8-7-2023 (SINGAPORE) President Halimah Yacob applauded the remarkable advancements made by the Malay/Muslim community in education and household income over the past decade during her speech at the Masyarakat Gemilang Conference held at Wisma Geylang Serai on Saturday.
Madam Halimah commended the community for leveraging their diverse strengths and encouraged them to continue supporting one another for collective progress as they set higher ambitions for themselves.
The Masyarakat Gemilang Conference, organized by Yayasan Mendaki as part of the annual Raikan Ilmu month, served as a platform for around 200 youth leaders and professionals to engage in discussions and generate new ideas to propel the community forward.
Minister for Social and Family Development Masagos Zulkifli, who is also Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs and chairman of Mendaki, hosted the event.
President Halimah highlighted the important role of the youth in the community’s pursuit of progress and inclusivity. Through collaborations with the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) and the People’s Association Malay Activity Executive Committees Council (Mesra), Mendaki has reached out to over 86,000 individuals and beneficiaries in 2022 through their partnership known as M3. This collaboration closely coordinates with other community and national agencies to implement programs across the 11 M3 towns.
“I am delighted that more individuals in the community, especially children and youth, have benefited from Mendaki’s programs and initiatives,” stated Madam Halimah. She cited successful examples such as the KelasMateMatika (KMM) program, which empowers parents to teach basic numeracy concepts to their pre-school children, and the Family Excellence Circle (FEC).
In 2018, when M3 was initially established, 97 children participated in the KMM program. However, through outreach efforts in collaboration with pre-schools and local partners in the M3 towns, the program has witnessed a significant increase, with 2,500 children enrolled this year. Recent evaluations by the M3 Programme Evaluation Office have demonstrated the effectiveness of the KMM program in enhancing children’s numeracy skills, leading to a reduced need for enrollment in the Learning Support for Maths program upon entry into Primary 1.
In addition to building a strong academic foundation, initiatives like the FEC provide children in the community with a stable and nurturing environment. The FEC serves as an informal support structure, benefiting individuals such as Ms. Idayu Abu Saleh, a mother of four who is the sole breadwinner of her family. Through the FEC, three of Ms. Idayu’s children have received support from the Mendaki Tuition Scheme and the Harun Ghani Education Fund for their primary, secondary, and ITE education. Ms. Idayu has now become a trained FEC facilitator, enabling her to help others enhance their self-reliance, resilience, and create a social support system.
President Halimah encouraged youth in the community to participate in various Mendaki programs as beneficiaries or volunteers. She highlighted initiatives such as the NextStop seminar and Youth@M3 networking session, which enhance awareness of opportunities in growth sectors among tertiary students. The #amPowered mentoring programs provide guidance to secondary school and Institute of Technical Education students as they navigate educational pathways and career planning. Additionally, young professionals who have recently entered the workforce can benefit from joining professional networks established by Mendaki, which help Malay/Muslim professionals, managers, executives, and technicians expand their social capital and find their footing in their careers.
President Halimah concluded her speech by urging more individuals to register for these professional networks or even start their own, emphasizing the importance of continued growth and support within the Malay/Muslim community.
