RPD Bites is a monthly scan covering issues and trends surfaced in various local mainstream media sources that would be of relevance to the Malay/Muslim community. It is compiled by the Research and Planning Department (RPD) of Yayasan MENDAKI. The key highlights for this month are: • Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) looking for ways to become more energy-efficient can soon tap expertise at a new tech centre which will help the firms assess how energy-efficient they are and how they can improve their energy performance. The $5 million Energy Efficiency Technology Centre will be launched here by the end of this year, said Permanent Secretary for the Environment and Water Resources Albert Chua yesterday (ST, 4 Oct). • The PAP Community Foundation (PCF) will pump in $2 million a year over the next three years into a fund that supports low-income families with Singaporean children at its Sparkletots centres. The monthly household income ceiling to qualify for the Headstart Fund will also be raised from $2,500 to $4,500 next January, said PCF in a statement yesterday (ST, 31 Oct). • More students now have the opportunity to enjoy cultural arts performances with the Cultural Performance Exposure Fund (CPEF), which expanded to include institutes of higher learning that offer Malay language programmes. Previously, CPEF operated by the Malay Language Learning and Promotion Committee (MLLPC) was only open to primary, secondary and pre-university schools (BH, 10 Oct). • Singapore will become the first country in the world to ban advertisements of packaged drinks with very high sugar content, in its latest salvo in the war on diabetes. It will also be mandatory for drinks with medium-to-high sugar content to carry a label on the front of the pack to signal they are unhealthy, (ST, 11 Oct).

1. October 2019

2. What is RPD Bites?
2
RPD Bites is a monthly scan covering issues and trends surfaced in various local
mainstream media sources that would be of relevance to the Malay/Muslim community. It is
compiled by the Research and Planning Department (RPD) of Yayasan MENDAKI.
The ‘Food For Thought’ section seeks to raise thought-provoking
questions to stimulate discussion, with the hope of complementing our efforts to
support the Malay/Muslim community as a whole.
RPD Bites begins with an article count across the different media sources, including
the number of articles that fall within four main areas: (1) Education, (2) Economy, Employability &
Digitalisation, (3) Social and (4) Malay/Muslim Affairs. Other salient areas for the month are also
highlighted. It then delves into emerging themes and trends observed, before culminating in a
‘Food For Thought’ section.
We welcome any feedback or comments you might
have. You can reach us at RPD@mendaki.org.sg

3. Overall Coverage
3
 A total of 175 articles were collated. The Social (128 articles) category occupies the top spot in
terms of article count with coverage on family, community and health issues, followed by the
Economy, Employability & Digitalisation (15) category. The Education (8 articles) and
Malay/Muslim Affairs (19 articles) categories come next.

4. Overall Coverage
4
 The Social category covers articles on Community (18), Elderly (4), Health (16), Housing (5),
Family & Youths (12) and ‘Others’ (6).

5. Overall Coverage
5
 The Economy, Employability & Digitalisation category covers articles on Digitalisation &
Technology (3), Economy (4) and Employability (8).

6. Emerging Themes & Trends
Based on Coverage

7. Education
7
 Classes in higher mother tongue languages may have a reputation for being more challenging but they are
gaining popularity, with more students taking them up in secondary school (ST, 3 Oct).
 Real estate developer CapitaLand has launched a programme to help 2,000 pre-school children from low-
income families get ready for primary school. In a press statement yesterday, it said it will give $750,000 to
support children in NTUC First Campus' My First Skool pre-school centres (BH, 12 Oct).
 The increasingly popular trend of podcasts will be the focus of a forum for Malay language teachers on 29
October. Teachers' Forum organized by Berita Harian/Berita Minggu (BH/BM) and student newspaper Gen-
G will explore how to use the platform to boost the learning of Malay language (BH, 20 Oct).
 Hearing podcasts is not just a trend that is gaining popularity among the Malay community, but it also has the
potential to be creative teaching materials to stimulate students' interest in learning the Malay
language in the classroom. BH/BM correspondent Ms Shahida Sarhid emphasised this to about 80 teachers
who attended the Teachers Forum held at the News Centre, Singapore Press Holdings Limited (SPH) the day
before yesterday (BH, 31 Oct).
Education trends and announcements

8. Education
8
 Students fresh out of secondary school will, from next April, be able to take up a full-time diploma
programme in applied artificial intelligence (AI) and analytics at Singapore Polytechnic (SP) (ST,
19 Oct).
 The latest initiative comes from DBS Bank, which has linked up with Singapore Management
University (SMU) to offer a major in sustainability for business students this year (ST, 21 Oct).
 The Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) will be offering students from low-
income families a tuition grant and bursary, so that they will not be deterred from attaining higher
education. The grant and bursary will be awarded from the academic year starting May next year (ST, 24
Oct).
 More students now have the opportunity to enjoy cultural arts performances with the Cultural
Performance Exposure Fund (CPEF), which expanded to include institutes of higher learning that
offer Malay language programmes. Previously, CPEF operated by the Malay Language Learning and
Promotion Committee (MLLPC) was only open to primary, secondary and pre-university schools (BH,
10 Oct).
Higher education news

9. Economy
9
Economic trends and announcements
 The GoBusiness Licensing Portal will shorten the often laborious process by up to 14 days, with
business owners no longer needing to spend time applying separately for various licences across
multiple government agencies. The portal, which goes live on Oct 31, identifies what licences are
needed by using a questionnaire and then helps applicants navigate the process with a step-by-step
guide (ST, 3 Oct).
 Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) looking for ways to become more energy-efficient
can soon tap expertise at a Energy Efficiency Technology Centre which will help the firms assess
how energy-efficient they are and how they can improve their energy performance. (ST, 4 Oct).
 Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) employ about 70 per cent of
Singapore's workforce, but most of them are not unionised. The National Trades
Union Congress' (NTUC) U SME network hopes to change this as it aims to
unionise 50 to 100 SMEs by the end of next year, its director Yeo Guat Kwang
told The Straits Times (ST, 10 Oct).
 Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DPPMS) has formed
a high-profile advisory committee to help its members grow and improve their
businesses to a higher level. The Investment Advisory Committee (IAC) strives
to identify high-performing firms with investment strategies and to obtain
funding to improve their operations (BH, 24 Oct).

10. Employability
10
Supporting the local workforce
 More support is now available for young people keen to work abroad, and for companies to train
them to prepare for overseas expansion plans. The Global Ready Talent (GRT) programme, which
was announced in this year's Budget, was launched on Thursday (Oct 10) by Minister for Trade and
Industry Chan Chun Sing (ST, 11 Oct).
 A framework unveiled yesterday will give thousands of professionals in the workplace safety and
health sector a clearer idea of the skills they need and how they can progress in their careers (ST 25
Oct).
 The Republic will roll out its first certification framework for artificial intelligence (AI) engineers
early next year to help meet the growing demand from employers here for proven local talent (ST, 30
Oct).
 An initiative is being explored to help unlicensed catering companies
obtain licenses as well as expand their business amid current
economic uncertainty and bridal trends. According to members of the
board of directors of the Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce and
Industry (DPPMS), Mr. Mohamed Nor Ismail (Kino), Wedding
Entrepreneurs (WE) Group which is under the auspices of the DPPMS
was trying to get a central kitchen that can be rented and used by their
members (BH, 6 Oct).

11. Employability
11
Supporting the local workforce
 A group of 18 hotels signed agreements with a union on Wednesday (Oct 23) to work together on
redesigning jobs and training workers in their hotels. The hotels, which employ more than 6,000 workers
in all, will form company training committees with the Food, Drinks and Allied Workers Union
(FDAWU), and these committees will be part of the new FDAWU-Hotel Future of Work Partnership
Network (BH, 24 Oct).
 To better prepare students for their industry internships, the Building and Construction Authority
(BCA) has also launched a Built Environment Formation Programme. The four-day programme
includes training workshops, industry sharing sessions and site visits (BH, 25 Oct).
 A total of 10 companies from the gas and energy sectors have committed to work with the trade
unions to enhance the skills of workers in a changing economic landscape. The Company Training
Committee (CTC) will be formed by companies such as City Gas, Sembcorp and SP Group, in
collaboration with the Union of Power and Gas Employees (Upage) for this purpose (BH, 30 Oct).
 The Singapore Institute of Retail Studies in Nanyang Polytechnic
(NYP-SIRS) and their partners Alibaba-Taobao University and the
Singapore Media Academy (SMA) will offer a new programme to support
local companies in developing useful skills in the retail digital digital
industry (BH, 23 Oct).

12. Digitalisation &
Technology
12
Tapping technology for growth
 With its slew of digital initiatives, the newly upgraded Radin Mas Community Club (CC) offers a
glimpse into the future of Singapore's community clubs. Reopened yesterday after nearly three years of
renovations, the revamped CC now boasts several smart initiatives, such as a dedicated Cyber Space
where residents can read e-newspapers or browse e-books using computer terminals (ST, 7 Oct).
 DBS Bank on Wednesday (Oct 9) rolled out a digital solutions package for small and medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs) in the logistics sector, aiming to help them tackle challenges in regional
expansion and keeping up with evolving consumer needs and emerging business trends (ST, 10 Oct).
 New technology has driven rapid change in Singapore's land
transport sector. This has created new possibilities for
improving transport services, and increased demand for
skilled labour (BH, 9 Oct).

13. Social
13
 It will be cheaper and easier to file various family court applications, such as that for deputyship
powers, through an electronic case management system. The deputyship powers can be sought through
the Integrated Family Application Management System (iFAMS) Mental Capacity Act Module, the
Family Justice Courts (FJC) announced yesterday (ST 3 Oct).
 From blockchain to artificial intelligence (AI) to tips on how to start a home enterprise, mothers looking
to return to the workforce will have a range of courses to choose from starting this month. In all, 35
courses, including nine that are new, have been curated as part of a partnership between Ngee Ann
Polytechnic and social enterprise Mums@Work, with both signing a memorandum of understanding
yesterday (ST, 8 Oct).
 The number of households receiving government financial assistance and the amount given out
by the Community Care Endowment Fund (ComCare) both reached a four-year low last year (ST, 12
Oct).
Family developments

14. Social
14
 The Government has concerns over allowing egg
freezing for non-medical reasons, or social egg
freezing, as it is called. Egg freezing may give
Singaporeans the misconception that they can afford
to delay parenthood and that they will certainly be able
to have a healthy child when the time comes to put their
frozen egg to use. There are also risks of pregnancy at
an older age. (ST, 22 Oct).
 Fresh data from the Ministry of Health (MOH) showed
an increasing number of couples turning to in-vitro
fertilisation (IVF) and other assisted reproduction
(AR) procedures to try for a baby, with only about one in
five attempts proving successful. There were about 7,700
AR procedures carried out here in 2017, up from about
7,100 in 2015 and about 5,500 in 2013 (ST, 29 Oct).
Family developments

15. Social
15
Elderly
 To help dementia patients find their way home, 22 Housing Board blocks in Nee Soon South and
Chong Pang will be getting fresh coats of paint in red, green and blue from next February. Similar to
zoned carparks, the blocks will also feature icons - pineapples for red blocks, fish for blue blocks and
rubber trees for green blocks. Block numbers will be painted prominently on the sides of the blocks
and their pillars (ST, 14 Oct).
 The Merdeka Generation roadshow at Wisma Geylang Serai, organised by the Ministry of
Communications and Information (MCI) are part of ongoing nationwide efforts to educate and engage
seniors on the benefits of the Merdeka Generation Package (ST, 21 Oct).
 St John Singapore has opened its first dementia daycare centre to cater to a growing need for such
services amid a rise in incidents of the disorder. The centre, located next to its headquarters along
Beach Road, was officially launched by Social and Family Development Minister Desmond Lee on
Tuesday (Oct 22) (BH, 23 Oct).
 Support of the community in the care of the elderly will become more
important, with smaller families, and fewer caregivers to assist, Deputy
Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat said yesterday. As a result, the
government has expanded the Community Network for Seniors (CNS)
programmes to all 89 neighborhoods throughout Singapore to provide a
robust community-based care system (BH. 26 Oct).

16. Social
16
 More than $1 billion will be spent over the next few years to upgrade both private and public housing
estates in Singapore. The money will be used to fund various upgrading programmes, Minister for National
Development Lawrence Wong said yesterday. These include the Home Improvement Programme for older
Housing Board flats and the Estate Upgrading Programme, which caters to private housing estates (ST, 12
Oct).
 More than 5,000 new homes could be launched in Queenstown by 2027, based on details in a traffic study
that will be conducted for Singapore's oldest town. The Housing Board called a tender for a traffic impact
assessment (TIA) on Monday. According to tender documents, about 2,060 of these homes in two
developments could be launched as early as 2021 or 2022 (ST, 16 Oct).
 More than 1,500 Build-To-Order (BTO) flats could be available by 2025 in Bishan, one of Singapore's most
sought after housing estates. The Housing Board has called for a quotation for a traffic impact assessment
(TIA) for a proposed public housing development in the area (ST, 23 Oct).
 More than 1,500 Build-To-Order (BTO) flats could be available by 2025 in Bishan, one of Singapore's most
sought after housing estates. The Housing Board has called for a quotation for a traffic impact assessment
(TIA) for a proposed public housing development in the area (ST, 23 Oct).
 Rents in Singapore fell in September for both non-landed private homes and HDB flats as compared to
August, though the rents rose on a year-on-year basis. This is according to SRX flash data released on
Wednesday (Oct 9). (BH, 10 Oct)
Housing developments

17. Social
17
 Over the next four years, PAP Community Foundation (PCF) will convert 80 of its kindergartens to
facilities offering full-day childcare. This is part of the Government's plan to increase the number of
childcare spaces, especially in younger estates such as Punggol, Sengkang and Choa Chu Kang, said
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong (ST, 7 Oct).
 The PAP Community Foundation (PCF) will pump in $2 million a year over the next three years into a
fund that supports low-income families with Singaporean children at its Sparkletots centres. The
monthly household income ceiling to qualify for the Headstart Fund will also be raised from $2,500 to
$4,500 next January, said PCF in a statement yesterday (ST, 31 Oct).
Children and youth developments

18. Social
18
Healthcare developments
 More women have sought treatment for endometriosis here in recent years, but most of them are
coming in too late, said Dr Ma Li, an associate consultant at the National University Hospital (NUH)
Women's Centre (ST, 5 Oct).
 Singapore will become the first country in the world to ban advertisements of packaged drinks with
very high sugar content, in its latest salvo in the war on diabetes. It will also be mandatory for drinks
with medium-to-high sugar content to carry a label on the front of the pack to signal they are
unhealthy, (ST, 11 Oct).
 Saint Andrew's Mission Hospital (SAMH) has been appointed by the Ministry of Health to be the
integrated operator of three eldercare facilities in the east. The hospital will be in charge of running a
nursing home with a co-located senior care centre in Tampines North that will open in 2022, as well as
a pair of active ageing hubs in Bedok North and Bedok South that will open in 2022 and 2021
respectively (ST, 26 Oct).
 The Dover Park Day Care daycare centre, which began operations in Dover Park Hospice in April,
was officially opened yesterday. It is one of just three palliative daycare services listed by the Singapore
Hospice Council (ST, 31 Oct).

19. Social
19
Community developments
 As Singapore's fourth-generation leaders prepare to step up to the plate, two of their priorities
should be to maintain racial and religious harmony and make Singapore a more equal society,
Professor Tommy Koh said yesterday (ST, 2 Oct).
 About 930,000 Singaporean households living in Housing Board flats will receive a GST
Voucher to offset part of their utility bills this October (ST, 3 Oct).
 Singapore needs more people to contribute their time and talent to help the needy and make the
country a better place, Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing said yesterday (ST, 3 Oct).
 The Republic needs more women to take up positions in cyber security, a sector that is facing a
shortfall of talent. Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information Sim Ann said more
women can be encouraged to join the cyber-security industry and thrive in it (ST, 4 Oct).
 Young Singaporeans will need a blend of hard and soft skills to make the most out of the
flourishing Asean economy, said Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu. Hard skills
include data evaluation, information synthesis and critical thinking, which schools and workplace
attachments have honed in many young Singaporeans, she added. But to thrive in Asean, they will
also need to pick up soft skills, she said (ST, 6 Oct).

20. Social
20
Community developments
 Parliament has passed changes to the law on religious harmony to allow the authorities to move
more swiftly against those who threaten the good relations among people of different religions
here. Key changes include higher maximum punishments and immediate restraining orders to
prevent offensive statements from spreading on social media, instead of the current 14-day notice
period. The Act also covers offences committed overseas (ST, 8 Oct).
 Several MPs yesterday called for Singapore to shore up its secular public space and ensure
religious leaders do not exert undue influence on public policy (ST, 8 Oct).
 Affectionately known as Habib Hassan, the imam received the Berita Harian Anugerah Jauhari 2019,
or Achiever of the Year award, yesterday from Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat, for his
contributions to interfaith work. The head of Masjid Ba'alwie for more than four decades has kept its
doors open to those of other faiths (ST, 12 Oct).
 Of the 39 alumni honoured with the Nanyang Alumni Awards, three received the highest honour - the
Nanyang Distinguished Alumni Award. They were Malay-language literary pioneer Suratman
Markasan, Teckwah Industrial Corporation managing director Thomas Chua, and Minister of State for
National Development and Manpower Zaqy Mohamad (ST, 20 Oct).

21. Social
21
Community developments
 About 1.4 million Singaporeans will receive up to three of the Bicentennial Bonus benefits next
month. These are the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Voucher cash payout, Central Provident Fund
(CPF) top-up and Workfare Bicentennial Bonus, the Finance Ministry said in a statement yesterday
(ST, 25 Oct).
 In an effort to provide more support to a growing pool of caregivers in Singapore's ageing society,
South West Community Development Council (CDC) yesterday launched a one-stop caregiving
hotline. Meant for residents of the South West District - which covers areas such as Telok Blangah,
Jurong and Bukit Gombak - the 24-hour service is an avenue for caregivers to find out about matters
such as help schemes, respite services and subsidies (ST, 27 Oct).
 From next month, foreign domestic workers who have disputes with their employers or employment
agencies can go to the Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Social Support and Training
(Fast) for free mediation services and arrive at legally binding settlement agreements (ST, 28 Oct).

22. Social
22
Community developments
 A large majority of Singaporeans are aware of the seriousness of race and religious issues, and feel
the Government has done enough to manage these divisions. But fault lines have emerged on
class, immigration and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights, where more
Singaporeans, especially younger ones, want to see greater state involvement and public discourse (ST,
30 Oct).
 Like the cultural hubs of France, Japan and South Korea, Singapore now has an award and
recognition scheme for master craftsmen and artists to keep the island's heritage alive. The
National Heritage Board (NHB) will be recognising four such master practitioners every year, starting
next year, it was announced yesterday (ST, 31 Oct).
 As a country that looks forward to striving to become a Smart Nation, it is appropriate and sufficient for
Singapore to host the 25th Southeast Asian Literature Council (Mastera) and this year's Southeast
Asian Literature International Seminar (Sakat). Even the theme of the seminars chosen to be
discussed is also very relevant in terms of city, technology and humanity (BH, 7 Oct).

23. Social
23
Community developments
 The Muara Festival 2019 which took place yesterday at the Esplanade Theatres on the Bay will end
tonight. At the closing ceremony of the annual festival organized by the Era Dance Theatre Limited
(EDT) tonight, the audience will be presented by a combined performance of participating groups
including from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia (BH, 27 Oct).
 New Hope Community Services (NHCS) launched a community-based social services center for male
ex-convicts known as "Transit Point" yesterday. This effort is to support and provide assistance to a
group of homeless male ex-convicts after being released from prison (BH, 3 Oct).
 The recipient of this year's President's Scholarship, Mr Muhammad Dhafer Muhammad Faishal, was
nominated for the Jauhari Harapan Berita Harian (BH) Award yesterday. 19-year-old Dhafer, who was
one of four prestigious scholarship recipients of the year, was recognized by Berita Harian for his
academic excellence, and his potential for contributing to society in the future (BH, 12 Oct).

24. Social
24
 Bus and train fares will rise by 7 per cent from Dec 28, although the hike will be cushioned for more
than one in two Singaporeans who are eligible for concessionary fares (ST, 9 Oct).
 Foreign domestic workers can now get free mediation services at a non-profit organisation and arrive
at legally binding settlement agreements. The Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Social
Support and Training (Fast) said yesterday that it has received accreditation to provide such services,
and can help domestic workers resolve problems they may face with their employers or
employment agents (ST, 9 Oct).
Environmental and other social issues

25. Social
25
 Climate change is causing sea levels to rise, and Singapore has already begun to stem the tide. But it
turns out that the seas are rising faster than previously thought. Scientists have found that if
warming continues unabated, sea levels may rise by several metres in the centuries ahead. Earlier
estimates had said sea levels could rise by about 1m by 2100 (ST, 12 Oct).
 Less than a month after the first Singapore Climate Rally was held here, MPs took to social media
yesterday to reiterate their will to make sure more is done for the cause. MPs Louis Ng and Desmond
Lee, who were both at the rally held at Hong Lim Park on Sept 21, commended the organisers' efforts
in their Facebook posts and described some initiatives that have been implemented in Singapore (ST,
20 Oct).
Climate Change
 Singapore's plans to tackle climate change will include nature-based
solutions such as restoring its mangrove areas and planting thousands
of trees, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli
said yesterday. While it has mentioned engineering options before, this is the
first time the Government has officially said that nature-based solutions to
deal with climate change are on the cards (ST, 22 Oct).
 The seas are rising faster than expected, and Singapore is getting ready
to adapt to the consequences, said Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State
for the Environment and Water Resources, yesterday (ST, 24 Oct).

26. Malay/Muslim Affairs
26
M³ programmes and initiatives
 Working closely with all walks of life to ensure that no one is left behind - that is the aspiration of
M³@Pasir Ris-Punggol. M³@Pasir Ris-Punggol, which was launched in October last year, helped
coordinate the functions of the Malay Activity Executive Committees (MAECs) and Malay/Muslim
organizations in an effort to reach out to the Malay/Muslim community in their areas and provide
services that meet the needs of the population (BH, 7 Oct).
 Job seekers can get step-by-step guidance from Mendaki Sense, which now offers enhanced
programmes to help employees set career paths and training. An effort called Ace It! it is an
improvement from the matching services and job placement offered previously for those looking to find
work through the Yayasan Mendaki training branch (BH, 20 Oct).
 The Malay/Muslim community in the west, especially the youth, can now take advantage of a variety
of programmes and services in the satellite centre of Mendaki@Jurong launched yesterday. The centre,
which focuses on youth development, is located on the second floor of the National Kidney Foundation
(NKF), on Corporation Road (BH, 26 Oct).
MENDAKI programmes and initiatives

27. Malay/Muslim Affairs
27
MENDAKI programmes and initiatives
 1,500 people turned up for Reading @ The Gardens at Gardens by the Bay yesterday morning, as
part of the start of a month-long knowledge festival organised by community self-help group Mendaki
to encourage Malay/Muslims to continue exploring various forms of learning (ST, 7 Oct).
 First launched in 1982, the annual Anugerah Cemerlang Mendaki award is presented to Muslim
students who have done exceptionally well in various disciplines and examinations including the PSLE
and O levels. More than 500 people from the Malay/Muslim community were recognised for excellence
in both academic and non-academic fields at the awards ceremony at ITE College Central (ST, 13 Oct).
 Young Malay residents in the western part of Singapore who
need help with their studies will have it on their doorstep
through a new centre opened by self-help group Mendaki in
Jurong yesterday. The satellite centre is located near
educational institutions such as the National University of
Singapore, Singapore Polytechnic and ITE College West, in
the hope that it will become a hub where students can come
together to form ideas and create projects that address
community issues, said Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs
and Mendaki chairman Masagos Zulkifli at its opening (ST, 26
Oct).

28. Malay/Muslim Affairs
28
 President Halimah Yacob has made it into the top 50 of a list of the world's 500 most influential
Muslims compiled by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre, a think-tank in Jordan (ST, 7 Oct).
 Local mosques are built and upgraded using funds from Muslims here, and this ensures that the
community cannot be easily influenced by foreigners, Senior Minister of State for Defence and
Foreign Affairs Maliki Osman said yesterday. Speaking about the unique way in which Islam is practised
in Singapore, he said the Muslim community charts its own path while respecting the country's
multi-religious context, even as it adheres to the underpinnings of Islam (ST, 8 Oct).
Malay/Muslim Organisation and religious developments
 Islamic religious teachers, or asatizah, can now be trained to
identify symptoms of family violence and take steps to help
stop domestic abuse in order to counter misguided mindsets in
the community. At a Symposium on Muslim Family Law yesterday,
organised by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore
(Muis), Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Social and Family
Development and Education Faishal Ibrahim also announced that
training for asatizah interested in social work and counselling
will be available (ST, 8 Oct).

29. Malay/Muslim Affairs
29
 Ustaz Syed Ahmad Syed Mohamed will step down next Tuesday as the Registrar of Muslim
Marriages after 14 years in the post. Ustaz Nor Razak Bakar, 53, who has been deputy registrar and a
kadi (marriage solemniser) for 20 years, will succeed him (ST 15, Oct).
 The commemoration of Bulan Bahasa in the housing estates continued last weekend with various
activities being held in Keat Hong and Nee Soon estates. Malay Activity Executive Committees
(MAECs) Keat Hong has organized Bulan Bahasa events @ Keat Hong last Saturday with the theme of
'Aku Masih Fasih' ('I'm Still Fluent'). The event attracted the participation of more than 2,000 residents
to raise awareness about the Malay language through games and music performances (BH, 1 Oct).
Malay/Muslim Organisation and religious developments
 Ustaz Zahid Zin was appointed by the Muslim Kidney Action
Association (MKAC) as the Goodwill Ambassador of the
association last Saturday. The appointment took place during
the MKAC Awards Dinner held at The Landmark attended by
about 120 people including community leaders and kidney
patients (BH, 5 Oct).

30. Malay/Muslim Affairs
30
 Efforts to approach parents and Malay language teachers through interactive programmes will be
held as a curtain-raiser for the presentation Arif Budiman Teacher Award (AGAB). Held on November
9, the efforts will be made through two programmes - Tak Kenal Maka Tak Cinta, and Kata Tari - which
will run concurrently at the Orchid Country Club (BH, 6 Oct).
 Around 800 youth attended the Youth aLIVE Discourse 2019, addressing the issue of addiction among
youths, at the Suntec Convention Centre last September 29. The discourse organized by the Islamic
Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) also included a panel of social workers, Ustaz Muhammad
Abu Sufian Hanafi, Youth aLIVE coach Ustazah Lina Sakina Salim and Majulah Community Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) Shafiee Razali (BH, 9 Oct).
Malay/Muslim Organisation and religious developments
 A multitude of events were planned in conjunction with the
20th anniversary of Al-Istiqamah Mosque (MIQ). The
highlight of the mosque's 20th anniversary campaign, MIQ 20,
is the 'Charity Lunch' with nasyid group from Malaysia, Hijjaz,
and host AB Shaik will be gracing the event (BH, 11 Oct).

31. Malay/Muslim Affairs
31
 The mosque as a point for family bonding. Such is the theme of En-Naeem Mosque's family day,
Mega Family Fest 2019, which took place on October 6 at the mosque located on the Tampines Road.
In line with the theme of Mega Family Fest 2019, the En-Naeem Mosque event was received warmly by
the families attending and participating in various programmes at the family day event (BH, 11 Oct).
 There is a need to foster collaboration with writers in other relevant areas so that asatizahs have full
support in their roles. These are among the three key findings shared during the town hall session held
at the Suntec Convention Centre yesterday following a series of community-led sessions by the
Committee of Future Asatizah (Cofa) (BH, 13 Oct).
 Light shows shone on the Malay Heritage Centre (MHC) building, dance fests and bilingual
performances were among the atttractions at the Malay CultureFest this year. In commemoration of
200 years of Singapore, Singapore Bicentennial, Malay CultureFest this year will focus on the theme
'Nation’ (BH, 15 Oct).
Malay/Muslim Organisation and religious developments

32. Malay/Muslim Affairs
32
 Rather than just criticising, it is important to try to understand and appreciate the fatwa that has been
produced in response to the various benefits that have arisen as it is produced by taking into account
various considerations. While there may be different fatwa on similar issues in different places, a good
approach is to use the fatwa in your own country as it is produced based on local context and
circumstances. Such is a part of the summary of the Understanding Fatwa and Its Development in
Singapore forum held at Khadijah Mosque last week (BH, 22 Oct).
 Many platforms have been used to make the En-Naeem Mosque relevant to the community. In addition
to offering the services of tahnik, the mosque's preaching department established a new initiative
called #BerdesutToJannah that leverages digital media to preach to young people (BH, 25 Oct).
Malay/Muslim Organisation and religious developments

33. Malay/Muslim Affairs
33
Voices of the Community
 There is a risk of a class divide emerging in the Malay community, said Professor Yaacob Ibrahim
on Wednesday evening (Oct 9), stressing that those in the middle class can do more to help the rest
succeed (ST, 11 Oct).
 Values of character, competence and citizenry that have made the Malay/Muslim community
successful will become increasingly important in meeting today's challenges, said Deputy Prime
Minister Heng Swee Keat yesterday. These challenges, which include inequality, an ageing population,
climate change and geopolitical tensions, have often caused strife and divisions in other countries, he
said (ST, 12 Oct).
 Excerpt of President Halimah Yacob's speech during the
launch of the MENDAKI Heritage Gallery: Mendaki has
played an important role in improving the community. (BH,
8 Oct).

34. Malay/Muslim Affairs
34
Voices of the Community
 Behind celebrating the progress of the Malay/Muslim community and promoting a culture of lifelong
learning, there is still a lot of things including education and employment to be worked with.
Emphasising this at the launch of the annual Mendaki event, Bulan Raikan Ilmu, Mendaki Heritage
Gallery and Mendaki Commemorational Book yesterday, President Halimah Yacob said the definition
of success needed to be expanded beyond academics (BH, 6 Oct).
 It is important for students to achieve the full achievements and display the '3K' attributes, which
can make them exemplary students besides contributing to the country and society, said Minister-in-
charge of Muslim Affairs, Mr Masagos Zulkifli Masagos Mohamad. The '3K' attributes he meant -
personality (keperibadian), skills (kemahiran) and citizenship (kewarganegaraan) - should be instilled in
youths and should be celebrated while they are still students (BH, 13 Oct).
 Building a culture that promotes mentoring among
Malay/Muslim youth must continue to be strengthened in
order to expose mentees to other opportunities and patterns of
thinking beyond their social circle. This also provides
opportunities for mentors to share their experiences and
knowledge, said Member of Parliament of Jurong GRC
Rahayu Mahzam (BH, 14 Oct).

35. Malay/Muslim Affairs
35
Voices of the Community
 Asatizahs are urged to continue to play their role not only in the dissemination of Islamic laws, but
also the meaning behind Islam, including the pure values, rahmah and ethics that the religion
teaches. Such was the message delivered by the Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Ministry of Home
Affairs & Ministry of Health), Mr Amrin Amin, to a group of asatizahs in a joint dialogue session with
asatizahs as organized by the Berita Harian (BH) on Thursday (BH, 22 Oct).
 Men need to help and understand the role of his wife in today's modern context as more and more
women go out to work, says Mufti of Singapore Dr Mohamed Fatris Bakaram. Commenting on this
during his presentation at the Mufti Speech 2019 session, the Mufti said that men should also take
advantage of the parental leave they were given when the wife gives birth (BH, 30 Oct).

36. Food For Thought
36
1. Hearing podcasts is not just a trend that is gaining popularity among the Malay community, but
it also has the potential to be creative teaching materials to stimulate students' interest in
learning the Malay language in the classroom.
• How can the use of new creative teaching materials such as podcasts or other technology be
incorporated to help our Malay/Muslim students?
2. From blockchain to artificial intelligence (AI) to tips on how to start a home enterprise, mothers
looking to return to the workforce will have a range of courses to choose from starting this
month.
• What other areas of concern can we address, besides skillsets, to support Malay/Muslim mothers
looking to return to the workforce?
3. President Halimah Yacob said the definition of success needed to be expanded beyond
academics.
• How can we empower our Malay/Muslim youth to adopt a holistic definition of success?