'Where every member can be the best version of themselves': Faishal Ibrahim's vision for Malay/Muslim community

By moving forward together with one heart, every member of the Malay/Muslim community can be the best version of themselves at every stage of their lives, said Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Faishal Ibrahim.

Assoc Prof Faishal, who is also Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs, set out this vision for the community during the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth's Committee of Supply debate on Thursday (March 5). 

Elaborating on his plan, Assoc Prof Faishal said this can be achieved through three key pillars: uplifting individuals across all life stages; developing trusted religious institutions; and nurturing a vibrant cultural sector.

Uplifting social, economic outcomes

Noting that families are the bedrock of the community and society, the acting minister said its face-to-face interaction programme for newly solemnised couples will be expanded to include parenthood support to allow for "more seamless assistance from marriage to parenthood". 

Meanwhile, to provide every child with the necessary support and pathways to seize opportunities for success, the Council for the Development of Singapore Malay/Muslim Community (Mendaki) will introduce the ReadySetLearn (RSL) language explorer programme. 

The programme is designed to equip parents to nurture their children in early literacy — in both English and Malay. 

Turning to the need to prepare for an artificial intelligence (AI) driven economy, Assoc Prof Faishal announced that Mendaki's achievement programme (MAP) will be enhanced to include enrichment in areas such as AI exploration and robotics. 

It will also include an engagement component where students and youth are exposed to various education and career pathways.

To enable seniors to thrive in their golden years, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) and People's Association will work with Santunan Emas — a ground-up effort to provide seniors and caregivers with religious guidance, social engagement activities and healthcare support — to help rally resources and agencies across health, social, financial, and religious domains. 

Rounding up his first Committee of Supply debate as Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, Assoc Prof Faishal urged the community to embrace a "we first" mindset — where personal development contributes to collective progress, and where every act of service creates positive impact throughout the community.

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editor@asiaone.com