[Abdullah719]

Top, top post. I see Waqar Younis liking his posts on Twitter all the time and he's clearly a popular scholar or whatever he is supposed to be. 2 million followers too. What's the difference between him and the EDL guy everyone hates?

Isn't the EDL guy a convicted criminal?

 

[ExpressPacer]

Mate no one can stop anyone from doing anything, he isn't coming with you after a gun telling you not to say it. It's his advice that people shouldn't say it, it's not a command that you're going to be punished for, if you don't adhere to it.

From a theological point of view, obviously he will say what he believes to be true otherwise he would be a hypocrite.

Singapore are of course free to do as they wish as well.

Of course. But being a representative of Muslims, why would he say such a thing that creates divisions between Humans? And this isn't even a matter of beliefs, simply greeting another person!

 

[Abdullah719]

Singapore bans Mufti Menk from entering country

Singapore has banned Mufti Ismail Menk, a renowned Islamic preacher, from entering the city-state, with the government contending that his views promote religious discord.

Menk, a Zimbabwean preacher with more than two million followers on Twitter, and Haslin bin Baharim, a Malaysian scholar, were barred from entering Singapore to give lectures on a religious-themed cruise scheduled for late November.

Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs said in a statement that its decision to reject Menk's application for a short-term work pass stemmed from his "segregationist and divisive teachings", while Baharim promoted "disharmony between Muslims and non-Muslims".

The ministry claimed that Menk said Muslims were not allowed to greet people of other faiths on their religious festivals.

It also accused Baharim of holding views that promote friction between Muslims and non-Muslims, whom he allegedly described as "deviant."

"[Their views] are unacceptable in the context of Singapore's multi-racial and multi-religious society," the ministry said. "They will not be allowed to get around the ban by preaching instead on cruise ships which operate to and from Singapore."

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Menk said he had faced "no issues coming into Singapore as a tourist ... but will not be joining the cruise now for reasons not within my control".

"To imply that I was using the cruise 'to get around the ban by preaching instead on cruise ships which operate to and from Singapore' is erroneous," he said. "I have never been on a cruise before, let alone give lectures on board. This was purely for a humanitarian mission to Banda Aceh."

According to IslamicCruise, which organised the voyage, Menk was scheduled to give a series of talks on the five-day cruise, including one titled "Navigating Towards Paradise", with proceeds from the event to be distributed to underprivileged people in Banda Aceh.

Over the past few years, Singapore has faced increasing criticism for tightening restrictions on political liberties such as free speech.

A 17-year-old blogger was sentenced to six weeks in jail last year after he "wounded the religious feelings" of Muslims and Christians.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/...ti-menk-entering-country-171031064359778.html

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

You can't call an egg a rabbit. If these "leaders" portray themselves are such narcissistic alpha's then there is no point in crying over "Islamophobia". People wanting to avoid Muslims is justified when our so-called "leaders" are carrying such extreme beliefs. And the problem is, Muslim's aren't even being stereotyped for the acts of such few people. 90% of the people on this forum probably love Menk.

I find this generalisation extremely objectionable and unfortunately it is this type of stereotyping which gives Muslims a bad name. Intentionally I would guess. However if you can put some substance to your claim then I'll accept it. Personally I am annoyed because while I came on this thread to congratulate the Singapore authorities on their action, I find myself having to ask you to make your claims responsibly.

 

[Abdullah719]

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2LAGZJDqhis" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Yeah totally comparable with EDL et. al.

 

[ExpressPacer]

I find this generalisation extremely objectionable and unfortunately it is this type of stereotyping which gives Muslims a bad name. Intentionally I would guess. However if you can put some substance to your claim then I'll accept it. Personally I am annoyed because while I came on this thread to congratulate the Singapore authorities on their action, I find myself having to ask you to make your claims responsibly.

You cannot present stats and figures for every argument in the world. Some things are in front of you and understood. It is impossible for me to conduct a poll of what all educated Muslims think of Menk. My point is simple, he has a lot of support and from what I understand, he is a representative of these Muslims that extend their support to him. And in that, he is a very poor one.

 

[CanadianG00se]

Mate no one can stop anyone from doing anything, he isn't coming with you after a gun telling you not to say it. It's his advice that people shouldn't say it, it's not a command that you're going to be punished for, if you don't adhere to it.

From a theological point of view, obviously he will say what he believes to be true otherwise he would be a hypocrite.

Singapore are of course free to do as they wish as well.

Words are more deadly than a bullet. The so called leader could legit brainwashed the masses and can cause uproar among locals. These so called leaders talk about hating who are not muslims and treating them with no respect, and when West does the same we cry foul. Sorry, but some of the muslims are real hypocrites.
Glad there are some sane ones like [MENTION=141922]ExpressPacer[/MENTION]

 

[miandadrules]

You cannot present stats and figures for every argument in the world. Some things are in front of you and understood. It is impossible for me to conduct a poll of what all educated Muslims think of Menk. My point is simple, he has a lot of support and from what I understand, he is a representative of these Muslims that extend their support to him. And in that, he is a very poor one.

http://www.pewforum.org/2013/04/30/...ligion-politics-society-beliefs-about-sharia/

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

You cannot present stats and figures for every argument in the world. Some things are in front of you and understood. It is impossible for me to conduct a poll of what all educated Muslims think of Menk. My point is simple, he has a lot of support and from what I understand, he is a representative of these Muslims that extend their support to him. And in that, he is a very poor one.

Fine, all you have to say is that your claim that 90% of the forum users on this site would support these guys was pulled out of thin air. As you probably won't, I've said it for you. You are welcome.

 

[Hadi Rizvi]

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2LAGZJDqhis" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Yeah totally comparable with EDL et. al.

We get it; you're a fan of Mufti Menk.

Get over it, mate.

 

[Hadi Rizvi]

Fine, all you have to say is that your claim that 90% of the forum users on this site would support these guys was pulled out of thin air. As you probably won't, I've said it for you. You are welcome.

I think you should read his "90% post" again.

You'll understand it soon.

 

[Hadi Rizvi]

You can't call an egg a rabbit. If these "leaders" portray themselves are such narcissistic alpha's then there is no point in crying over "Islamophobia". People wanting to avoid Muslims is justified when our so-called "leaders" are carrying such extreme beliefs. And the problem is, Muslim's aren't even being stereotyped for the acts of such few people. 90% of the people on this forum probably love Menk.

Its a sad state of affairs for the whole ummah but very very true.

 

[Jadz]

There is no priestly/layman distinction in Islam. Scholars are not prophets, and have no authority to impose their opinions - which are based upon their subjective interpretation of the Qur'an and Hadeeth - upon Muslims.

Muslims must acquaint themselves with Islam and not rely upon scholars. Scholars are teachers, no more no less than that, we learn from teachers but never follow them.

 

[Abdullah719]

Words are more deadly than a bullet. The so called leader could legit brainwashed the masses and can cause uproar among locals. These so called leaders talk about hating who are not muslims and treating them with no respect, and when West does the same we cry foul. Sorry, but some of the muslims are real hypocrites.
Glad there are some sane ones like [MENTION=141922]ExpressPacer[/MENTION]

Hating those who are not Muslims and treating them with no respect is not what his message is so your post is irrelevant to what is being discussed here.

 

[Abdullah719]

We get it; you're a fan of Mufti Menk.

Get over it, mate.

Yeah how dare I post a video that contradicts the narrative of him being a non-Muslim hating bigot right...

If you want to discuss the views on this topics and explain how they are extremist and hateful, there's room for engagement here but don't bother replying if you're going to post another pointless one-liner.

 

[Abdullah719]

There is no priestly/layman distinction in Islam. Scholars are not prophets, and have no authority to impose their opinions - which are based upon their subjective interpretation of the Qur'an and Hadeeth - upon Muslims.

Muslims must acquaint themselves with Islam and not rely upon scholars. Scholars are teachers, no more no less than that, we learn from teachers but never follow them.

This is true, no one should be followed blindly as no one is infallible. People must think critically.

At the same time, people should be able to assess statements by themselves rather than relying on the media's interpretation.

Singapore have the right to do ban him or whoever they want, that's their prerogative. However, we can judge for ourselves whether the statement in question is actually spreading hatred against non-Muslims as is being claimed, or not.

 

[ExpressPacer]

Fine, all you have to say is that your claim that 90% of the forum users on this site would support these guys was pulled out of thin air. As you probably won't, I've said it for you. You are welcome.

Ask the mods to conduct a poll. I can bet on it.

 

[ExpressPacer]

There is no priestly/layman distinction in Islam. Scholars are not prophets, and have no authority to impose their opinions - which are based upon their subjective interpretation of the Qur'an and Hadeeth - upon Muslims.

Muslims must acquaint themselves with Islam and not rely upon scholars. Scholars are teachers, no more no less than that, we learn from teachers but never follow them.

Post of the week. I could not have said it better myself. Modern, educated Muslims make fun of idol worshippers or people going to Pirs but conveniently ingore their own such mistakes. Humans are Allah's greatest creation for a reason. The brain. Our ability to think and learn supercedes everything else Allah has ever created and therefore to blindly believe what these scholars teach us nd ignoring logic is the biggest hypocrisy of all. Top post.

 

[Musakhel]

Theologically nothing he said is wrong, those arguing against him are arguing on silly emotional arguments.

 

[Hadi Rizvi]

Yeah how dare I post a video that contradicts the narrative of him being a non-Muslim hating bigot right...

If you want to discuss the views on this topics and explain how they are extremist and hateful, there's room for engagement here but don't bother replying if you're going to post another pointless one-liner.

Ok, 1st of all, I never said that he's a "non-Muslim hating bigot".

Secondly, Christmas is celebrated as a day when Jesus Christ (Hazrat Isa AS) was born, so would you care to explain to me, rationally, what's wrong in saying "Merry Christmas"? Don't use Mufti Menk logic that "its like you're congratulating someone for associating partners with Allah". Islam is all about intentions and as long as my intentions are pure and I honestly wish to celebrate his birthday then why would it be wrong for me to do so, keeping in mind the fact that we do always celebrate the birth of Rasulullah SAWW.

Thirdly, you have to accept that it doesn't get any more extremist than this, because, according to Mufti sahab's logic, you can't say it because a "mushrik" is celebrating it. What if a Muslim was celebrating it? Would this point still hold true? Again, Christmas isn't the celebration of the concept of Trinity or anything else; its just a simple way to celebrate Hazrat Isa's AS birthday.

So I say keep it simple and cool and "rang main bhang mat daalo"

Finally, I can see that the "pointless" one-liners have triggered you so they might not be "pointless" after all

 

[www787]

Words are more deadly than a bullet. The so called leader could legit brainwashed the masses and can cause uproar among locals. These so called leaders talk about hating who are not muslims and treating them with no respect, and when West does the same we cry foul. Sorry, but some of the muslims are real hypocrites.
Glad there are some sane ones like [MENTION=141922]ExpressPacer[/MENTION]

Exactly words are very powerful if you’re naive. Perfect example would be modi followers, the cow vigilante.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

Ask the mods to conduct a poll. I can bet on it.

It would be better if you just admitted you made outlandish claims based on nothing but your own feelings with no basis in fact - because that is what you did. If you want the mods to conduct a poll you can ask yourself by the way. After all it is you that made the claim which now needs to be backed with some substance.

 

[Abdullah719]

Ok, 1st of all, I never said that he's a "non-Muslim hating bigot".

Then why jump in with a sarcastic comment? Obviously that post was intended for those who claim that he is a bigot, no different to EDL etc.

Secondly, Christmas is celebrated as a day when Jesus Christ (Hazrat Isa AS) was born, so would you care to explain to me, rationally, what's wrong in saying "Merry Christmas"? Don't use Mufti Menk logic that "its like you're congratulating someone for associating partners with Allah". Islam is all about intentions and as long as my intentions are pure and I honestly wish to celebrate his birthday then why would it be wrong for me to do so, keeping in mind the fact that we do always celebrate the birth of Rasulullah SAWW.

Thirdly, you have to accept that it doesn't get any more extremist than this, because, according to Mufti sahab's logic, you can't say it because a "mushrik" is celebrating it. What if a Muslim was celebrating it? Would this point still hold true? Again, Christmas isn't the celebration of the concept of Trinity or anything else; its just a simple way to celebrate Hazrat Isa's AS birthday.

This is a theological discussion which I do not wish to pursue here on this thread. Many Muslims don't celebrate the birth of the Prophet (PBUH) either, just FYI.

You may call it extremist and that's your own opinion but at the end of the day, it is a point of view that is hurting absolutely no one. If you listen to the above video, you can see the emphasis still being put on interfaith relations and on respecting others. If you choose not to say a particular phrase such as 'Merry Christmas', I doubt it will make much of a difference. In the past when I was in contact with some Christians and they used to celebrate Christmas, I would just say Happy Holidays or something of that sort and no one was offended, they accept such greetings - many people prefer saying that anyway. So it's really not such a big deal. If you want to say it, fine. If someone else doesn't want to, their prerogative. If someone is being wronged by not saying the exact phrase then let me know.

So I say keep it simple and cool and "rang main bhang mat daalo"

Finally, I can see that the "pointless" one-liners have triggered you so they might not be "pointless" after all

I appreciate healthy discussion and interaction so thanks for taking that route this time.

You can be true to yourself and decide what the purpose of your first comment was. Personally, to me it sounded a bit like a mixture of a troll comment and being a 'kabab mein haddi'. Perhaps there was some hidden wisdom there that I missed....

 

[ExpressPacer]

Ok, 1st of all, I never said that he's a "non-Muslim hating bigot".

Secondly, Christmas is celebrated as a day when Jesus Christ (Hazrat Isa AS) was born, so would you care to explain to me, rationally, what's wrong in saying "Merry Christmas"? Don't use Mufti Menk logic that "its like you're congratulating someone for associating partners with Allah". Islam is all about intentions and as long as my intentions are pure and I honestly wish to celebrate his birthday then why would it be wrong for me to do so, keeping in mind the fact that we do always celebrate the birth of Rasulullah SAWW.

Thirdly, you have to accept that it doesn't get any more extremist than this, because, according to Mufti sahab's logic, you can't say it because a "mushrik" is celebrating it. What if a Muslim was celebrating it? Would this point still hold true? Again, Christmas isn't the celebration of the concept of Trinity or anything else; its just a simple way to celebrate Hazrat Isa's AS birthday.

So I say keep it simple and cool and "rang main bhang mat daalo"

Finally, I can see that the "pointless" one-liners have triggered you so they might not be "pointless" after all

Terrific post but I'd like to add something, EVEN if Christmas had no relation to Islam, there should be nothing wrong with greeting or congratulating another HUMAN being for happiness. As you said, as long as our intentions are pure, nothing else matters. Guys like Mufti Menk do this for attention and to create a divide amongst people. Despeciable.

 

[Abdullah719]

Terrific post but I'd like to add something, EVEN if Christmas had no relation to Islam, there should be nothing wrong with greeting or congratulating another HUMAN being for happiness. As you said, as long as our intentions are pure, nothing else matters. Guys like Mufti Menk do this for attention and to create a divide amongst people. Despeciable.

He has over 2 million followers on Facebook and Twitter so not sure why he would need more attention.

Create a divide... Guess you didn't see the video posted above. He has advocated for good interfaith relations on many occasions.

Or if you mean a divide amongst Muslims, then we can say the same for every view we disagree with.... Which will mean that almost each and every scholar or preacher is 'trying to create a divide'. I don't ascribe to that view as it basically means that I am saying there is no room for any opinion besides mine.

 

[the SHA]

Seems like a myopic knee jerk reaction from the Singaporean government.

They've just banned a popular Muslim speaker who regularly advocates tolerance and peaceful co-existence on the basis that his rhetoric may incite extremism

Dumb shot.

 

[Gilly]

Seems like a myopic knee jerk reaction from the Singaporean government.

They've just banned a popular Muslim speaker who regularly advocates tolerance and peaceful co-existence on the basis that his rhetoric may incite extremism

Dumb shot.

Anyone that has visited singapore will see that christmas is a big tourist attraction around christmas time. Shopping centres go to extremes with their decorations and the gardens by the bay have lighting that is synchronised with christmas songs attracting large amounts of tourists. Justified or not I see that they dont wish to have a negative impact on their christmas celebrations. I dont think islam or extremism has anything to do with it and its just about their over protectiveness of the tourist industry.

 

[FearlessRoar]

All Singaporeans aged 40 and above will be given a $4,000 top-up of SkillsFuture credits in May to encourage mid-career workers to refresh their skills and progress in their careers.

They will also be given subsidies to pursue another full-time diploma at polytechnics, the Institute of Technical Education and arts institutions from the academic year 2025.

Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced in his Budget speech on Feb 16 that this move will give Singaporeans another bite of the education subsidy, even if they have graduated from an institution of higher learning as a young adult.

He added that the $4,000 credit top-up, under a new SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme, will be “more targeted in scope”. Its usage will be confined to selected training programmes with better employability outcomes. These include part-time and full-time diplomas, as well as post-diploma and undergraduate programmes.

DPM Wong, who is also Finance Minister, said: “We want participants taking up these programmes to be assured of better employability outcomes after they have completed their training.”

Younger Singaporeans will receive the same top-up once they reach 40. The $4,000 credit will have no expiry date.

Those aged 40 and above will also be given a monthly training allowance when they enrol in selected full-time courses from 2025, to partially offset income loss from taking time off work.

The courses that are eligible include full-time SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme courses, and full-time publicly funded courses at institutes of higher learning and arts institutions up to the undergraduate degree level.

The allowance will be equivalent to 50 per cent of one’s average income over the latest available 12-month period, up to $3,000 per month.

Each person can receive up to 24 months of training allowance throughout his or her lifetime. If an individual has been unemployed for more than a year, the training allowance will not be applicable.

Mr Calvin Li is one of the many Singaporeans who will be able to reap the benefits of the newly announced initiatives.

The 40-year-old project director at Khoon Engineering Contractor believes that training and upskilling can broaden his career opportunities and contributions to the workforce. He previously made a career switch from finance to the electrical engineering industry, and has attended different courses run by tertiary institutions and Workforce Singapore.

“What you study in school isn’t what you become or where you end up,” he said. “It is about your mindset – what is more important is that you are willing to try. Learning is a never-ending process.”

DPM Wong said the Government invests heavily in human capital, but learning cannot stop when formal schooling ends.

Singapore’s workforce ranks highly in terms of skills and technical proficiency, but expertise is in constant flux with rapid technological advances, he said.

That is why more investment has to be made to help workers update their skills, and learn how to harness new technologies more effectively, he added.

Since SkillsFuture was started nearly 10 years ago, the Government’s spending on continuing education and training has nearly doubled to $900 million in 2023, he noted.

But much more can still be done even as good progress has been made in this area, he said, adding: “Continuous skills upgrading throughout life is now more important than ever.”

The support measures for mid-career workers aim to help those who need a skills reboot and have to take time off work to attend training over an extended period while juggling financial and caregiving obligations, DPM Wong said.

Under SkillsFuture, more help will also be given to workers who are involuntarily unemployed, said DPM Wong.

The scheme will be designed carefully, taking into consideration the quantum of assistance and other conditions that come with the support, he added.

“This is to avoid the pitfalls that other countries have experienced when they introduced unemployment benefits,” he said, adding that more details will be provided later this year.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had previously announced plans to offer temporary financial support to retrenched workers during his 2023 National Day Rally speech. He said the scheme will enable those who are laid off to attend skills courses rather than seizing whatever jobs are offered out of desperation.

In his speech on Feb 16, DPM Wong said the Government’s move to provide temporary support for this group of workers comes amid technological changes that will bring about more churn in the economy.

Thus, even when the economy as a whole is doing well, some businesses, or even industries, may be suffering, he said.

“In some sectors, firms will have to let go of people, while in other sectors, new and better jobs will be created,” he said. “We have to accept this reality, but it doesn’t mean we should be indifferent to the suffering caused when firms lay off workers.”

Those who become involuntarily unemployed naturally feel the pressure to rush into the first available job they find, even if it is not a good fit, to make ends meet. Ideally, however, they should upgrade their skills and find a job that fits their aptitude and talent, he said.

“Therefore, we will do more to support this group of workers.”

Budget 2024: $4k SkillsFuture Credit top-up for mid-career workers, subsidies for another diploma

All S'poreans aged 40 and above will be given the top-up in May. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

www.straitstimes.com

 

[TSA321]

All Singaporeans aged 40 and above will be given a $4,000 top-up of SkillsFuture credits in May to encourage mid-career workers to refresh their skills and progress in their careers.

They will also be given subsidies to pursue another full-time diploma at polytechnics, the Institute of Technical Education and arts institutions from the academic year 2025.

Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced in his Budget speech on Feb 16 that this move will give Singaporeans another bite of the education subsidy, even if they have graduated from an institution of higher learning as a young adult.

He added that the $4,000 credit top-up, under a new SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme, will be “more targeted in scope”. Its usage will be confined to selected training programmes with better employability outcomes. These include part-time and full-time diplomas, as well as post-diploma and undergraduate programmes.

DPM Wong, who is also Finance Minister, said: “We want participants taking up these programmes to be assured of better employability outcomes after they have completed their training.”

Younger Singaporeans will receive the same top-up once they reach 40. The $4,000 credit will have no expiry date.

Those aged 40 and above will also be given a monthly training allowance when they enrol in selected full-time courses from 2025, to partially offset income loss from taking time off work.

The courses that are eligible include full-time SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme courses, and full-time publicly funded courses at institutes of higher learning and arts institutions up to the undergraduate degree level.

The allowance will be equivalent to 50 per cent of one’s average income over the latest available 12-month period, up to $3,000 per month.

Each person can receive up to 24 months of training allowance throughout his or her lifetime. If an individual has been unemployed for more than a year, the training allowance will not be applicable.

Mr Calvin Li is one of the many Singaporeans who will be able to reap the benefits of the newly announced initiatives.

The 40-year-old project director at Khoon Engineering Contractor believes that training and upskilling can broaden his career opportunities and contributions to the workforce. He previously made a career switch from finance to the electrical engineering industry, and has attended different courses run by tertiary institutions and Workforce Singapore.

“What you study in school isn’t what you become or where you end up,” he said. “It is about your mindset – what is more important is that you are willing to try. Learning is a never-ending process.”

DPM Wong said the Government invests heavily in human capital, but learning cannot stop when formal schooling ends.

Singapore’s workforce ranks highly in terms of skills and technical proficiency, but expertise is in constant flux with rapid technological advances, he said.

That is why more investment has to be made to help workers update their skills, and learn how to harness new technologies more effectively, he added.

Since SkillsFuture was started nearly 10 years ago, the Government’s spending on continuing education and training has nearly doubled to $900 million in 2023, he noted.

But much more can still be done even as good progress has been made in this area, he said, adding: “Continuous skills upgrading throughout life is now more important than ever.”

The support measures for mid-career workers aim to help those who need a skills reboot and have to take time off work to attend training over an extended period while juggling financial and caregiving obligations, DPM Wong said.

Under SkillsFuture, more help will also be given to workers who are involuntarily unemployed, said DPM Wong.

The scheme will be designed carefully, taking into consideration the quantum of assistance and other conditions that come with the support, he added.

“This is to avoid the pitfalls that other countries have experienced when they introduced unemployment benefits,” he said, adding that more details will be provided later this year.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had previously announced plans to offer temporary financial support to retrenched workers during his 2023 National Day Rally speech. He said the scheme will enable those who are laid off to attend skills courses rather than seizing whatever jobs are offered out of desperation.

In his speech on Feb 16, DPM Wong said the Government’s move to provide temporary support for this group of workers comes amid technological changes that will bring about more churn in the economy.

Thus, even when the economy as a whole is doing well, some businesses, or even industries, may be suffering, he said.

“In some sectors, firms will have to let go of people, while in other sectors, new and better jobs will be created,” he said. “We have to accept this reality, but it doesn’t mean we should be indifferent to the suffering caused when firms lay off workers.”

Those who become involuntarily unemployed naturally feel the pressure to rush into the first available job they find, even if it is not a good fit, to make ends meet. Ideally, however, they should upgrade their skills and find a job that fits their aptitude and talent, he said.

“Therefore, we will do more to support this group of workers.”

Budget 2024: $4k SkillsFuture Credit top-up for mid-career workers, subsidies for another diploma

All S'poreans aged 40 and above will be given the top-up in May. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

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