Something needs to be done beyond removing the sexually objectifying poll of female Asatizahs (religious teachers). The poll itself was a ranking of women in relation to a sex act too vile for me to reproduce here. More importantly, here are some suggestions for accountability: Creators of the group/poll must face the fullest extent of …
Look, persistently questioning Malay loyalty cannot lead to any good for any of us in Singapore. I sincerely hope policymakers and their supporters realise how increasingly indefensible the current approach is. From a purely pragmatic perspective too.For a while now we’ve seen the pull of transnational ethnic/religious identities competing with our national one; one which …
The folly of questioning Malay loyalty to Singapore Read More »
Evan was 16 and doing well in school when he decided that he wanted to die. Years of enduring slurs such as “pondan” and “bapok” (derogatory terms in Malay for transvestite) and his effeminate ways had left Evan (not his real name) despondent and he finally cracked. In March 2004, he told a friend it …
Acting on faith: LGBT Muslims and Christians in Singapore forming their own spaces Read More »
IT WAS a tough Ramadan month. First came the Manchester Arena bombing just days before the start of the fasting month on May 26. Children as young as 8 were among the dead. Then the truck bomb that killed 90 in Kabul three days into Ramadan. The day after, a car bomb ripped through an …
This is the final article on More Than Just, a closed-door series of three dinner conversations on race and racism in Singapore. Over 20 participants attended all three sessions and were chosen to reflect the diversity of Singapore. Names are withheld for confidentiality, to provide a safe, open space, for honest conversations. Read the first …