Nurturing a progressive community for the future

1. With your permission Madam Speaker, may I display some slides on the LED screens. I would also like to inform Members that I would be taking clarifications immediately after my reply.

Celebrating a nation

2. Madam, Singapore’s Golden Jubilee is an opportunity for us to celebrate and pay tribute to Singaporeans for their role in nation-building. Starting with the sheer determination of our pioneers, to the continued dynamism of the generations after them, we have made Singapore a nation of opportunity for all.

3. The Malay/Muslim community is part of Singapore’s success story. Over the years we have seen successful individuals in diverse areas such as the arts, sports, business, life sciences, creative media and social entrepreneurship. Each successive generation has continued to excel and do better. The percentage of our Primary 1 cohort admitted to post secondary institutions has increased from under 80% to about 90% in the last ten years, a good reflection of the hard work put in by parents and students, as well as the support provided by Government and the community. Recipients of the MENDAKI Awards, which celebrate excellence in both academic and non-academic disciplines, have increased steadily, with 683 receiving awards in 2014, up from 507 in 2012. With steady improvement in our educational qualification, it is no surprise that median income and proportion of PMETs in our community has also been on a steady rise.

4. The emerging talent base of our community reflects both the depth and potential of talent within our community. Our perseverance and ability to adapt to the needs and demands of a modern city state have put us to where we are today. Guided by these values, I am confident that we shall overcome whatever challenges come our way, and do even better in the years ahead.

Strengthening foundations, expanding opportunities

5. Madam, the foundation of our community’s progress is in education and it should continue to be our focus going forward. Many national schemes over the years have supported our students’ educational journey. These include MOE’s financial assistance schemes for students from low income families, enhanced bursaries for studies at Institutes of Higher Learning, and top-ups to Edusave and Post-Secondary Education accounts for learning opportunities beyond the classroom. I am happy that recent Budget 2015 announcements have further strengthened many of these schemes to benefit our students.

6. MENDAKI has been a key community partner in ensuring that our children receive the best educational support at all levels. I am happy to share that over 14,200 students benefitted from the Tertiary Tuition Fee Subsidy (TTFS) scheme in 2014, up from about 12,000 in 2013. This is largely due to two factors. First, we obtained the Government’s approval to revise the eligibility criteria in 2012: as a result, more students now qualify. Second, in the past two years, with the Government’s permission, we have extended TTFS to students pursuing studies at LASALLE College of the Arts, NAFA, Yale-NUS College, NTU Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine and SIM University. Any remaining funds are channelled to the Education Development Fund, for further education-based financial assistance and scholarships.

7. MENDAKI has recently completed a holistic review of its education initiatives. The findings by the MENDAKI Education Review Committee will guide MENDAKI’s multi-pronged efforts for the next few years, including enhancing tutor development and improving parent education programmes. Indeed, the Committee’s recommendations have inspired and will help shape some of the educational initiatives that I will be touching on next.

8. A/P Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim asked about MENDAKI’s flagship Tuition Scheme (MTS). Student participation in the Scheme has grown steadily, from under 6,500 students in 2005 to close to 10,000 students in 2014, spread across 50 centres islandwide. To ensure effectiveness, MENDAKI conducts regular reviews and feedback sessions, all of which have led to improvements in areas like student-teacher ratio, tutor training and student motivation. For instance, the latest review last year saw the student-teacher ratio reduced for students in Primary 6, Secondary 4 and 5, from 1:16 to 1:8, and even lower to 1:4 during their critical national examination periods. Following students’ feedback, MENDAKI also organised a “Study Skills” workshop for Secondary 3, 4 and 5 students, to share tips on effective study habits.

9. For the year ahead, MENDAKI will increase accessibility for its students, by expanding its MTS centres to 6 mosques¹. MENDAKI is also looking to pilot Mentoring@MTS for 150 lower secondary students at 4 centres, where they will be exposed to learning and character development activities. Other secondary school students will also stand to benefit, with more MENDAKI Homework Cafes for supervised homework sessions and peer tutoring. Started in 2013 with only two centres, there are now 15 “cafes” spread across the island.

10. Beyond the school setting, this year’s Budget highlighted life-long learning as a central theme to invest in our future – from pre-school all the way to working life. Dr Intan asked if there were more initiatives in the works to help parents in their children’s development, particularly their Primary 1 readiness. Currently, at the pre-school level, we already have successful programmes like Cahaya M for experiential learning, Maju Minda Matematika for strengthening numeracy skills, and Keluarga Baca Bersama for reading. Mendaki also collaborates with the National Library Board on its popular reading programmes like KidsREAD, and Jiggle and Rhyme.

11. This year, MENDAKI has a number of new initiatives to provide more help to parents. First, an “easy-to-read” toolkit for parents will be launched, containing tips – especially for first-time parents – on appropriate activities for their children at each key developmental stage. Second, MENDAKI will start Literacy@Home, a programme to provide parents with guidance on encouraging and improving literacy at home.

12. Dr Fatimah Lateef asked about our mosque kindergartens. We have 18 such kindergartens, with an enrolment of about 2,600 children. MUIS and the mosques continuously improve the quality of pre-school education through teacher training and utilising various national support schemes provided by ECDA. For example, some mosque kindergartens have tapped on the Pre-school Opportunity Fund, which supports programmes benefiting children from low-income families. This year, MUIS together with MENDAKI will also study on how to further strengthen our mosque kindergartens, so that our children will receive more support and resources.

13. Dr Fatimah also asked about training for working adults. SENSE, the training arm of MENDAKI, has empowered over 30,000 individuals in the last few years through its range of training, job matching and referral services. Given its reach to the community, SENSE will work closely with WDA to facilitate the community’s adoption of WDA’s upcoming Individual Learning Portfolio, which can help plan one’s training and learning needs. With greater support through the SkillsFuture initiative, I am confident we can better equip ourselves to compete in the dynamic economic environment. To guide us in this endeavour, Mendaki is designing some programmes to tap on the schemes under SkillsFuture. I urge the community to participate wholeheartedly when these opportunities are ready.

Strengthening marriages, supporting families

14. Madam, as we nurture our young for the future, we have also been strengthening the core of our community – our families. We have seen good progress – for instance, divorce rates and minor marriages have been on a steady decline.
    
    Marriage preparation and enrichment

15. Through the Cinta Abadi Marriage Preparation Programme, soon-to-wed couples are guided on how to build marriages for the long term, such as in developing a consultative and collaborative approach, and in managing conflict and differences. To ensure that it continues to meet the needs of couples, MSF will work with marriage educators to enhance the programme, including in course facilitation and delivery.

16. Support for marriages should not stop at the pre-marriage stage. I shared last year that MSF’s Inspirasi Hubs piloted a marriage enrichment programme for minor couples called “Keluarga GEMS” (Growing Every Marriage towards Success), to provide guidance and support to those who have been married for more than five years. With valuable feedback gathered from the pilot, we rolled out the programme proper in November 2014. Topics range from rejuvenating the marital relationship, to successful parenting. This year, MSF will develop a structured Cinta Abadi enrichment framework, targeted at Malay/Muslim couples in their first 10 years of marriage. PPIS Vista Sakinah will also be enhancing their step-parenting and marriage enrichment framework for remarriages. Our goal is for all couples to be better prepared as they go through various phases of their marriage, including being a parent.
    
    Child-centric approach

17. While we do our best to strengthen marriages and families, not all marriages last the distance. But many can be saved and we want to be there to help. In this regard, I am heartened that Syariah Court’s Marriage Counselling Programme (MCP) has been doing good work at facilitating reconciliation between couples.

18. The MCP is in fact over and beyond what Syariah Court is set out to do – to settle divorces amicably and deliver just outcomes. Yet it reflects the commitment of Syariah Court, like the rest of our Malay/Muslim organisations, to improve constantly to serve the needs of the community. Under this programme, Syariah Court has been working with 15 agencies such as Malay/Muslim organisations and Family Service Centres to provide counselling to over 27,000 couples since 2004. More than 40% of these decided to remain married. The central pillar of the MCP is its committed counsellors, who seek to provide a safe space for couples to discuss marital issues. One pioneering counsellor is Mdm Zaleha Ahmad. She started out as a marriage counsellor to minor couples in 1997, and later joined the MCP when it was launched in 2004. What keeps her high-spirited even after 18 years of counselling is to see couples reconcile and, more importantly, to protect the interests of their children.

19. Indeed, children were topmost on our minds last year when we announced plans to strengthen protections for children in the divorce process. This was because close to 65% of divorces each year involved couples with children aged 18 years and below. Starting this year, couples with children under 14 years are required to discuss, and subsequently submit, a post-divorce co-parenting and care arrangement plan. This requirement will be extended to couples with children up to 18 years from 2017 onwards. Going forward, Syariah Court will be collaborating with various agencies to provide more social support services and resources for couples. For example, starting April this year, PPIS As-Salaam Family Support Centre will be conducting briefings at Syariah Court to help parents understand the impact of divorce on their children, learn cooperative co-parenting skills, and inform them of the national resources available.
    
    Financial planning for families

20.  One crucial factor for strong, resilient families is prudent financial planning, as highlighted by Mr Zainudin Nordin. This is something that all families must pay careful attention to, because poor budget management can affect everyone in the family. Our marriage preparatory and enrichment courses do cover the importance of financial planning. MENDAKI’s Programme Bijak Belanja, introduced in 2008, has also helped close to 3,000 participants annually on budget management. On downstream measures, AMP’s Debt Advisory Centre has been active in providing advice for those in debt. We want to help families more, and we want to start early.

21. In this regard, MENDAKI will be working with our national financial education programme, MoneySENSE², on more upstream measures. This includes expanding Mendaki’s Financial Toolkit for Young Couples, to cover more comprehensively topics such as CPF Life and retirement planning, MediShield Life, housing loans and vigilance against scams. They will also provide Malay/Muslim organisations with relevant money management know-how and skills training, so that these organisations can, in turn, better guide their own clients.

Enhancing social assistance delivery

22. Madam, we remain committed to help those who are in need. We will strengthen our social safety nets to help the lower income and vulnerable groups. 

23. Our Malay/Muslim organisations are key partners in this endeavour. Many have been tirelessly serving the community for decades and continue to work together with us to ensure that no one gets left behind. Other than the Muslim organisations, our institutions have also grown in their capacity to serve the evolving needs of our community. We have MUIS, which started as a humble outfit of only 7 persons. Today, MUIS has grown to an organisation of over 150 persons, overseeing a range of matters from mosques and wakafs, to haj pilgrimage, halal certification services, religious education and financial assistance. You may also recall how Mendaki expanded its scope in 1989 to go beyond helping the community in education to include tackling socio-economic issues. SENSE was thus established to serve the community’s up-skilling and employment needs.

24. Madam, the Community Leaders Forum (CLF) was envisioned to rally partners to design and drive innovative programmes to help the community. Recognising the good work of our partners, we launched the $1.2 million Capability Development Fund in April 2014 to better support our Malay/Muslim organisations in strengthening governance, enhancing capabilities, and grooming talent. Mr Zainal Sapari asked for examples of the utilisation of this grant. Apart from the two Capability Building Seminars held for our Malay/Muslim organisations, five organisations participated in CLF’s Training Needs Analysis programme to identify areas of improvement. Some have also come forward with their own development plans. Let me cite two examples. One is PPIS’ Project Aura, a research project on issues affecting Muslim women. The aim of this study is to research and develop evidence-based support systems and frameworks to enhance the respective expertise of PPIS’ welfare counsellors. PPIS has engaged over 120 female participants from various sectors for their views. In another example, PERGAS is working with CLF to identify suitable leadership training courses to enhance their organisational capabilities, including in areas such as strategic planning and governance.

25. Malay/Muslim organisations have also been able to tap on the Malay/Muslim Community Development Fund, or MMCDF, to fund their community initiatives. In 2014, we disbursed $4 million for various projects, including AMP’s one-stop Debt Advisory Centre, Ain Society’s Serenity Family Care programme to help cancer patients, and the Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Protégé Kita mentorship programme for young Malay/Muslim entrepreneurs. I look forward to more Malay/Muslim organisations tapping on these funds so that the community can be better served.

26. Mr Zainal Sapari asked about zakat management. Madam, the culture of giving is what makes us strong, and what brings us together as a community. More have started donating electronically, through eNets, AXS, OCBC and CIMB direct credit, and soon they will also be able to give through DBS’ ATMs and iBanking. I am proud to share that zakat collection increased from almost $22.8 million in 2010 to about $32 million at the end of 2014. This healthy collection allowed MUIS not only to extend zakat support to more than 5,432 zakat recipients in 2014, but to also enhance the eligibility criteria. As such, from this year on, the community will be able to help 1,000 more recipients through zakat. As the trusted guardian of community funds, MUIS must be a responsible institution, and must cater for a reasonable reserve to buffer against shortfalls and unforeseen situations. If it does not do so, the needs and well-being of the community would be placed at risk, in particular in tough times when spare funds are in short supply all around.

27. Madam, our mosques are our partners in zakat disbursement, and it is through their efforts that we can offer assistance to the needy effectively. Last year, we saw the launch of Nadi Khidmat by MENDAKI, MUIS and six mosques, to bring social assistance to the community and to connect them to the wider eco-system of national programmes and agencies, like the Family Service Centres and Social Service Offices. We have received positive feedback from the community, as the centres helped streamline the referral process, and also made information on the various community and national assistance schemes more easily available.

28. I am happy to share with Mr Zainudin Nordin that the centres have been active in building their community networks and bringing on board more partners. For example, at Jamiyah Ar-Rabitah mosque in Delta, the officers work with Syariah Court to ensure that eligible families undergoing divorce proceedings continue to receive MENDAKI’s social assistance schemes. Meanwhile, at Al Mutaqqin mosque in Ang Mo Kio, MENDAKI worked with Toa Payoh East Citizens’ Consultative Committee and Mindchamps Singapore to nominate students for the Mrs Carmee Lim Scholarship, where recipients will be able to attend a range of enrichments programmes under MindChamps.

29. We will continue to enhance the effectiveness of these centres, with a view to expand the service to more locations if necessary. In the meantime, to better reflect the coordinating role of Mendaki, and in recognition of the “pioneer” centres in Pasir Ris and Woodlands, all Nadi Khidmat centres will henceforth adopt the “Mendaki@Heartlands” brand name.

30. It is worth noting that other agencies are also leveraging on the mosques to bring their programmes to the ground. This year, NTUC’s U Care Centre will pilot an initiative with Al-Mukminin mosque in Jurong East, to outreach to low wage workers in the neighbourhood on workfare, training schemes and their employment rights. I thank Mr Zainal Sapari for this.

31. Madam, our key institutions and partners have done well and we will continue to strengthen partnerships and enhance our service delivery to ensure that deserving individuals get the help they need.

Nurturing a progressive Muslim community

Mosque building and upgrading

32. Next, Madam, let me touch on our efforts to nurture a progressive Muslim community. Our mosques are a central focal point in our community’s religious life. We are committed to ensure that our mosques provide a safe and nurturing space conducive to worship and religious education.

33. Mr Hawazi requested an update on the progress of our mosque-building. With the strong support of the community, especially with the inception of the Mosque Building Fund in 1975, MUIS has built 23 new generation mosques and upgraded 39. In just the past six years, 9 mosques were upgraded. 5 more are in line later this year³. With just the MBF alone, we would have added 87,300 prayer spaces by the end of this year.

34. I am glad our plans are on track. Al-Islah mosque in Punggol will be opened in time for residents to celebrate Ramadan and Hari Raya this year. In recent months, we witnessed the ground breaking ceremonies of Maarof mosque in Jurong West and of course Yusof Ishak mosque in Woodlands as mentioned by Mr Hawazi. I applaud the mosque building committees of Maarof mosque and Yusof Ishak mosque for raising approximately $2 million each, and commend the community for their strong support in a very short time. These three mosques will add close to 13,000 prayer spaces nationwide when completed.

35. We recognise that some mosques still face overcrowding issues on Fridays. To meet strong localised demand in the East, more prayer spaces will be made available from 2015 and beyond. The Al-Ansar mosque in Bedok is due to be re-opened in April, with a capacity of 4,500 spaces – 1,000 more from the original mosque. We can also look forward to the major upgrading of Darul Ghufran mosque in Tampines in 2016, with 1,000 more prayer spaces and expanded Islamic learning facilities. For the Al-Istighfar mosque in Pasir Ris, we will work with our agencies to firm out technical details and intensify what available space we have. More will be shared in due course. Meanwhile, with Tampines North being built up as a major residential town, I am pleased to announce that we will also be building a new mosque there. This mosque will be able to serve new residents in Tampines North and neighbouring Pasir Ris, as well as industrial estates in both areas. The timing for the mosque’s development will be planned to meet both the growth in resident population there and prayer spaces in the area.
    
    Islamic education

36. Madam, as we enhance the “hardware” or the physical infrastructures of our mosques, we also need to ensure that the “software” of our religious life is strengthened.

37. Dr Intan asked for an update and future plans for the madrasahs. We have come a long way since 2007 when we first mooted the idea of a single madrasah system for all 6 madrasahs to consolidate resources, offer an integrated curriculum, and provide educational pathways for our madrasah students. MUIS’ commitment to support our madrasahs has been unwavering – for example, MUIS disbursed $194,000 to the 6 madrasahs from Wakaf Ilmu in 2014, and provided $2.3 million in grants to needy madrasah students through PROMAS between 2010 and 2014. MUIS also supports the madrasahs so that its students can benefit from the Edusave disbursements. The Minister for Education had recently announced that MOE will waive fees for national examinations for Singapore Citizen students in Government-funded schools starting this year, and that the specific respective agencies will consider the treatment for other schools, where necessary. Hence, I would like to share that MCCY will assist MUIS so that madrasah students will also not need to pay these fees.

38. Currently three madrasahs – Irsyad, Aljunied, Arabiah – have come together under a single system. 2015 is a key milestone for these 3 madrasahs, as the first batch of students who have undergone 6 years of primary education under this system have been posted to Madrasah Aljunied and Madrasah Al-Arabiah following the release of the PSLE results last year. One such student is Sukainah Bte Sulaiman, who scored an aggregate score of 264 for her PSLE and scored straight A*s for the Islamic Studies Placement Examination. Despite being eligible for top national schools, she has chosen to pursue her studies in Madrasah Aljunied. Sukainah is keen to deepen her knowledge in Islamic studies, as she hopes to contribute to the intellectual and spiritual development of the community in the future. This is a good example of how our consolidated madrasah system nurtures our young and enables them to pursue areas where they have a strong interest.

39. Apart from full-time madrasah education, MUIS has also been working hard to strengthen part-time Islamic education. The aLIVE programme, targeted at children aged 7 to 16 years old, has grown from an enrolment of 1,800 students in 2005 to over 16,000 in 2014. Plans are in place to cater for a 12% increase in enrolment spaces within the next year. MUIS has been regularly reviewing the aLIVE format and curriculum to make it more attractive and relevant. The latest update to the programme will be rolled out in the first half of this year. In addition, MUIS disbursed about $1 million under its Islamic Education Fund to help 2,800 students from low income families attend religious classes in 2014.

40. In light of increasing demand for Adult Islamic Learning classes, or ADIL, MUIS has increased the number of participating mosques to 13.  MUIS has also expanded ADIL’s programmes, with three new intermediate modules, and 8 more later this year. As of November 2014, I am happy to note that about 2,300 participants have signed up for ADIL classes. Madam, the Office of the Mufti is committed to developing more modules that help put current issues into perspective, while at the same time shedding light on common misperceptions or misinterpretations of Islam.
    

A gracious community of excellence

41. Madam, as we reflect upon our efforts in nation building over the past 50 years, we recognise that the world and society we live in is becoming more complex and diverse. How we deal with differences will determine the resilience of the community and the social fabric of our nation.

42. I agree with Mr Zaqy that our young play a very important role in this regard. I am therefore very heartened to see many of our young stepping forward, and spreading the ethos of Rahmatan Lil Alamin, or blessings to all, through acts of kindness and graciousness.

43. We hear the story of Mr Mokhsin Rashid and Mr Khairu Rejal, who with their Majulah Community rallied several organisations and individuals to collect food items and basic medical supplies for flood victims in the East Coast of Malaysia. Together, they delivered 16 tonnes of food relief to flood victims, and helped with the post-disaster clean-up, including the setting up of relief shelters as well as energy and clean water supplies.

44. Another example is Mr Mohamad Saiful Mohamad Anuar. Starting out as a docent in Harmony Centre, he recently organised Singapore’s first interfaith youth leadership training called “Ignite Faiths”. Ignite Faiths provides a platform to connect young community activists and faith-based leaders, as well as to encourage them to organise their own interfaith projects with funding and mentoring support. Saiful hopes that his efforts could become a springboard for greater interfaith engagement and interaction, and in so doing build our social cohesion.

45. Such ground-up social movements to galvanise the community towards worthwhile causes show the desire of our young to serve and to help, regardless of race or religion. This energy and passion among our youths gives me confidence in our community’s future.

46. The SG50Kita Committee has also been hard at work in planning for the SG50 celebrations, with the theme of Caring, Sharing and Giving. The Committee seeks to strengthen the spirit of togetherness in our society, and to be of service to all. This weekend, the Committee will be holding the first SG50Kita X workshop. Over the next few months, about 150 youths from all races will take part in a series of futures envisioning, with the aim of developing programmes with long-term impact. Another key SG50KITA initiative is the Service to the Nation Week in the month of Ramadan in June, to help and spread goodwill among all Singaporeans. Later in August, the Committee together with community organisations will also host a National Day Observance Ceremony for Singaporeans from all races and faiths to join in the festivities. So one National Day observance by the community. We can look forward to a good time amidst a carnival atmosphere with good food and fun-filled kampong games.

47. Madam, as a community, our aspirations, hopes and dreams are no different from all our fellow Singaporeans. We must take pride in what we have achieved in the past 50 years. Singapore is where we belong. Singapore is where we have our roots and where we call home. Singapore is where our future will be. Let us continue to work with our fellow Singaporeans to forge a greater future together. Allow me to conclude my speech in Malay.

48. Dalam ucapan Bahasa Inggeris sebentar tadi, saya telah membentangkan pelbagai inisiatif yang membentuk strategi institusi kita untuk terus mempertingkatkan sokongan kepada masyarakat Melayu/Islam seiring dengan keperluan semasa dan jangka panjang kita.

49. Dalam bidang pendidikan, MENDAKI, akan memainkan peranan lebih besar untuk memberi sokongan padu dan menyediakan peluang-peluang  pendidikan di semua peringkat usia. Ini termasuklah kanak-kanak pra sekolah hinggalah kepada peluang peningkatan untuk para pekerja khususnya melalui inisiatif SkillsFuture.

50. Kita juga menambah usaha untuk memperkukuh institusi keluarga Melayu/Islam. Kementerian Pembangunan Sosial dan Keluarga (MSF), misalnya, akan melipatgandakan program sokongan bagi pasangan-pasangan termasuk mereka yang berada dalam fasa 10 tahun pertama perkahwinan.

51. Dalam usaha kita membentuk sebuah masyarakat Melayu/Islam yang progresif dan berbudi luhur, MUIS pula sedang giat meneruskan perlaksanaan pelan pembangunan masjid-masjid baru dan program peningkatan masjid-masjid lama. Baru-baru ini, kita telah menyaksikan majlis pembetonan Masjid Maarof dan Masjid Yusof Ishak. Tidak lama lagi, Masjid Al-Islah di Punggol dan Masjid Al-Ansar di Bedok akan siap terbina. Tahun depan pula, kerja-kerja pembangunan semula Masjid Darul Ghufran bakal dimulakan. Ini bermakna ruang solat dan pendidikan Islam akan bertambah. Dan untuk menampung keperluan jemaah yang semakin meningkat di kawasan timur, dengan gembira saya mengumumkan bahawa sebuah masjid baru bakal dibina di estet perumahan baru, Tampines North.

52. Masjid , institusi seperti Muis, Mendaki, Mahkamah Syariah dan Pejabat Pernikahan Orang-Orang Islam serta badan-badan  Melayu/Islam  telah  memainkan peranan yang penting untuk mempersiapkan masyarakat kita berhadapan dengan cabaran-cabaran baru. Usaha-usaha ini saling melengkapi program-program nasional yang menawarkan pelbagai peluang untuk mengasah bakat dan potensi semua rakyat Singapura termasuk para pelajar madrasah kita.

53. Baru-baru ini, Kementerian Pendidikan telah mengumumkan bahawa para pelajar warga Singapura di sekolah pemerintah tidak lagi perlu membayar yuran peperiksaaan di peringkat nasional. Saya gembira untuk mengumumkan bahawa Kementerian Kebudayaan, Masyarakat dan Belia (MCCY) bersedia untuk membantu MUIS supaya para pelajar madrasah kita juga tidak perlu membayar yuran-yuran tersebut.

54. Puan Speaker, seruan agar MUIS mengagihkan atau membelanjakan semua wang zakat setiap tahun bukan satu langkah yang wajar untuk masyarakat. MUIS bertanggungjawab untuk memastikan keperluan setiap asnaf zakat dipenuhi pada masa kini serta di masa hadapan. Kita perlu bersedia untuk menghadapi pelbagai kemungkinan dan tidak wajar melaksanakan perancangan berdasarkan konsep kais pagi makan pagi. Wang zakat boleh diketepikan untuk kegunaan masa hadapan asnaf zakat dengan mengambil kira keperluan pembangunan agama dan masyarakat, sebagaimana dipersetujui oleh ulama ulama tersohor dunia Islam. Prinsip ini juga digunapakai oleh beberapa ulama tempatan yang menganggotai Jawatankuasa Zakat dan Fitrah untuk membantu MUIS melaksanakan pengurusan zakat dengan sebaik mungkin.

55. Puan Speaker, sepanjang 5 dekad yang lalu, masyarakat kita telah mengalami dan menyaksikan pelbagai peningkatan dan kemajuan mantap yang dicapai dalam banyak bidang. Pencapaian tersebut kini, masih berterusan. Perkembangan positif masyarakat Melayu/Islam yang baru saya kongsi sebentar tadi, memberi kita keyakinan bahawa ternyata para perintis Melayu/Islam telah membuat pilihan yang tepat untuk kekal di Singapura, 50 tahun lalu. Ia suatu batu asas yang kukuh bersandarkan prinsip, “Di mana bumi dipijak, di situ langit dijunjung”.

56. Kemajuan kita hari ini adalah berkat semangat taat dan cinta kepada negara serta semangat juang yang tebal dalam kalangan keluarga Melayu/Islam. Kita beruntung kerana golongan perintis kita, bekerja keras bersama rakyat Singapura lain dan Pemerintah. Mereka tidak mudah tergugat dengan janji-janji manis atau bisikan yang cuba menakut-nakutkan mereka tentang masa depan Singapura.

57. Walaupun kita sebuah masyarakat minoriti, kita menyokong kuat aspirasi negara. Kita menyesuaikan diri apabila Singapura menjalani proses pembandaran. Kita juga memperkukuh institusi agama kita agar selari dengan perkembangan dunia moden. Kita menggunakan Bahasa Inggeris sebagai bahasa perhubungan di samping melestarikan keindahan bahasa ibunda kita, Bahasa Melayu. Kita merangsang pencapaian anak-anak kita dalam pendidikan dengan menggembleng sumber masyarakat. Natijahnya, mutu kehidupan masyarakat kita berjaya dipertingkatkan. Kita yakin dengan kepimpinan Pemerintah yang komited untuk membangunkan potensi setiap rakyat biar apapun bakat dan minat mereka. Bak kata pepatah:
    
    Muafakat membawa berkat
    Telagah membawa mudharat
    Susah sama diharungi
    Senang sama dinikmati
    

58. Dalam kita meraikan ulangtahun ke 50 pembentukan bangsa Singapura, dan mensyukuri bakti golongan perintis, penting untuk masyarakat kita khususnya golongan muda agar tidak lupa akan nilai-nilai dan laluan yang kita ambil sebelum mengecap kejayaan.

59. Seperti ibu bapa kita, kita mesti cekal dan tidak mudah terpengaruh dengan laungan-laungan yang kononnya masa depan kita suram. Ini dilakukan  mereka yang hanya ingin memporak-perandakan serta memperkecilkan kemajuan bangsa kita, di bawah Pemerintah yang sedia ada. Jika ini pilihan kita, maka hancurlah masa depan kita dan anak-anak kita.

60. Hakikatnya, pilihan yang dibuat golongan perintis kita 50 tahun lalu, telah terbukti membawa kesyukuran dan kehidupan yang membanggakan hari ini. Oleh itu, ayuh kita kekal di landasan ini. Ayuh kita terus berusaha gigih untuk merebut peluang-peluang baru yang disediakan Pemerintah. Ayuh, kita terus bekerja rapat dengan masyarakat lain demi negara yang kita cintai ini dan demi membina masa depan yang kita idam-idamkan buat diri kita, keluarga kita, masyarakat kita serta rakyat Singapura keseluruhannya. Sesuai dengan keyakinan kita bahawa:
    
    Jati diri itu budaya
    Keluarga itu harta
    Masyarakat itu warisan
    Negara itu penakatan
    

61. Sekian, Terima Kasih.

¹ The six mosques are Muhajirin (Toa Payoh), Al-Iman (Bukit Panjang), Al-Mutaqqin (Ang Mo Kio), An-Nahdhah (Bishan), Al-Ansar (Bedok) and Al-Mawaddah (Sengkang).

² MoneySENSE is spearheaded by the Financial Education Steering Committee, which is chaired by MAS. The FESC comprises representatives from several public sector agencies and government ministries, including MOE, MOH, MOM, MSF, CPF, NLB and PA.

³ The five mosques undergoing upgrading this year are En-Naeem (Hougang), Sultan (Rochor/Bugis), Sallim Mattar (Aljunied), Al-Khair (Choa Chu Kang) and Al-Falah (Orchard).