MARUAH president Braema Mathi asks if government MPs serving on the boards of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) are not deriving political benefit from their associations ("What's the stand on politicians serving in NGOs and VWOs?"; last Saturday).
She further asks if the rules are the same for government MPs and for people associated with opposition politics - like Mr Nizam Ismail who recently resigned from the Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP).
The rules are indeed the same for all. The Government supports many NGOs and VWOs. Government MPs who serve with them, as well as everybody else, must be clear that their role is to help achieve the particular social, cultural or educational goals of these bodies, and not to exploit these bodies for their own political ends.
The Government has been supporting AMP since 1990. It will continue to do so, so long as AMP remains focused on uplifting the Malay community.
But government support for AMP - or any other NGO - must cease if it lets itself be misused to advance the political interests of any group or individual. That was why back in 2000, then Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong told AMP that he strongly opposed its proposal of a "collective leadership" comprising Malay leaders chosen exclusively by the community itself.
As Mr Goh noted, this proposal showed an "ambition" among some to push AMP into the political arena.
AMP leaders reconsidered the matter and dropped the proposal. Most among them realised the dangers of a community organisation morphing into an ethnic-based political entity and the risks of politics based on race and religion.
If any ethnic community were to organise itself politically, other communities would respond in kind. This would pull our different communities apart and destroy our racial harmony.
Mr Nizam has consistently used the AMP platform to promote himself. He has pushed for racial politics by trying to revive AMP's "collective leadership" proposal in the guise of a "community forum" led by AMP.
In strident postings on his personal blog and his Facebook group Suara Melayu Singapura (Voice of Malays, Singapore), he identifies himself as a key AMP figure.
Mr Nizam is entitled to pursue his political activities. But he should not use AMP as a platform and a cover to promote his race-based politics.
Ho Ka Wei
Director of Corporate Communications,
Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth
ST Forum, 29 Apr 2013
What's the stand on politicians serving in NGOs and VWOs?
I REFER to the statement by Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim to the effect that money given by the state to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) should not be used "for the purpose of creating a platform for people to be involved in partisan politics" ("AMP director quits, alleging official pressure"; Wednesday).
A number of People's Action Party (PAP) MPs currently serve as advisers or board members of VWOs and NGOs that are in receipt of state funds. While they may be serving in their personal capacities rather than in their capacity as MPs, their service would tend to generate visibility and political capital for these politicians and their political party, in this case, the PAP.
If politicians of only one party - the PAP - can serve in VWOs or NGOs that are positioned as non-partisan and accept state funds on that basis, while politicians of other parties cannot do so without the VWO or NGO being deemed partisan and ineligible for state funding for that reason alone, this is in effect politicising the VWO/NGO sector in favour of the ruling party.
Institutionalising such partisan double standards is deeply troubling and unhealthy for Singapore as a society.
We ask for a clear statement by the Government on the policy towards individual members of VWOs and NGOs engaging in (or being seen to engage in) party political activities in a separate capacity, be it with the ruling party or opposition parties. This is about equality and fair play.
Braema Mathi (Ms)
President
Maruah
ST Forum, 27 Apr 2013
AMP will resolve controversy, says chairman
He holds meeting to discuss allegations by director who resigned
By Maryam Mokhtar, The Sunday Times, 28 Apr 2013
Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP) chairman Azmoon Ahmad held a meeting on Friday night to discuss the allegations raised by lawyer and civil society activist Nizam Ismail, who left the group last Monday.
Mr Nizam, 46, had said that he resigned as a board director and chairman of the association's research arm because the Government had threatened to cut AMP's funding after taking issue with his comments online and his participation in two political events.
His comments were rebutted by Mr Azmoon and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim, who said that the Government did not interfere with the management of the association.
"It is not the aim of AMP to give the impression that we are arguing," said Mr Azmoon in an interview with Malay-language daily Berita Harian published yesterday. "The more we argue among ourselves, it will only give the impression to our community that we are not united.
"But the bigger issue is whether we can sit at the same table and, should differences arise, solve them in an amicable manner... instead of just attacking one another."
Berita Harian described Mr Azmoon as emotional and close to tears when discussing the issue. He had just returned from a work trip to China on Friday night, and gone straight to AMP for the meeting.
He was quoted as saying that the issue should have been resolved amicably. "You can pick up a phone and discuss it. 'Hey, I have a few concerns, are you aware of these concerns?' Why can't we sit down at a table and discuss it instead of attacking one another. To me, this controversy does not make sense or bring any good."
He added that the AMP will resolve to put an end to the issue "so that it will not cause a split or harm the Malay/Muslim community", and would give an update on the situation in a day or two.
He declined to comment when contacted yesterday by The Sunday Times.
The saga started after Mr Nizam asserted last week that the AMP leadership had informed him that two ministers had "expressed concern" over some critical views he had put forth online, and his participation in the two events.
He declined to name the two ministers but said the AMP presented him with two options: Tone down his civil society activities or dissociate himself from the association.
Mr Azmoon however said on Tuesday that Mr Nizam had decided to resign "to avoid further misperception" that he reflected AMP's official stand on political and civil society issues.
The two political events in question were the Population White Paper protest at Speakers' Corner in February when Mr Nizam was a speaker, and a forum on race issues organised by the Workers' Party Youth Wing last month when he was on the panel.
Mr Nizam, who was the chairman of AMP from 2009 to 2011 and the founding president of Young AMP, told The Sunday Times yesterday that it was "not my intention to put AMP in a bad light", and explained that he announced his departure only to clarify the circumstances surrounding his resignation.
A Facebook group called Nizam Ismail Fights for Malay Rights was set up on Thursday. Mr Nizam said that he was not involved in setting up or administering the page.
He graduated from the National University of Singapore's law school in 1991 on a Public Service Commission Local Merit Scholarship. He is a former deputy public prosecutor and a former deputy director at the Monetary Authority of Singapore.
Last September, he took issue with former minister of state Halimah Yacob's National Day Rally speech, saying it suggested that the reason the Malay-Muslim community has not succeeded "as much as we can is because we did not work hard".
AMP director quits, alleging official pressure
But minister and association chairman deny interference with its management
By Andrea Ong And Elgin Toh, The Straits Times, 24 Apr 2013
LAWYER and civil society activist Nizam Ismail, 46, resigned from the Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP) this week, a move he claimed was motivated by government intervention.
Mr Nizam - who stepped down on Monday as chairman of AMP's research arm and as an AMP board director - said he did so because the Government threatened to cut AMP's funding after taking issue with his comments online and his participation in two political events.
Both Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim and AMP chairman Azmoon Ahmad stressed, however, that the Government did not interfere with the management of the association.
In a statement yesterday, Mr Azmoon dismissed Mr Nizam's claims as "inaccurate".
"I would like to clarify that any suggestion that external parties whom AMP work with influence the decisions that I (as AMP chairman) or the AMP board make is inaccurate."
AMP is a movement which aims to uplift the Malay-Muslim community and "holds closely to our core principles of independence, non-partisanship and critical collaboration with all parties that share our mission in the community", he said.
He added that Mr Nizam decided to resign "to avoid further misperception" that he reflected AMP's official stand on political and civil society issues.
Asked by reporters last night on the sidelines of a dialogue organised by government feedback unit Reach, Dr Yaacob said: "AMP is an important partner. In our discussions with AMP, we have never touched on their internal organisation, how they are being managed."
He also noted that the association has "written in its Constitution that whoever is involved in AMP must be non-partisan and we assume therefore not involved in politics".
He said the Government was more concerned with the work they do as they receive public funds.
Dr Yaacob added: "Money which is given by the Government to Malay-Muslim organisations must be for the purpose of voluntary work that will help the community move forward. It is not for the purpose of creating a platform for people to be involved in partisan politics."
In February, Mr Nizam spoke at the Population White Paper protest at Speakers' Corner.
Last month, he was on the panel at a forum on race issues organised by the Workers' Party Youth Wing.
He stated that he spoke in his personal capacity at both events.
Yesterday, he told The Straits Times that AMP had informed him over the weekend that two ministers had "expressed concern" about some critical views he had put forth online and his participation in the two events.
He declined to name the ministers.
He said he was presented with two options. One, if he did not "tone down" his activities, the Government would withdraw funding from AMP. Two, dissociate himself from AMP if he wanted to continue with civil society activities.
A check of financial statements on AMP's website shows the association received a government matching grant of $1 million annually over the last five years.
Mr Nizam was chairman of AMP from 2009 to 2011 and founding president of its youth wing.
Mr Nizam also clarified that he is not a member of any political party and "the circumstances behind me leaving AMP have got nothing to do with any intention of joining any political party".