Sustaining our religious sector

Speech by Dr Maliki Osman, Senior Minister of State for Ministry of Defence & Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the Supplementary Budget Debate 2020

Introduction

1. Mr Speaker, thank you for allowing me to join in the debate. COVID-19 is an unprecedented challenge that we face in this generation. Within the short span of three months, many societies worldwide – in Europe, America, the Middle East and closer to home in Southeast Asia – are seeing widespread transmissions, overwhelmed healthcare systems, soaring death rates, and economic recession. Today, we are debating the Resilience Budget, a $48 billion supplementary budget just a month after the Unity Budget 2020 was announced. And we just heard DPM and Minister for Finance introduce the third budget, the Solidarity Budget of $5.1 billion. We all know the gravity of the situation – only the second time that we are dipping into our past reserves since independence.
2. While we had experience with SARS 17 years ago, the world today is a much different place. We are even more connected to the world than ever before. We have seen how the virus can spread like wildfire all over the world. We must do everything that we can to fight this virus on all fronts.  Lives are at stake. Those who succumb to the virus could be a parent, sibling, a friend, a neighbour. When we heard of community transmission in more countries and through large-scale religious gatherings, we took swift and decisive measures. Singapore suspended all religious services regardless of faith – as part of a comprehensive set of safe distancing measures – in order to reduce the risk of spreading the virus. It is a huge sacrifice for all religious communities here. But we all knew it had to be done.
3. The fight against COVID-19, and coping with its socio-economic impact, requires the support of everyone. Our Malay/Muslim community has a key role to play in this national effort. We have formed the SGTeguhBersatu (SG Resilient in Unity) Taskforce, comprising representatives from the M3 agencies, Malay/Muslim organisations, NTUC as well as Government agencies. By galvanising the strengths of these organisations, we will create new and stronger partnerships to provide better support for the community in areas such as employment and upskilling, families and students, and the religious sector. We will also strengthen the resilience of the community.
4. Thus, I would like to speak on what we can do together, as a community. This can be summed up in three “P”s: firstly, preserving our religious life; secondly, having a progressive religious leadership; and thirdly, persevering together.
   
   

   Preserving our religious life

5. First, preserving our religious life. COVID-19 has disrupted our daily lives as well as our religious lives. As Muslims, many of our social norms are highly interpersonal – we offer our hands in greeting, we pray together at mosques, – in fact, we believe that our merit is multiplied when we congregate to pray in a mosque. We meet regularly in homes for religious gathering like kenduri or doa selamat to offer prayers to family members who have passed on and strengthen our family bonds as we gather. All these, we were told, is part of our faith and our culture. It is therefore difficult to forgo such norms, but we understand and accept that safe distancing measures and the suspension of religious services are critical in the fight against COVID-19.
6. Changing our norms to protect ourselves and those around us does not make us any less of a Muslim or diminish our cultural identity. Not being able to perform Friday prayers during our COVID-19 battle, does not mean losing our faith or religious way of life. As the Mufti said, “[the Muslim community] doing their bit to keep everyone safe is, in and of itself, one of the noblest things we can do as Muslims” and also that “our togetherness and sense of community must remain strong in our hearts even as we have to keep physically apart”.
7. I am heartened to see that the community, asatizah, and mosque leaders have rallied behind the religious leadership on the very difficult decision to close our mosques. I also see people practising what has now been termed affectionately as “Salam Mufti”, as an alternative to shaking hands with one another. These actions are important as they reduce the risk of community spread.
8. I am sure that many people are anxious to know when our mosques will re-open. Certainly, mosques hold a special place in the hearts of the Muslim community. While we cannot be sure how soon the COVID-19 situation will improve, we must do the necessary to curb COVID-19 infections in Singapore. This is to protect not just ourselves, but also our loved ones, especially our seniors who are the most vulnerable.  It is the morally responsible and right thing to do.
9. To preserve our religious life, Muis is working with mosques to make more religious programmes available online through Muslim.sg, as well over the radio. In fact, religious programmes over Warna 94.2FM, which were originally scheduled for Ramadan, have been brought forward, for the benefit of seniors in the community who might not be as internet savvy.
10. I commend our asatizah for stepping up to this new mode of religious guidance; many of them had to acquire entirely new digital skills to do this. Now, more than 50 mosques have put up content online, releasing over 130 videos online since they were closed on 23 March. I hope younger family members can also assist and ensure that these online religious contents reach our older generation. I also hope that the community benefits from the daytime infotainment programmes in the Malay media, that help to reiterate how we can all help to stay safe and curb the spread of COVID-19.
    
    

    Progressive religious leadership that unites and guides the community

11. Mr Speaker, the second P is for us to have a progressive religious leadership that united and guides the community. Our Fatwa Committee, chaired by Mufti, has paved the way for how we can and must continue to adapt in the practice of our religion to the context and challenges that we face. We are indeed fortunate to have religious and community leaders who are open and progressive, and can provide clear guidance to help the community address immediate challenges, and can rally and unite the community in times of crisis.
12. A progressive religious leadership is also one that is able to grapple with increasingly complex issues. For instance, our asatizah are also working with medical professionals to develop religiously and medically-sound advice for our community. Last month, we formed the Malay/Muslim COVID-19 Working Group comprising asatizah and medical professionals, co-chaired by Minister Masagos and SMS Janil Puthucheary. The Working Group members have helped to communicate the scientific and religious reasons for the precautionary measures we need to take in our mosques and our social interactions, such as at weddings, and how we can all protect ourselves. For example, Dr Norhisham Main of Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, appeared alongside Mufti in an online talk show, to explain the closing of mosques from the medical perspective. The Working Group is also actively discussing plans for Ramadan, and how Ramadan can continue to be spiritually engaging for the community while we continue to observe safe distancing measures. Muis will share more of these plans in due course. This collaboration between our asatizah and medical professionals provides more holistic guidance for our community.
13. Mr Speaker, in Malay please. COVID-19 telah mengganggu kehidupan seharian, serta kehidupan beragama kita. Kita akur bahawa perubahan perlu dilakukan. Namun, merubah norma-norma sosial untuk melindungi diri kita dan orang sekeliling kita tidak merendahkan keislaman kita, mahupun mengurangkan identiti kebudayaan kita.  Sama juga, apabila kita tidak mampu melaksanakan Solat Jumaat semasa menempuhi COVID-19, tidak bermakna kita kehilangan iman mahupun cara hidup beragama kita. Seperti yang telah dinyatakan Mufti, “[masyarakat Islam] memainkan peranan untuk memastikan semua orang selamat, adalah antara perkara termulia yang boleh kita lakukan sebagai orang Islam”. Beliau turut menyatakan bahawa “semangat kekitaan dan kemasyarakatan kita mesti kekal teguh di hati kita, walaupun kita perlu berjauhan.”
14. Tuan Speaker, semasa Perbahasan Jawatankuasa Perbekalan bulan lalu, saya telah mengumumkan usaha Jawatankuasa Asatizah Masa Depan atau COFA, dan betapa pentingnya mempunyai asatizah di kalangan kita yang boleh memimpin dan membimbing masyarakat kita menghadapi cabaran sosio-agama yang baru dan semakin rumit. Ini termasuk menangani cabaran genting COVID-19 yang kita hadapi hari ini. Pendekatan progresif yang digunakan para asatizah sejauh ini telah membantu kita meneliti tradisi agama secara kritikal dan menerapkannya dalam keadaan kehidupan hari ini. Oleh kerana itulah kita cepat membuat keputusan, sementara negara lain masih mempertimbangkan cara untuk menangani krisis ini. Memandangkan krisis ini belum tentu kesudahannya, saya menggesa semua asatizah supaya berganding bahu dalam usaha berterusan untuk memperkukuhkan daya tahan dan keyakinan masyarakat kita, dalam mengharungi cabaran yang mendatang. Untuk menerajui usaha ini, Muis, PPIS, PERGAS, dan Persatuan Karyawan Penjagaan Kesihatan Islam, atau MHPA, akan bekerjasama di bawah naungan Pasukan Bertindak SGTeguhBersatu, untuk menghasilkan program-program bagi memperkukuh daya tahan dan kesejahteraan mental masyarakat kita. Ini akan membantu masyarakat mengatasi waktu-waktu mencabar ini. Maklumat lanjut akan diumumkan oleh Pasukan Bertindak nanti.
    
    

    Persevering together (Tabah Bersama)

15. Tuan Speaker, P ketiga ialah Persevering Together, ataupun Tabah Bersama. Kita akur mengatasi COVID-19 akan mengambil masa. Tetapi sebagai sebuah masyarakat, kita mesti bersiap sedia untuk membuat penyesuaian jangka panjang kepada semua aspek kehidupan, termasuk kehidupan beragama kita. Kita mesti tabah, supaya kita bertambah teguh selepas krisis ini. Sumber pendapatan rakyat Singapura telah terjejas.
16. Bagi menyokong asatizah semasa kelembapan ekonomi ini, saya gembira mengumumkan bahawa Muis telah menyediakan sebuah pakej menyeluruh bersama rakan-rakan kongsi di bawah naungan Pasukan Bertindak SGTeguhBersatu. Pakej ini merangkumi beberapa perkara berikut.
17. Pertama, memastikan asatizah kekal relevan dan terus meraih pendapatan. Muis akan bekerjasama dengan masjid-masjid dan Pusat Penyedia Pendidikan Islam, atau IECP, untuk mempergiat usaha bagi memastikan asatizah kekal relevan dalam tempoh ini. Asatizah perlu terus memainkan peranan kritikal dalam membimbing masyarakat melalui pendidikan Islam. Untuk berbuat demikian, masjid akan menjalankan lebih banyak program-program dalam talian atau online dan menyokong pembelajaran di rumah bagi madrasah aLIVE dan kelas pendidikan Islam yang lain. Muis juga akan menghasilkan sebuah pakej panduan untuk membantu IECP memindahkan kelas-kelas mereka ke dalam talian online. Saya juga teruja melihat sebilangan guru-guru Al-Quran yang mengajar di rumah, sudah mengendalikan kelas mereka melalui panggilan video. Usaha-usaha ini akan memastikan asatizah dapat terus menjalankan kelas-kelas mereka, dan meraih pendapatan.
18. Kedua, mempertingkatkan kemahiran asatizah kita, dan mempersiapkan mereka menjangkaui krisis ini. Muis akan bekerjasama dengan Mendaki SENSE untuk membantu asatizah mempertingkatkan diri dalam bidang-bidang seperti IT, media digital ataupun kaunseling sementara masjid dan pusat-pusat pendidikan Islam masih tertutup. Kami menggalak asatizah memanfaatkan skim-skim seperti Kredit SkillsFuture dan  Skim Sokongan Latihan bagi Individu yang Bekerja Sendiri yang telah dipertingkatkan. Usaha untuk mempertingkatkan kemahiran asatizah akan berpandukan Rangka Kerjaya dan Kecekapan Asatizah, atau CCF, yang telah saya jelaskan semasa Perbahasan Jawatankuasa Perbekalan bulan lalu. CCF telah disarankan oleh COFA, dan akan menyediakan rangka kerjaya menyeluruh untuk meningkatkan profesionalisme sektor asatizah, dan mewujudkan lebih banyak laluan dan peluang kerjaya bagi mereka. Muis akan memberikan butiran lanjut pada hujung bulan ini.
19. Ketiga, membantu asatizah yang terjejas dengan kelembapan ekonomi ini. Ramai asatizah bergantung kepada sumbangan langsung daripada pelajar atau jemaah mereka sebagai sumber pendapatan mereka. Muis akan bekerjasama dengan agensi-agensi yang relevan untuk membantu asatizah yang terjejas, untuk memanfaatkan skim-skim di bawah Belanjawan Berdaya Tahan. Sebagai contoh, Muis akan bekerjasama dengan NTUC. Mereka akan menerima permohonan daripada asatizah bebas yang tidak layak bagi Skim Pelepasan Pendapatan bagi Individu yang Bekerja Sendiri (SIRS) secara automatik. Muis akan turut mendekati para asatizah melalui badan-badan seperti PERGAS dan IECP untuk meningkatkan kesedaran terhadap skim-skim ini. Muis akan membantu asatizah dalam proses membuat permohonan, dan mengendalikan sebarang rayuan daripada golongan tersebut. Seperti yang diumumkan DPM dalam ucapan mengenai Belanjawan Kesepakatan tadi, asatizah yang layak menerima sokongan SIRS akan menerima bayaran sejumlah $3,000 sebanyak tiga kali, mulai bulan Mei ini. Muis akan turut bekerjasama dengan Kementerian Pembangunan Keluarga dan Sosial untuk membantu asatizah membuat permohonan bagi Dana Bantuan Kewangan Sementara, atauTRF, yang akan memberikan bantuan sementara berjumlah $500 kepada asatizah yang mengalami kemerosotan pendapatan kerana COVID-19.
20. Asatizah yang kehilangan pekerjaan disebabkan COVID-19 juga boleh turut membuat permohonan bagi Geran Bantuan COVID-19 dan menerima $800 sebulan, selama tiga bulan.
21. Pada masa yang sama, saya menyeru masyarakat agar terus menyokong asatizah dan masjid-masjid kita. Masjid kita amat bergantung pada derma daripada masyarakat. Dengan penutupan masjid, pendapatan masjid sudah pasti terjejas. Oleh itu, Muis sedang membangunkan sebuah platform untuk memudahkan masyarakat membuat sumbangan secara online kepada masjid-masjid, termasuk mereka yang ingin menderma secara berulang, seperti menerusi PayLah dan GIRO. Sistem ini dijangka siap sebelum Ramadan.
22. Sedang saya menggesa masyarakat untuk terus menyokong masjid-masjid kita, saya juga gembira untuk berkongsi bahawa Muis akan menerajui usaha menyokong masjid-masjid dalam beberapa aspek.
23. Pertama, memandangkan kelas aLIVE terjejas dengan penutupan masjid dan akan digantikan dengan pembelajaran di rumah, Muis akan memberikan geran kepada masjid-masjid untuk mengecualikan yuran aLIVE sebanyak 50% selama 2 bulan.
24. Muis juga akan menyediakan geran bagi menyokong masjid-masjid mengamalkan langkah berjaga-jaga yang dipertingkatkan bagi menangani COVID-19, seperti mengambil suhu badan, mengesan orang-orang yang berhubung rapat dengan kes yang disahkan, dan menguruskan orang-orang yang beratur untuk masuk ke masjid, apabila masjid dibuka semula nanti.
25. Langkah-langkah untuk menyokong masjid ini dijangkakan menelan belanja sebanyak lebih $1 juta, dan akan ditampung Muis.
26. Saya berasa terharu melihat beberapa lapisan masyarakat kita tampil untuk menyokong golongan asatizah pada saat ini. Sebagai contoh, PERGAS telah memperkenalkan Pakej Rahmah, iaitu sebuah dana yang menyediakan bantuan kewangan tambahan bagi para asatizah. Dalam tempoh ini, asatizah yang layak boleh menerima bayaran sekali sehingga $400, dan sehingga $300 sebulan, bagi 6 bulan seterusnya. Muis dan Pasukan Bertindak SGTeguhBersatu akan bekerjasama dengan badan-badan Melayu/Islam untuk memastikan bahawa asatizah menerima sokongan yang diperlukan.
27. Di samping pakej untuk menyokong asatizah, madrasah-madrasah juga akan menyediakan lebih banyak sokongan bagi para pelajar dan memastikan pembelajaran dapat diteruskan dengan lancar walaupun dengan langkah berjaga-jaga.
28. Sama seperti sekolah-sekolah nasional, mulai Rabu nanti, madrasah juga akan beralih kepada Pembelajaran di Rumah. Muis akan bekerjasama dengan madrasah-madrasah untuk meminjamkan alat yang diperlukan oleh para pelajar madrasah yang mungkin tidak mempunyai alat peribadi. Jika perlu, pelajar masih boleh datang ke madrasah jika ibu bapa mereka bertugas di sektor perkhidmatan penting. Muis juga akan melanjutkan tempoh permohonan bagi Skim Bantuan Kewangan Dana Kemajuan Madrasah, atau PROMAS, untuk membantu para pelajar madrasah yang mungkin memerlukan bantuan kewangan.
    
    

    Conclusion

29. Tuan Speaker, bulan Ramadan semakin menghampiri kita. Masyarakat kita perlu bersiap sedia dari segi mental untuk menghadapi hakikat yang mereka mungkin tidak dapat berbuka puasa beramai-ramai di masjid, ataupun mendirikan solat terawih secara berjemaah di masjid juga. Bagi sebilangan besar masyarakat Islam, Ramadan bukan hanya masa untuk bermuhasabah dan mempertingkatkan kerohanian diri masing-masing, tetapi juga peluang untuk menyebarkan rahmah dan kasih sayang kepada semua. Renungilah nilai-nilai ini sambil kita melindungi mereka yang tersayang serta rakan setanah air kita daripada virus ini.
30. Ayuh, sama-sama kita serius dalam melaksanakan langkah berjaga-jaga. Kita gunakan hashtag #KitaMestiSerius. Sebilangan besar kes jangkitan tempatan boleh dielakkan jika orang ramai lebih bertanggungjawab dengan menghindari tempat-tempat orang berkumpul, dan duduk di rumah apabila berasa tidak sihat. Sesuaikan rutin harian kita, seperti mengelakkan pergi ke pasar pada hujung minggu, dan sebaliknya pergi pada waktu tidak sesak, dan makan di rumah sahaja. Gunakan pelitup dan jumpa doktor apabila tidak sihat. Masyarakat kita mesti menjadi sebahagian daripada penyelesaian, bukan punca masalahnya. Inilah yang mesti kita lakukan sebagai Masyarakat Gemilang.
31. Mr Speaker, in English please. This COVID-19 episode is an important opportunity for us re-affirm our fundamental values as a community and apply them to contemporary challenges, adapt and emerge stronger, both as a community and as a nation. It takes a whole-of-community effort to overcome the challenges we face today. I am confident that we will triumph.
32. Thank you.

English translation of Malay speech

13. COVID-19 has disrupted our daily lives as well as our religious lives. We acknowlege that these chages are necessary. However,  changing our social norms to protect ourselves and those around us does not make us any less of a Muslim or diminish our cultural identity. Not being able to perform Friday prayers during our COVID-19 battle, does not mean losing our faith and religious way of life. As the Mufti said, “[the Muslim community] doing their bit to keep everyone safe is, in and of itself, one of the noblest things we can do as Muslims” and also that “our togetherness and sense of community must remain strong in our hearts even as we have to keep physically distant”.
14. During the Committee of Supply debates last month, I spoke about the Committee on Future Asatizah or COFA’s work, and the importance of having asatizah who can lead and guide our community through new and increasingly complex socio-religious challenges. Responding to COVID-19 is one such challenge. Our asatizah’s progressive approach has helped us examine religious traditions critically and apply them in today’s circumstances. Because of this, we were able to move decisively, while others were still deliberating the way forward. Given the crisis will be long drawn, I urge all our asatizah to rally together in continued efforts to strengthen the resilience and confidence of the community through, the challenges ahead. To spearhead this in a concrete manner, Muis, PPIS, Pergas, and Muslim Healthcare Professionals Association (MHPA) will be working collaboratively together, as part of the SGTeguhBersatu Taskforce, to develop initiatives and programmes to strengthen the psychological resilience and support the mental wellness of the community. This will help the community cope this this challenging period. More details will be shared by the Taskforce when ready.
15. Mr Speaker, the third P is Persevering Together. It will take some time for us to overcome COVID-19. We must be ready to make adjustments to all facets of life, including our religious life. We must persevere, so that we can emerge stronger after this crisis. The livelihoods of many Singaporeans have been affected.
16. To support asatizah during the downturn, I am pleased to announce today that Muis has put together a comprehensive package, together with partners as part of the SGTeguhBersatu Taskforce. This package will comprise the following.
17. First, ensuring asatizah remain relevant and earn an income. Muis will work with mosques and Islamic Education Centres and Providers (IECP) to intensify efforts to ensure that asatizah remain relevant during this period. Asatizah must continue to play a critical role in guiding the community through Islamic education. To do this, Mosques will conduct more online programmes and support home-based learning for aLIVE madrasahs and other Islamic learning classes.  Muis will also develop a toolkit to help IECPs move their leaning online. I am glad to see that some home-based Quran teachers already having lessons via teleconference. These efforts will ensure asatizah continue to conduct their lessons, and draw an income during this period.
18. Second, strengthening upskilling of our Asatizah, and preparing them for beyond the crisis. Muis will be collaborating with Mendaki SENSE to help asatizah upskill during this downtime, in areas such as IT and digital media or in counselling. We encourage asatizah to tap on the various schemes, such as the SkillsFuture Credit as well as the enhanced Self-Employed Persons (SEP) Training Support Scheme. This effort to upskill our asatizah is tied to the launch of the Career Map and Competency Framework (CCF), which I talked about during the Committee of Supply Debates last month. The CCF was recommended by COFA, and will provide an overarching framework to raise the professionalism of the asatizah sector, and create more career pathways and opportunities for our asatizah beyond the immediate crisis.  Muis will provide more details later this month.
19. Third, assisting Asatizah affected by the downturn. Many asatizah depend on direct contributions from their students or followers for income. Muis will work with relevant agencies to help asatizah affected by the downturn tap on schemes in the Resilience Budget. For example, Muis will work with NTUC, and will accept applications from freelance asatizah for the Self-Employed Person Income Relief Scheme (SIRS), who do not qualify for this automatically. Muis will also reach out to Aaatizah through its partners such as Pergas and IECPs to raise awareness of these scheme, and guide asatizah through the application process, and facilitate any appeals from Asatizah. This support from SIRS will provide eligible asatizah a support of $1000 a month, for 9 months from May. Similarly, Muis will work with MSF to guide asatizah through the Temporary Relief Fund (TRF) application process, which will provide a temporary relief of $500 for eligible asatizah.
20. Asatizah who lose their jobs due to COVID-19 can also apply for the COVID-19 Support Grant and receive $800 a month, for three months.
21. At the same time, I encourage the community to continue their support for our asatizah and mosques. Our mosques are heavily dependent on donations from the community, and with the closure of mosques, the income of mosques are affected. As such, Muis is developing a platform to make it easier for the community to make online donations to the mosques, including those who would like to donate on a regular basis, such as through PayLah and GIRO. The system is expected to be launched before Ramadan.
22. As I urge the community to play its part to continue to support our mosques, I am also glad to share that Muis will take the lead to support mosques in the following ways:
23. First, in view that physical aLIVE classes will be disrupted with the closure of mosques and will be replaced by home-based learning, Muis will extend grants to mosques to provide a 50% waiver of their aLIVE fees for 2 months.
24. Muis will also provide grants to mosques to support mosques to adopt the enhanced COVID-19 precautionary measures, such as temperature taking, contact tracing, and queue management when mosque reopen in future.
25. These measures to support mosques are expected to cost Muis over $1m.
26. I am heartened to see that some segments of the community have already stepped up to support our asatizah during this period. For example, the Singapore Islamic Scholars and Religious Teachers Association (PERGAS) started the Gracious Package, a fund that provides some supplementary financial support for asatizah. During this period, eligible asatizah may receive a one-off payment of up to $400, and up to $300 per month, for the next 6 months. Muis and the SGTeguhBersatu Taskforce will work closely with these MMOs to ensure that our asatizah receive the support they require during this period.
27. In addition to support for asatizah, our madrasahs will also do more to support students and ensure learning can be carried out smoothly even with the safe distancing measures.
28. Like national schools, from Wednesday our madrasahs will also transit to home-based learning. Muis will work with Madrasahs to lend devices to students who may not have personal devices, and if necessary, students may still come to the madrasahs if their parents are working in essential services. Muis will also extend the application window for the Progress Fund Madrasah Assistance Scheme, or PROMAS, to support madrasah students who may require financial assistance.
29. Mr Speaker, the month of Ramadan is almost upon us. The community will have to be psychologically prepared that they may not be able to partake in community buka puasa at mosques or perform that nightly terawih prayers in mosques. For many Muslims, Ramadan is not just a time to reflect and grow spiritually, but also to show care and compassion to all. We must remember these values as we safeguard our loved ones and our countrymen from the virus.
30. Let us be serious in implementing the precautionary measures. A good number of locally transmitted cases could have been avoided if people had been more socially responsible by avoiding gatherings and crowds, and staying at home when unwell. Adjust our daily routine, such as going to the market on weekdays or when it is not crowded and eat at home. Wear a mask and see a doctor if we are unwell. Our community must be part of the solution, not the problem. This is what we must do as a Community of Success.