SINGAPORE: Divorces among Muslims in Singapore have
gone down by some 17 per cent over the last five years, while
divorces amongst minors have decreased by 26 per cent during the
same period.
Minister in Charge of Muslim Affairs, Dr Yaacob
Ibrahim told the House during the budget debate on Malay-Muslim
issues that the community has also seen progress in education and
employment.
Efforts to foster strong marriages and families
among the Malay-Muslim community have seen results.
Preliminary figures show that the number of divorces stands at 1626
last year, down from some 1944 in 2006.
The community also gained some ground in tackling the issue of
marriages involving minors. Marriages involving minors dropped some
35 per cent since 2006.
The INSPIRASI hubs operated by PPIS Family Service Centre (West)
and the Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP) that helped minor
couples saw positive results in its efforts. Last year, more than
40 per cent of the 307 couples who attended premarital counselling
at the INSPIRASI hubs either delayed or cancelled their
marriage.
Dr Yaacob said the situation is improving but the community must
not rest on its laurels.
A recent study on Muslim marriages by the Community Development,
Youth and Sports Ministry revealed that five in 10 divorces
involved those who were 21 to 29 years old at the point of
marriage. 25 per cent of female divorcees and eight per cent of
male divorcees were below 21 years at the point of marriage.
He called for greater moral courage to bring attention to cases
that otherwise fall through the cracks.
"Families should not hesitate nor be embarrassed to seek help when
necessary. I am confident that with more feedback, further public
outreach and improvement of existing hardware, we can continue to
bring down the numbers of divorces, minor marriages and
dysfunctional families," said Dr Yaacob.
About three in 10 Malay-Muslims in Singapore are below the age of
19 years old.
Turning to the educational attainment of youths, Dr Yaacob said it
has been improving. Figures provided by the Education Ministry
showed that Malay students have made the greatest improvement over
the past 10 years in their performance at the GCE A-Level
Examinations.
The proportion of Malays aged 15 and over with at least
post-secondary qualifications has doubled from 18 per cent in 2000
to 36 per cent in 2010.
Dr Yaacob urged more young people to step forward to bring the
community to greater heights. But other than developing young
talents, he said it is also crucial to reach out to vulnerable
youths before they succumb to negative influences. MENDAKI will be
launching an Engagement Programme for Boys (EPB) this month. The
EPB will pilot with 100 secondary boys from various schools,
providing them with a platform to continue their education, engage
in enriching activities, and develop wholesome values.
The community was also forthcoming when it came to training and
employment. About 12,700 training places under MENDAKI's Job Steady
Programme were taken up in last year. MENDAKI's Job Ready programme
also assisted about 3,700 job seekers in re-employment.
During the debate, several MPs also raised the issue of
integration. Dr Yaacob said integration is a continuous
process.
"Progress by all communities, including Malay/Muslims, has been
good. There will occasionally be hiccups and sometimes feelings are
hurt when perspectives differ on sensitive issues that we hold
dear. But we should not let such hiccups hold us back. In my
considered view, today our integration and mutual confidence
between races and religions is stronger, more resilient and more
mature than it was a decade ago, before 9/11," said Dr
Yaacob.
He added: "In pursuing integration, we reaffirm our Singaporean
Muslim Identity which encapsulates our way of life, and our
aspirations to be open, forward looking and successful community.
Our Prime Minister has stated clearly the government's appreciation
for the Malay-Muslim community's efforts, and its strong support
for these efforts. I am therefore confident that the community will
continue to work closely with the government and other communities
to strengthen our national cohesion."
Dr Yaacob said under Islamic Religious Council's leadership,
mosques have been active members of the Inter-Racial and Religious
Confidence Circles (IRCCs), hosting inter-faith dialogues on mosque
grounds.
He said such sessions have helped build understanding and respect
among various religious communities.
-CNA/ac