Chinese businessman, Malay leader join hands to publish book to support Muslim community's anti-terror effort
By
Goh Chin Lian
ONE question bugs businessman Wang Zi Min every time he thinks about terrorism: Why do some Muslims take up such a cause?
Equally puzzling to the 60-year-old, who used to teach Chinese, is the meaning of the oft-repeated term, jihad.
He found the answers eventually in a book published in English by a Muslim friend, Mr Abdul Halim Kader, 58, president of Malay-Muslim welfare group Taman Bacaan.
That discovery sparked an idea, as Mr Wang was convinced that many in the Chinese community would be like he was.
Mr Abdul Halim, meanwhile, wanted to reach out to the community with a Chinese version of the book, Fighting Terrorism: Preventing The Radicalisation Of Youth In A Secular And Globalised World.
Their joint efforts can now be seen in a 198-page book in Chinese, titled Fighting Terrorism: The Singapore Perspective.
The work of translating the book was led by Mr Wang, who not only volunteered to do it but also roped in his wife, Winnie, also 60, and five others from Singapore, Malaysia and China to help.
The translation of the collection of speeches of Singapore ministers and MPs, as well as articles by religious experts, researchers and journalists, took nine months.
Read the full story in Saturday's edition of The Straits Times.
