Malay community to look at playing a more active part in
integrating new citizens
By Saifulbahri Ismail, Channel NewsAsia |
Posted: 16 February 2010 1830 hrs
SINGAPORE: With many new citizens coming from China and
India, the local Chinese and Indian communities have been busy
trying to integrate these new citizens.
Malay dance and silat are items put up at community events by
members of the People's Association Malay Activity Executive
Committee Co-ordinating Council or MESRA.
They are part of efforts to promote social cohesion in Singapore's
multi-racial society.
However, with the arrival of more new citizens, MESRA wants to be
more pro-active in reaching out to them.
Mustaffa Abu Bakar, chairman, MESRA, said: "I think in a way, we
have taken things for granted. We have been quiet and maybe we have
to partake in the integration exercise by sending our tarian, our
silat. But I think more needs to be done."
To help organisations create more opportunities for interaction
between Singaporeans and new citizens, the government launched a
Community Integration Fund last year.
One of the beneficiaries is Hum Theatre which received S$16,000 to
organise a play called Rafta Rafta.
Daisy Irani, co-founder, Hum Theatre, said: "What we want to do is
do plays in English. The reason to do that is so that the audience
can comprise the locals, new citizens even a wider base - people
who want to just enjoy and understand the sensibilities and
sensitivities of the Indians."
The Malay community is also looking into how it can better
understand the new citizens and what they can offer to the
community.
Yang Razali Kassim, chairman, AMP Convention Steering Committee,
said: "We see the Muslim foreign expatriates as having skills,
talents and expertise that our Malay community can benefit from. I
see them like a new engine for the growth of the Malay
community."
Malay organisations said efforts must also be made to reach out to
the larger groups of new citizens.
If not, the repercussions could be damaging.
Zulkifli Mohammed, president, Majlis Pusat, said: "Well I guess we
don't want to be perceived as a community that is at the fringe. So
if we don't come in and participate in this kind of national
project, then people will have a distorted view of the Malay
community, that they keep to themselves and they are
isolationists."
Mr Zulkifli added that the Malays being the largest minority group
also has an important role to play in helping the new citizens sink
their roots in Singapore. - CNA/vm
