關於 scoff it down ，我們在網路上蒐集到這些相關的討論、資訊與評價

【一支小雨傘】One Little Umbrella
(English writing below)

我人生中的狂風暴雨，都有他打著傘陪我走過。

以前還沒嫁時，三兩頭都會被媽媽打，都是他在凌晨時分睡眼矇矓地聽我在電話中哭訴。

以前我胃痛成疾，他買了很多巧克力、麥片、胃痛藥，放在一個小包，要我帶出國。

他到現在還是一樣天天打理我的飲食。有他在，我三餐固定。我少吃蝦，因為有一次被蝦殼割傷，後來他知道了，就為我剝。

以前我問他，會不會不喜歡我當空姐。他說，他等著和我結婚能有免費機票去利物浦看球。

後來，我問他會不會不喜歡我當風水師。他說不會，他覺得很有趣，而且結合佛法來渡眾生，這樣的工作很有意義。

我能夠無顧慮地站在大眾前，因為背後一直有他......幫忙做家務。 😄

我那支影片被放在男性論壇時，我第一個想到的人就是他。

我把論壇的嘰嘰歪歪截圖發給他。他還在工作，卻立馬就打電話給我。

他電話裡頭的第一句話：「你OK嗎？」

我問他會不會不喜歡我講這類的課題，而引來這些麻煩？

他說不會，因為我是在利生，沒有在做花枝招展的事情。他也知道，我和男客人之間從不搞曖昧。

我問他如果他家人看到了，不喜歡我如此拋頭露面，引來這些男人的批評，他會不會阻止我？

他說不會，他會告訴他們我做什麼，他都知道，他都同意，叫我不要怕。

結婚前，他說過不會阻止我做我喜歡的事情。

結婚後，他依然不變初衷。

到現在，如果我有心事，無論他工作多累，他依然會半夢半醒地聽我傾訴。

我一生好像都過得很另類，很反傳統，沒有像一般新加坡女生的生活格式。我常常也覺得自己好像是個怪胎，做著別人嗤之以鼻的事。

可他從頭到尾，從來沒有嫌棄我，沒有退縮過，處處包容我，體恤我。

我問他，與我結婚會辛苦嗎？

他說，不會，我沒有發脾氣時，一切都很美好，只是我好像長不大的猴子，但這也是這婚姻的樂趣。他說幸好我們沒有孩子，要不然家裡那麽多隻猴子，我一定就是那個猴頭老大，帶著小猴子們一起瘋癲，他就會是那個厭世的爸爸。

他叫我無需拿我們的婚姻和別人比。他就是因為我不一樣，才會娶我。

這樣的婚姻，我想應該可以走很久吧～

老公，結婚十四週年快樂。❤️

01.01.2006

—————————————

In the many thunderstorms of my life, he is always with by my side with an open umbrella.

Before we got married, whenever I was thrashed by my Mum, he would always be on the other end of the line, barely awake, listening to my sobs, at midnight hours.

I used to have bad gastric bouts, so he would pack lots of chocolates, instant oats, antacids into a small pouch and tell me to bring it overseas.

Till today, he is still taking charge of my meals. With him around, I have regular meals.

I do not like to peel prawns for once, my fingers got cut by a prawn shell. So all these years, he would peel for me voluntarily.

Once I asked him, if he minded me being an air stewardess. He replied, that he was looking forward to marrying me so that he would get a free air ticket to watch his Liverpool team play.

Later on, I asked him if he minded me being a Feng Shui practitioner. He said no. He thought that it was interesting and with me combining it with Dharma, it was a meaningful job to bring hope to people.

The reason why I can stand in front of everyone without any worry is because of him.... helping out with the chores at home 😁

When that Youtube video of mine: https://youtu.be/lPH26j2XQGw, became the subject of a “heated” discussion in some men's forums, the first person I thought of was him.

I sent him screenshots of the discussion thread. He was at work yet he called me immediately.

His first words were “Are you OK?”

I asked him if he disliked the subject I spoke about in the video and attracted these troubles?

He said he did not mind because I was benefiting others, and did not behave flirtatiously in the video. He also knew there was no hanky panky between my male clients and I.

I asked him if his family got to see this video and disliked these unwanted attention, would he stop me?

He said no, and that he would explain to his family that he was aware of what I did and gave his full blessings to my work. He asked me to have no fear.

Before marriage, he told me he would not stop me from pursuing my dreams. After marriage, his words still hold true.

Till now, when I am troubled, he would still make the effort to hear me out, despite being in a drowsy state.

My whole life has been unconventional, bordering on the eccentric, unlike the lifestyle of most Singaporean ladies. I often think I am an oddball, doing things that most people would scoff at.

Yet since the beginning till now, he did not once back down, but showered me with understanding and consideration.

I ask him if being married to me was tough for him.

He said no. When I’m not in a foul temper, things are beautiful. I am like a monkey who never grows up, but this is also the uniqueness of our marriage. He said he was glad that we didn't have children. Otherwise, with so many monkeys in the home, I would be that Monkey King doing crazy things with all the little monkeys and he would be that frantic papa trying to pull everything together for a sane household.

He told me there is no need for me to compare our marriage with others'. He married me because I was different.

Well, I guess this kind of marriage can probably go a long way.

Cubby, Happy 14th Anniversary!

01.01.2006

I thought the xenophobia I experienced as a child was just a number out of a pool of random experiences. Surely, I would grow up to be in better company than the strangers who told me I was about the same as shit, or that I would always be of the lowest classes of citizens compared to local-born Singaporeans. I was wrong.

The hating on foreign nationals on my feed has reached a point where I am beginning to feel sick. To realize that some of these people are ones that I had once worked with makes it all the more painful.

Here are a few of my thoughts on the various threads of conversations that have come up, from the other side.

1. “The government should have spent more money on people like Schooling”

Joseph’s story is a golden and idealistic one. It's really incredible, no doubt. But in hindsight, it is of course easy to say all of these after he has already achieved what he has. But it doesn’t always start and end like this. I know of local-born Singaporeans on scholarships overseas who never came back. If, for example, Joseph was indeed sent to the US on Singapore’s dime and a) didn’t win, b) never came back, or c) quit. I bet a lot of people would change their tune, and blame the government for wasting money on a Singaporean who wasn’t trained on Singapore soil, by Singaporean coaches.

2. “We should just cultivate locals”

This is casual and easy to say. But it’s not so simple. There is a lot of prejudice against kids who want to pursue a career in sports or the arts. I’m certain that even someone who lives under a rock knows that, for we have long talked about how talents like Stephanie, Kit and JJ only managed to become super hits because they did not stay in Singapore.

If you had children, chances are that most of you would hesitate to believe and invest in your child to go into such careers, because it’s risky, unproven and with little chance of returns. You want them to have a stable, happy life, a secure job, that’s only natural.

As someone who tried to pursue what I loved since young, I have been called uneducated because I deferred my studies to prepare for the Commonwealth Championships and Games. I have been called stupid by a teacher in front of class in art school, for leaving RGS to pursue art. Most people don’t realize how difficult it is to actually cultivate locals, when the whole society scoff and look down upon them and tell them how stupid they are to think about it. The government is not the only problem—the people hold the key.

So what the government probably thought was that if the locals didn’t want to do it because they saw no hope for their children in pursuing these fields, then maybe, if we had some medal winners, these parents might change their minds. That once we set a precedent, perhaps slowly, some of these parents would allow their children to pursue their dreams, now that that we have set up an environment for them to learn, train, and could possibly excel in.

Certainly, it may not have become the outcome, and the government might have had other choices and had not picked the best one, but faced with this type of dilemma, you should not be surprised at the path taken.

3. “I’m a purist, I will never be proud of someone born elsewhere”

I sure hope your grandparents and theirs don’t hear you saying this. It’s heartbreaking.

The greatest thing about Singapore is that we tell people that this is their home, that we accept everyone regardless of race, language or religion. When my American friends ask me about Singapore, I used to tell them proudly that we are a multi-racial and accepting country. I am saddened that I might have been wrong, that my experiences as a child were not merely flukes, and that the xenophobia and discrimination has only proliferated through social media. We all came from somewhere, we all benefited from the immigrants that our parents, grandparents and forefathers were. So let’s stay civilized and not use racist and discriminatory words like ‘purist’.

4. Foreign Talents

People do things for a multitude of reasons—a better quality of life, a better career; family, love, fame, money, passion, excellence, whatever it may be, there is not much to achieve by hating on someone who is just trying to do their best.

Don’t look down on Jiawei just because she said she hated table tennis. How many of you knew what you wanted to do as a kid, are still doing it, and continue to have passion? I can assure you that the conversion rate is not 100%.

I know plenty of people who hate their jobs but continue to do it for a long time. Those of you who know me may be surprised, but I am also one of them. We are human and we change. Sometimes we start on a path early in our days, get good at it, and want to strive for the best. But along the way, we get tired or jaded. 18 years is a long time to be doing one thing, over and over again.

Sometimes, we also get hurt by the people we encounter, and eventually this passion becomes something we loathe and loathe ourselves for because we can no longer tolerate it. To overcome that is strength, but not all of us are strong enough to remain unbroken. So if we wanted to do something else? I don’t think that’s so wrong.

I was on the national team for close to 6 years. My mother, too, supported me and paid out of pocket so that I could train with top coaches and teams overseas during school holidays. I broke a record at the Commonwealth Shooting Championships and just wanted to focus on getting better. I wanted to go to the Olympics one day, too. But when things went bad, I was told to figure it out myself when I asked the sports council for help. I eventually quit the team.

I suffered from traumatic stress and was suicidal even years after. So whether it’s due to a sense of duty or to just keep surviving by having a job, Jiawei’s 18 years of commitment to table tennis is no easy feat. I admire her for that.

Joseph Schooling and his family did a great thing for our country and I am bloody proud that he won. But that is the achievement of Schooling and his family. Not the society who would have judged his family for spending over a million dollars as stupidity, or him for pursuing something that seemed like an impossible dream as poor choice and irresponsible parenting. However, he did draw Singapore in the place-of-birth lottery, and it makes me wonder how different the narrative would have been had he not been born here.

As a child I kept quiet because I thought the insensitive and hurtful words were what I deserved, for being born where I was despite being raised in Singapore. As an adult, I know now that these comments are not right.

Before you pass judgement the next time, please remember that people don’t get to choose where they were born or what skin color they were born with. At the end of the day, we are all the same on the inside—flesh and blood and bones, and a heart that's only trying to find our places in the world.

[MRM Reply To FMT's Reader Comment]

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dear Mr. Ravinder Singh

I begin with the greetings of peace and Salam.

My name is Firdaus Wong and I am the person of whom you referred to in your article "Defying one's religious teachings to belittle another's".

First of all, as Muslims, we are taught in the Qur'an that, if we receive news from a person who errs, we should investigate and clarify it first, lest we may end up inadvertently harming others in our ignorance. (Refer to chapter 49:hujaraat, Verse 6). So it would have been a much more appropriate measure and a better conduct for us to have a decent conversation and clarified my point and Dr. Zakir Naik's, instead of posting a public article on Free Malaysia Today, immediately jumping to the erroneous conclusion and false accusation that I have defended an individual who defied his own religion.

In today's age of social media and email, we live in a world today that communication is easy and rather effortless, that it would have been much civilized and easier to contact me in person instead of releasing a such controversial and derogatory article.

Regardless, what's done is done, and moving forward, I write to you with the intent of correcting and clarifying the errors made in your writings; in full acknowledgement and respect that you write the article in sincere intent of clarifying the truth, and not a mere cheap attempt at riding on the bandwagon of Dr Zakir Naik's current popularity just to gain public attention and likes.

What you have said regarding the teachings of Islam, that there is no compulsion in religion, and that we should not belittle others, is exactly correct.

In the Quran chapter 2:Al-Baqarah Verse 256 Allah tells us "there is no compulsion in calling others to religion", and in chapter 49:Al-Hujaraat, chapter 11, Muslims are warned never to scoff and look down on others - "O you who believe! Let not a group scoff at another group, it may be that the latter are better than the former; nor let (some) women scoff at other women, it may be that the latter are better than the former, nor defame one another, nor insult one another by nicknames. How evil is it, to insult one's brother after having Faith [i.e. to call your Muslim brother (a faithful believer) as: "O sinner", or "O wicked", etc.]. And whosoever does not repent, then such are indeed those who have evil"

Having said that, Dr. Zakir Naik has never belittled or scorned other religions, and neither has he forced others to join the religion of islam. Your article itself has failed to provide any evidence to substantiate this claim.

In fact, if you have watched his videos, when people convert to islam in his public events, it is out of their own sincere willingness. Being a man of integrity, I am sure you have seen at least some of his videos on YouTube, and perhaps have some proof to substantiate your claims.

When Dr Zakir mentions that God does not have son, he quotes it directly from the Qur'an. So how can you say he defies the Qur'an by quoting directly from it?
Your own statement has defied and contradicted your own logic.
Unless, what you are actually trying to say is that, the Qur'an itself is taking negatively about other religions and that islam itself is a bad religion for preaching this negativity.

And where, in his quoting of these characteristics of God, does he speak of in a belittling, negative or derogatory manner of other religions?

What Dr. Zakir Naik does, as with the obligation of every Muslim, is simply promote the religion of Islam transparently as how God has Revealed in His Final, undistorted Revelation, the Holy Qur'an, and through the teachings of His Final Messenger, Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم. He does this in full respect of other religions, quoting from their own religious scriptures on what their true teachings are, not simply what their culture or tradition dictates. He never makes derogatory remarks on others, in the same way that, if we were to clarify our country's Laws to other countries which contradict what our country has legislated, we never did that with the intent of belittling or degrading their Law, simply stating our differences and an attempt to convince the other party that perhaps our point may be stronger and worthy of consideration to be implemented. But if you are not convinced and still feel your law is more worthy of implementation, and that you wish to remain in your ways, then by all means, I will not penalize or disrespect you - and hence what is meant by "there is no compulsion", and "to you, your religion, and to me mine".

But this does not negate our duty to propagate and promote the message of Islam.

As Muslims we propagate islam, because we are passionate about our religion and what we are convinced of as the Truth, because that gives us happiness and contentment in this life and a positive outlook on the life to come. And in knowing this beautiful way of life, it would be utterly selfish for us to reserve this message to ourselves, and hence we propagate the religion islam as we wish for others the same goodness that we have been blessed with, and that is why we are commanded by Allah not to be stingy of this faith :
"Invite mankind to the Way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better." (Chapter 16:An-Nahl, Verse 125)

Your claims that "Zakir seems to have come on a political mission to get PAS and Umno to form a coalition" is completely baseless, speculative and provocative. You have no right to judge his intent as political, and this statement seems to be an unprofessional attempt of character assassination to instigate undeserved hatred against Dr Zakir.

When Dr Zakir makes the claim that it is better for them to form a coalition, this is not with political intent, rather reiterating the beautiful unity and harmony God asks the Muslims to achieve, to be United and cooperate on the terms of faith and not the terms of flags, borders, political parties or organizations.
"And hold tightly, all of you together, to the Rope of Allah (i.e. this Quran, this religion), and be not divided among yourselves, and remember Allah's Favour on you, for you were enemies one to another but He joined your hearts together (through faith)" (Chapter 3:al imran, Verse 103)


A HOUSE NOT WELL KEPT?

Regarding your statement,
Shouldn’t the pious Muslim be more concerned over his brethren who are not following the teachings of the Quran and go on a jihad to bring them back to the right path instead of trying to get more people to convert to Islam?

Simple logic: If your house is not well kept, how are you going to make it well kept by bringing more “property” into it and strewing it all over the place?



Firstly it is quite apparent by your statement that you are not aware of the multitude Islamic initiatives and organizations currently in existence and in operation, both in the country and globally - all in the intent of continuously educating, correcting ourselves and helping each other towards righteousness. Thousands, millions of Muslims collaborate and benefit each other through these initiatives.

Having said that, This does not negate our obligation to propagate the religion and expand ourselves. Rather, both efforts come hand in hand.

Mr Ravinder, as an educated person I'm sure you know, an organization that does not expand itself, is doomed for failure. So should a company stop expanding just because it has a few troubled employees? Should a country stop scientific advancement and research because many of its citizens are lacking in scientific knowledge?

But the reality is, the Muslims, just like any other organization, no matter how excellent or perfect our self-improvement initiatives are, there will always be shortcomings in individuals, and it is the nature that God created us differently as a test to ourselves and to others.

"It does not matter if God has a son or not"

You speak of our religion as an outsider, without proof. On the contrary, referring to our Qur'an, it DOES matter; in the teachings of Islam, the trait of having a son is a sign of imperfection that is not befitting of the Majesty and Perfection of God.

"They say: God has begotten a son! Glory be to Him: He is the Self-sufficient: His is what is in the heavens and what is in the earth; you have no authority for this; do you say against Allah what you do not know? Say: Those who forge a lie against Allah shall never be successful." (Chapter 10:Yunus, Verse 68-69).


"Don’t ask others to partake of your religion by promising them the joys of heaven and threatening them with the fires of hell."

Well, Mr Ravinder, this is essentially the message of the Qur'an, not the personal whims of Dr Zakir Naik. Mr Ravinder, for the benefit of myself and the beloved Malaysian readers of FMT, please clarify : are you trying to tell Muslims to stop following the commandments of our own religion? Are you challenging the reference of the country's official religion? Are you hypocritically belittling the official religion of the soil which you live in?

"Nobody has gone to heaven or hell and come back to tell about these places. As such, all talk about heaven and hell is hearsay, and hearsay carries no weight."

Mr Ravinder, by your statement here you have demonstrated a lack of understanding in the purpose of revelation. What are books of revelation? Why do books of revelation exist?

Books of revelation are divine scriptures revealed from God Almighty to help give guidance to mankind; as the Creator, He Knows human beings more than they know themselves and hence Sends Revelation to guide mankind to the truth according to His Wisdom. Of all books of Revelation, the final and undistorted one is the Qur'an. Hence it is part of Muslim faith to take the Qur'an as undisputed truth from the Creator, affirmed by reason, rational thinking, and scientific research. And it is within this definite proof, that the existence of heaven and hell is substantiated and proven, by proof of testimony.

Hence the implications of your claim that these beliefs as "heresay" is in fact an attack on islam, that our beliefs are false and based on speculation without basis, which again as I mentioned earlier, is a blatant attack on the official national religion of our country.

I find it ironic that your article emphasizes on defiance and belittling of others, when your article actually implicated belittling Dr Zakir Naik, Muslims and the religion of Islam in general, and defies the customs of our national religion.

In conclusion, it is with these messages therefore, Mr Ravinder, that you should see that your article is false and only serves to stir controversy, provocation and an attack on Islam, and not just the individual person of Dr Zakir Naik. It is with this also I request this article to be deleted, and a public apology issued on behalf of your good self and another apology on behalf of FMT for releasing such provocative and derogatory articles.

When all is said and done however, I continue to respect you as a human being and humbly request we meet in person to discuss this as civilized men in seeking the truth.

Thank you for your time; and may God Guide us all the Truth and keep us steadfast and sincere on the Path of righteousness.