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Ministry of Culture, Community & Youth
Parliamentary Matters

Enrolment of Tamil-speaking students at madrasahs and initiatives to nurture them as future asatizah

Sectors

Community

27 March 2026

Response to parliamentary question on Tamil as Mother Tongue Language at Madrasah Irsyad Zuhri Al-Islamiah, efforts to encourage Tamil-speaking students to enrol at madrasah and plans to nurture them as future asatizah

1044. Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik: To ask the Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs (a) how many Primary 1 students enrolled at Madrasah Irsyad Zuhri Al-Islamiah in 2026 opted for Tamil as their Mother Tongue Language (MTL); (b) what outreach efforts are being taken by MUIS among Tamil-speaking Muslim parents to encourage madrasah enrolment; and (c) what other initiatives are in place to nurture local Tamil-speaking Tier 1 asatizah.

Response:

  1. Currently, six Primary 1 students take Tamil as their Mother Tongue Language at Madrasah Irsyad Zuhri Al-Islamiah.

  2. To help Muslim students from Tamil-speaking families prepare for madrasah admission, a Madrasah Preparatory Programme has been introduced at Abdul Gafoor Mosque. Led by Indian Muslim community leaders and supported by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS), this initiative is promoted to Tamil-speaking Muslim parents through the Indian Muslim mosques and Indian Muslim organisations.

  3. Beyond language capabilities, those who wish to pursue a career in the religious sector must possess deep religious knowledge, and be able to apply it to Singapore’s multi-racial and multi-religious context. All asatizah, including those who are Tamil-speaking, may tap on professional development initiatives offered by MUIS, including the Continuing Professional Education (CPE) programme.

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