MALAYSIA: Singapore Top Officials Say Sorry to Malaysia After Nationwide Uproar over Stand-Up Performer’s Crack; Envoy Says She’s No Longer Singaporean

Posted by Asia Views | Jun 8, 2023 | 0 |

MalayMail-June 8

Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan took to Twitter early this morning condemning Singapore-born stand-up performer Jocelyn Chia over her insensitive and expletive-laden remarks about Malaysia. “I am appalled by her horrendous statements. She certainly does not speak for Singaporeans.

“We treasure our ties with family and friends in Malaysia, and are sorry for the offence and hurt caused to all Malaysians,” he tweeted in reply to an earlier post from Muar MP Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman. Chia has become an overnight sensation on social media for her disparaging cracks against Malaysia in a stand-up comedy skit on the Comedy Cellar, a US-based show that was aired on the internet. In particular, her remarks about the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 that disappeared on March 8, 2014 en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with all 239 people on board presumed dead sparked a nationwide backlash here.

Singapore High Commissioner to Malaysia Vanu Gopala Menon also denounced Chia and apologised to all Malaysians in a separate statement, adding that the New York-based performer is no longer a Singaporean. “The Singapore Government does not condone words or actions that cause harm or hurt to others and Chia, who is no longer Singaporean, does not in any way reflect our views. I sincerely apologise to all Malaysians for her hurtful remarks,” he said in a statement on the Singapore High Commission’s Facebook page. Many Malaysians, including high-profile individuals like popular comedian Harith Iskandar and radio personality Kudsia Kahar, have taken to social media to denounce Chia’s act. “I respect the freedom of expression that we comedians require to do our job. But it is equally important to exercise some level of sensitivity and empathy when doing certain material, especially topics that are deeply personal or tragic.” Read more at: https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/06/08/singapore-top-officials-say-sorry-to-malaysia-after-nationwide-uproar-over-stand-up-performers-crack-envoy-says-shes-no-longer-singaporean-video/73178

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EXTRICATING NDONESIAN CHILDREN FROM ISIS INFLUENCE ABROAD

Indonesia urgently needs to revisit the possibility of repatriating the neediest of its young citizens stranded abroad, whose families had earlier joined ISIS. Most of these children are in camps in northern Syria but there are also small numbers in the Philippines, Afghanistan and Iraq. “Extricating Indonesian Children from ISIS Influence Abroad”, the latest report from the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) argues that the government could begin by bringing back small groups of unaccompanied children under ten years of age, who pose minimal security risk and are most vulnerable to deteriorating conditions in the camps.“The problem is that health and security conditions are worsening by the day in the Syrian camps, and the children are growing older,” says Dyah Kartika, IPAC analyst. “They need access to schools, a nurturing environment, and medical attention. If the government waits too long, the children will be further exposed to ISIS ideology.” The new report examines a 2019 list of Indonesians in camps and prisons run by the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The Indonesian government has been trying to verify their citizenship, but with pseudonyms, misspellings and bad transliterations, it is a daunting task. At the time the data was collected, between March and June 2019, there were 555 Indonesians in SDF camps and prisons, including 367 children. Among the children, approximately 277 were under the age of ten and 34 were unaccompanied. In June 2021, there are fewer than ten children who are both unaccompanied and under the age of ten that could be prioritized for return. Bringing back children of ISIS families is no easy task. The report analyses the main challenges faced by the Indonesian government. These include definitional issues, bureaucratic competition, the difficulty of verifying nationality, evaluating the toll of exposure to conflict, assessing security risk, and finding relatives or others willing to provide care once the children are returned. In addition, COVID has meant stringent restrictions on travel, placing further obstacles in the way of repatriation. There are several models for rehabilitation of children exposed to violent extremism in Indonesia that could be modified to accommodate the needs of children repatriated from abroad. The report examines these models and argues that the government does not need to have every detail of rehabilitation programs in place before it starts extricating children from ISIS influence. It can start by bringing back the most vulnerable children and then modify programs as needed.

“It’s important that the government see these children as victims” says Dyah. “They deserve a chance to be children again.”

MALAYSIA: Singapore Top Officials Say Sorry to Malaysia After Nationwide Uproar over Stand-Up Performer’s Crack; Envoy Says She’s No Longer Singaporean

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