Primary 1 Students Enrolled for Tamil as Mother Tongue in Madrasah Irsyad Zuhri Al-Islamiah and Community Outreach Efforts to Encourage Tamil-Speaking Asatizah Development

23 Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik asked the Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs (a) how many Primary 1 students enrolled at Madrasah Irsyad Zuhri Al-Islamiah in 2026 opted for Tamil as their Mother Tongue Language (MTL); (b) what outreach efforts are being taken by MUIS among Tamil-speaking Muslim parents to encourage madrasah enrolment; and (c) what other initiatives are in place to nurture local Tamil-speaking Tier 1 asatizah.

Assoc Prof Dr Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim: Currently, six Primary 1 students take Tamil as their Mother Tongue Language at Madrasah Irsyad Zuhri Al-Islamiah.

To help Muslim students from Tamil-speaking families prepare for madrasah admission, a Madrasah Preparatory Programme has been introduced at Abdul Gafoor Mosque. Led by Indian Muslim community leaders and supported by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS), this initiative is promoted to Tamil-speaking Muslim parents through the Indian Muslim mosques and Indian/Muslim organisations.

Beyond language capabilities, those who wish to pursue a career in the religious sector must possess deep religious knowledge and be able to apply it to Singapore's multi-racial and multi-religious context. All asatizah, including those who are Tamil-speaking, may tap on professional development initiatives offered by MUIS, including the continuing professional education programmes.