Strong spirit of compassion and resilience of the Malay/Muslim community

Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security Teo Chee Hean

My Special Guest from Brunei, Minister for Religious Affairs, Pehin Hj Awang Badaruddin bin Paduka Hj Othman and wife

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu,

Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli and fellow Members of Parliament,

Mufti of Singapore and Senior Officials of Muis

Community and Religious Leaders,

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

1. Assalamualaikum wr wb and a very good evening to all. Allow me to begin by wishing my Muslim guests Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri, mohon maaf zahir dan batin.

2. I am happy to welcome all of you to this joyous event. Allow me to begin my speech in Malay.

3. Bulan Ramadan yang baru berlalu membawa banyak pengertian, khususnya buat diri saya sendiri. Saya bangga melihat umat Islam berlumba-lumba merebut peluang beramal jariah, memperkukuh silaturahmi selain tekun beribadah. Sepanjang Ramadan, kita berbesar hati membuka ruang masjid dan rumah kita, kepada sahabat-handai pelbagai kaum dan agama untuk sama-sama berbuka puasa dan juga menolong mereka yang memerlukan. Kempen Sentuhan Ramadan Muis iaitu, “Rahmah Bermula Daripada Saya”, adalah satu nilai yang amat murni dan saya berharap kita dapat terus menghidupkannya sepanjang hayat.

4. Alangkah indahnya semangat perpaduan yang kita nikmati selama ini. Ia adalah antara tunggak kekuatan kita sebagai sebuah masyarakat majmuk Singapura yang menyanjung tinggi budaya berbilang kaum. Sikap tabah dan kecekalan masyarakat kita walaupun dilanda pelbagai ujian getir, membuat masyarakat Melayu/Islam bersatu dan tidak mudah goyah. Contohnya ketika masyarakat digegarkan dengan ancaman Jemaah Islamiah dan terrorisma lebih 15 tahun lalu, kita berganding bahu dan melangkah ke hadapan dengan membina beberapa institusi penting yang memupuk keharmonian Singapura seperti  Pusat Harmoni, Yayasan Rahmatan lil Alamin dan Pusat Pemulihan Keagamaan (RRG).

5. Nilai berdaya tahan ini telah membolehkan kita mencapai banyak kemajuan. Masyarakat Melayu/Islam kini menikmati kemajuan memberangsangkan dari segi pendidikan, ekonomi, kestabilan institusi keluarga dan kehidupan beragama kita. Hari ini, kita dapat berbangga dengan pencapaian ramai anak-anak Melayu/Islam  kita yang menempa nama dalam pelbagai bidang di persada dunia. Ada di antara mereka hadir bersama kita pada malam ini. Pencapaian mereka ini adalah sesuatu yang mungkin tidak dapat kita bayangkan pada suatu masa dahulu. Apa yang jelas, kita menaruh harapan besar ke atas golongan muda ini untuk memacu kejayaan masyarakat yang seterusnya pada masa hadapan.

6. Namun, Singapura tidak terlindung daripada pelbagai cabaran termasuk ancaman radikalisme, fahaman ekstrimis dan unsur pengganasan. Masyarakat kita tersentak dan teramat kecewa setelah mendapat tahu tentang penangkapan 3 individu Muslim yang terpesong setelah menjadi radikal secara sendiri. Insiden ini mengingatkan kita bahawa kita tidak mempunyai pilihan selain menggandakan kerjasama antara pihak keluarga, masyarakat dan pemerintah demi membasmi ancaman ini. Kita memerlukan strategi bersepadu yang boleh membimbing masyarakat kita dengan berkesan, sesuai dengan perkembangan serantau dan global. Butirannya akan saya kongsi sebentar lagi.

7. Saudara saudari sekalian, biar apapun rintangan yang mendatang, saya yakin semua cabaran dapat diatasi dan semoga ia menjadikan  kita sebagai sebuah masyarakat yang teguh, berihsan dan penyayang. Marilah sama-sama kita berganding bahu, mengorak langkah ke arah masa depan yang lebih cerah untuk keluarga, masyarakat dan negara kita. Harapan saya tersemat dalam pantun berikut:

   • Malam-malam pasang pelita

   • Terangnya dian berseri-seri

   • Biar cabaran menggugat kita

   • Toleransi perpaduan teras identiti

   • Berkain pelikat duduk di anjung

   • Bersama Tok Yang tekun bercerita 

   • Negara dihormat budaya disanjung

   • Ihsan penyayang pakaian kita.

Kini izinkan saya meneruskan ucapan dalam Bahasa Inggeris.

Ramadan is our community at its best

8. This Ramadan, we saw the best of our community. The spirit of gotong-royong was strong, as our community prepared for the breaking of fast and the nightly prayers. The friendship was real, as we welcomed our friends from other faiths to our mosques and community organisations to break fast together. The sense of shared humanity was deep, as we reached out to the less fortunate to share humble porridge and to help beautify their homes. While fasting is a religious ritual for Muslims, we welcomed Ramadan as an occasion to expand our common space and strengthen the ties that bind us as a nation.

9. Indeed, Muis’ Ramadan campaign theme this year, “Rahmah” or “Compassion Begins with Me”, epitomises what Islam is truly about. Leading a life of compassion means caring for others – for our family, neighbours, community and our nation. Renewing family ties and friendships is what makes every Ramadan so special to all of us. It is a time to reflect on the peace and prosperity that we as a community have enjoyed, celebrate what we have accomplished and reaffirm our commitment to protect what we cherish.

10. The past 6 months saw many in our community attain peaks of excellence in a broad range of areas. When Nur Yusrina binte Ya’akob became the first Singaporean Malay/Muslim woman to scale Mount Everest, I felt a deep sense of pride. In April, Muhammad Ridhwan captured not just the Asia Super Featherweight title, but also the hearts of many, as he became Singapore’s first World Boxing Association (WBA) champion. We can also be proud of Dr Roszalina Rawi who graduated with a PhD in Education from the University of Cambridge, and Dr Johannis Abdul Aziz who obtained a PhD in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley.

11. For our Malay/Muslim organisations, this is a year of milestones. We started the year with Mendaki’s 35^th anniversary and a year-long campaign called “Raikan Ilmu” or “celebrating knowledge”, to nurture the love for learning. Similarly, Jamiyah and PPIS are celebrating their 85^th and 65^th anniversaries respectively this year – both do important work and have helped many in our community. In April, we proudly welcomed the new Yusof Ishak mosque, in memory of our First President of Singapore. Finally, we also received the excellent news that the Saudi government has agreed to increase our official haj quota from 680 to 800.

Our community is defined by our resolve and resilience

12. We have accomplished all this against a backdrop of a more uncertain economic climate, a volatile security environment, and a diverse social landscape. Our community is no stranger to challenges. Three incidents stand out for me in the past two decades, when our community was severely tested and had emerged the stronger.

13. In 2002, we were shocked to find in our midst members of the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) planning terror attacks in the region and at home. But the community rallied together, remained resilient and responded with decisive action. Today we have the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG), led by senior asatizah who volunteered themselves as counsellors to help rehabilitate and re-integrate radicalised individuals. We also started inter-faith dialogues and launched the Harmony Centre@An-Nahdhah. To live out the ideals of Islam as a religion of peace, we created the Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation, or Blessings to All Foundation, to aid universal humanitarian causes. We have embarked on these endeavours and more, with the sole objective of protecting our social fabric against the actions of a misguided few.

14. Then in 2003, compulsory education was implemented. There were widespread rumours then about the impending closure of our madrasahs. We rose to the occasion to ensure that this did not happen. 15 years on, we can be proud of our 6 full time madrasahs as well as a strong Joint Madrasah System that produces both our future religious leaders, and promising youths who also go on to perform well in our mainstream institutions of higher learning.

15. Throughout the decade, we also worked hard to stabilise rising divorce rates in the community. The Syariah Court introduced the Marriage Counselling Programme to save marriages and cater to the best interests of the child. We set up Inspirasi Hub and Vista Sakinah to help young couples and reconstituted families stay strong. The coverage of Muslims under the Human Organ Transplant Act (HOTA) was also hotly debated, but our senior asatizah stepped forward to convince the community that this practice is in line with Islamic principles as it promotes public interest and welfare. 

16. These, and many other instances demonstrate a community resolved to tackle its own challenges, and resilient to adversity. In this process, we have also nurtured confidence among our young. Our youth are our future – they are our future leaders and future captains of our institutions. Let me share a short video of our youth stepping up and not losing heart when facing the odds. 
    
    [Video]
    

17. I am very proud to see many of our youth doing well and doing good for their community and for Singapore. It doesn’t matter if it takes seven years Yusrina, what matters is you do it. The video is but one snapshot of the tremendous talent in our community. We must impart the right values so that our young have the right mind-set to learn and succeed. The economy is undergoing technological revolution; jobs in the future are likely to require different skill sets than what is required today. We must nurture in them lifelong learning as a way of life, as well as help and encourage each other to do so. By doing so, we ensure that our young are ready for the future. 

Resolve in overcoming the challenges of our time

18. We also face imminent threats. The great challenge of our time is the radical ideology that has hijacked the name of Islam. ISIS-inspired extremists continue to stalk the Internet, influencing and corrupting the impressionable and gullible, of whom many are youths.

19. Just in the last two weeks of Ramadan, our community was jolted by the news of two new cases of radicalisation. In each case, family and friends knew about the subject’s inclinations but did not seek expert help early. I can understand the dilemma faced by family members in such an extremely difficult situation. Telling others may seem like a betrayal of trust.

20. But I urge these families and friends to fully consider the consequences of not seeking help from the authorities. Their inaction might cause a loved one to lose his or her life, or worse, if the subject had succeeded in traveling to Syria. Their inaction might have allowed innocents to be hurt or killed. Their inaction would have brought shame and even guilt on our community. Their inaction could have harmed the social harmony in Singapore.

21. For societies around the world, inaction, ambivalence or nonchalant attitudes have destroyed lives and broken communities. We have already seen how terrorist attacks have wreaked havoc in cities around the world, whether in the US, Europe, Asia or the Middle East. The terrorists perversely chose to step up their terror campaigns during Ramadan, a month where Muslims are encouraged to show more compassion to everyone regardless of race or religion.

22. We cannot allow extremist and exclusivist ideologies to take root here in Singapore. We have and will firmly deal with any preacher, whether local or foreigner, –who promote exclusivist teachings as well as publications intent to sow discord in our multiracial society. In overcoming our past challenges, the starting point has always been the resolve of our community. More than ever before, as a community, we must have the resolve to do what is right, especially to protect our young. As studies have shown and as testified by the recent arrests, troubled youth need counselling and guidance. Our young must know that violence can never be the answer for the problems they face.

23. Presently, we have a number of asatizah who already appeal to the young with their youth centric programmes. We want to help further enhance their social media presence and reach to counter the threat of extremist ideologies and exclusivist ideologies. Muis will set up a network of asatizah and other youth groups who will be trained in youth counselling, counter-radicalisation efforts and on how to boost their online presence to offer support and guidance to our youths on social media. These asatizah may include mosque-based religious teachers and private Islamic education providers. They will be on hand to provide a safe place for our young and their families, to discuss issues that they have and to seek religious advice on complex matters.

24. This network is an important step in our battle for the hearts and minds of our youths, to inoculate them from such extreme elements and to overcome the inhibition of discussing issues of radicalisation. With the community and asatizah fraternity’s support, we will build the capacity of our asatizah in this network to be a resource to our community by being the first touchpoint for those in doubt. As a safe space within the community, anyone can feel comfortable seeking advice or counselling from our ARS asatizah. The network will complement the work of the RRG, whose expertise will help more serious cases.

Strengthening community resilience

25. A resilient community depends on the strength of its institutions. The architects of the Administration of Muslim Law Act (AMLA), in particular the late Professor Ahmad Ibrahim, drew inspiration from other jurisdictions but yet recognised that we needed a piece of legislation unique to our context. For the past 50 years, AMLA has served us well. Subsequent legislators updated it but always with a view to find some common ground with civil legislation, so that Muslims can practice Islam within a multi-cultural, multi-religious, secular society.

26. Earlier this week, I tabled the amendments to the Administration of Muslim Law Act (AMLA) in Parliament. The Act aims at strengthening our key institutions. Following a month-long consultation with key stakeholders, there was strong support to strengthen the management of wakaf (Islamic endowment) and Muslim families. There have also been useful suggestions. Some of these, such as extending support to vulnerable family members in estate distribution matters, will need a bit more time to study and we will work with our stakeholders in this process.

27. Last year, I shared about the importance of developing our future religious leaders who are steeped in Islamic tradition and fully appreciative of our unique Singapore context. We need such leaders who can inculcate sound religious values that are most appropriate for our society. To achieve this, I had asked Muis to consider the feasibility for our community to set up an Islamic college in Singapore to train a new generation of asatizah.

28. I am happy to report that we are making progress. Key to the success of our home-grown college would be a robust curriculum. We are developing a curriculum framework that focuses on competencies, with solid foundation in vocational competencies and producing graduates who are able to provide religious leadership and guidance in solving real-world problems within our multi-religious and multi-racial context. Muis has formed an internal work group to plan for the development of the college, and we will seek views from the community. We will also learn from the best institutions from around the world. Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to speak to Professor Hamza Yusuf, President of Zaytuna College, and he had welcomed Singapore to conduct a study trip to Zaytuna. We will also look at the more traditional institutions, such as Al-Azhar University in the Middle East.

Key institutions ready for the future

Positioning Muis for the future

29. Our community have built up strong institutions but in a fast-changing world, we must continue to innovate and evolve these organisations. Muis will be celebrating its golden jubilee in 2018 and this is a timely opportunity to engage the community to chart its direction for the future. This is critical for Muis to stay relevant to the community and Singapore.

30. Based on the theme “Semarak Langkah, Berjiwa Rahmah” (Striving with Confidence, Serving with Compassion), Muis will focus on three key areas. First, we will celebrate our mosques and madrasahs, which are the pride of our community. Muis will be organising a mosque convention and madrasah open house. We will also honour individuals who have contributed to the development of Muis and the community by recognising these inspirational stories during the annual Muis Awards ceremony

31. Second, MUIS 50 is also an appropriate milestone for reflection. In recent years, Muis has stepped forward to promote progressive religious discourse not just in Singapore, but in the region too. The Distinguished Visitor Programme and Fatwa Compilation Series are prime examples, and we have the capacity to spread our ideas. Next year, Muis will host an International Conference of Religious Scholars and a roundtable on wakaf development to learn and generate ideas on key socio-religious issues.

32. Lastly, since its inception in 1968 with only 7 members, Muis has since grown in size and its roles in serving the socio-religious needs of the community and beyond. Muis has maintained a strong partnership with key stakeholders and we need to look at new ways to ensure the socio-religious needs of the community are met amidst a changing social landscape both locally and globally. MUIS will organise a series of engagements to tap on the wisdom and insights of different segments of our community.

Strengthening Mendaki – The Road to Life Long Learning

33. Mendaki is celebrating its 35^th anniversary this year. Educational achievement remains a critical priority for our community. Every year the number of Malay/Muslim students doing well across all national examinations and in the institutions of higher learning has been increasing. But we need to go beyond formal education. Continuous learning becomes more important in a world where economic and technological change are happening at an increasingly faster rate. We need to make life-long learning a habit in our community.

34. Mendaki will focus more on two areas – being future ready and school ready to complement its work in helping our students to do well in school. First, Mendaki has set up its Future Ready Unit to help our students at the institutes of higher learning (IHL) and working professionals prepare for the future economy. By establishing youth spaces at our ITEs, Mendaki is well placed to engage our students and complement technical training with relevant skills to be future ready. Mendaki will also engage other IHLs. Mendaki will also kick start Socialthon, a platform bringing together the creative energies of our young adults with the experience and wisdom of industry experts and professionals to find innovative solutions and testbed ideas to get the community geared up for the future economy.

35. Further upstream, Mendaki has started work in helping parents with children in preschool. Last year, Mendaki launched “My Early Adventure – A Guide for Parents with Children Aged 0-6 years”, a comprehensive resource repository on useful information and tips to empower parents, especially those from the lower income, on the know-hows for the holistic development of children. The guide has been well-received by parents and we want to work closely with our partners to expand its reach.

36. The founders of Mendaki built an institution to provide support in education as they believed that education is the most important enabler. They poured their heart and soul into building an institution we can all be proud of. Today, we see a flowering of groups led by younger members of our community with the same spirit and ambition as our pioneers. Against this backdrop, and as a follow up from its perception study conducted earlier this year, Mendaki will embark on a series of conversations with the community to solicit ideas and suggestions on what more can be done by Mendaki to help the community adopt a culture of lifelong learning and being ready for the future ready.

Conclusion

37. Unlike many other minority communities in a modern democracy, our community has adapted well to life in modern Singapore. National and community institutions have helped to shape an ethos of hard work, resilience and most importantly the ability to adapt and change in the face of challenges. Each of these challenges may be different, but what is common is that we have demonstrated resolve and resilience, and were enlightened in finding new solutions unique to our own societal context.

38. We must continue to keep this spirit of inquiry and appreciating different perspectives alive as we navigate an even more challenging global and local landscape. We will be confronted with challenges brought about by growing diversity in our community, by technological and scientific changes that would improve lives, yet present moral dilemmas, and the diffusion of religious authorities with varying degrees of interpretations that could be at odds with our way of life. How do we ensure that the wisdom we possess match the uncertainties we face? Try as we might, sometimes we will get it right, but in other times we may be off the mark. But we must never give up and compromise on the core values that have held our community and nation together.

39. Like the youths in our video, we need to take ownership in changing our destiny. Nur Yusrina called on us to ‘dig deep’ when the going gets tough. Noor Mastura convinced herself to help others because of her own personal experience. Habib Noor was determined that he must do whatever it takes so that he would not fail. Nur Dian said that we must never stop improving ourselves to stay relevant. Sadiqul called for everyone to help someone else to make it a better place for all. Finally, Ustazah Liyana encouraged us to look beyond our own prejudices and that we should stand united as one people.

40. These voices give me hope and I am confident of our future. With strong educational progress, with more of our young men and women coming forward to contribute, and with the support of strong key institutions and community organisations, we have no reason to fear the future. We must stand firm that Singapore is our home which we love, care and protect with fellow Singaporeans. The future is ours to shape.

41. I urge our community leaders to focus on the substantive development of our identity as Malays, as Muslims, and most importantly as Singaporeans. What will stand the test of time is not our material wealth but the character of our people - one that is resilient against adversity, resolved to do the right thing, pursues innovation and continual learning as a way of life, and most importantly, one who is a blessing to everyone around them

42. Thank you.