Committee of Supply – Head X (Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth)

The Chairman: Head X, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth. Mr Sitoh Yih Pin.

4.41 pm

Shaping a Home for the Future

Mr Sitoh Yih Pin (Potong Pasir): Mr Chairman, I beg to move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head X of the Estimates be reduced by $100".

To kick off the Committee of Supply (COS) debate for the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) this year, I want to take some reference from the recently concluded Forward Singapore (Forward SG) exercise. As we know, at the heart of the Forward SG exercise, is an effort to engage as many Singaporeans as we can, from all walks of life, on how we should refresh our social compact on the road ahead for Singapore. It suggests, although unsurprisingly, that the aspirations of Singaporeans as to our social compact and to our way of life, has become increasingly diverse.

I say unsurprising because diversity has actually always been the bedrock of how our social compact came to be. Our core values of building a caring and inclusive, multiracial, multicultural and multi-religious society remain sacrosanct among Singaporeans. Closely related is our desire to celebrate our diverse cultural heritage in shared community spaces, expanding opportunities for all to excel or participate in arts and sports and to allow everyone the equal opportunity to pursue their dreams and aspirations.

While it is undeniable that, as each successive new generation of Singaporeans come to the fore, we will continue to evolve as a society and refresh our social compact. These are some core values which should remain key tenets in the pillars of our social compact. We must acknowledge, however, that Singapore, as a society, is rapidly evolving.

Two examples of demographic changes. Increasing inter-ethnic and transnational marriages, may in the future, require us to rethink our racial and cultural classifications. An ageing population and a low birth rate may make us consider how we fundamentally function as a foundational unit that is entrusted with bringing up the next generation and caring for our seniors. This will decidedly have an impact on how we chart our way forward.

It is therefore apparent to me that how we manage the arts, heritage, culture, sports and community sectors within our society will have a deep impact on how our social compact will evolve moving forward. Importantly, we must include our youths in these conversations, as they are the next generation of Singaporeans who will inherit a Singapore shaped by the policies we set in the present day.

We will recollect that these are key areas under the Unite Pillar, led by MCCY Minister Edwin Tong during the Forward SG Conversations. I, therefore, invite the Minister to share with us, MCCY's plans and strategies on how they will expand opportunities in community building, as well as the arts, heritage and sports, to build a vibrant and cohesive home that empowers all Singaporeans to excel and achieve their diverse dreams and aspirations and yet, at the same time, be able to take action to build a fairer and better society together.

Question proposed.

4.45 pm

The Chairman: Mr Saktiandi Supaat, please take both your cuts together.

M³ Key Outcomes and Active Citizenry

Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Thank you, Mr Chairman. In Malay, please.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] M³ celebrated its fifth birthday last year. When it began in 2018, the aim was to solve the Malay/Muslim community's problems by combining the expertise of MENDAKI, Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (MUIS) and the People's Association Malay Activity Executive Committees Council (MESRA) in the areas of education, religious life and community outreach respectively.

The good work done through M³ is evident. Project DIAN@M³ now supports 400 Malay families living in rental flats across at least six M³@Towns. This is up from around 250 households as at last year's COS. Volunteer ambassadors under Project DIAN play an involved role in guiding vulnerable families, including early childhood development through methods and programmes developed together with the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) and KidSTART.

In March 2023, M³ has also added community health as a new focus area in addition to marriage and parenthood, vulnerable groups, youth empowerment and employment. In late September, we at M³@Toa Payoh welcomed clinical psychologist Haikal Jamil, who generously held a concurrent physical and Zoom workshop for managing stress and burnout among residents.

(In English): Mr Chairman, in English, please. My question to Minister is this: what does he see as some of the key outcomes of M³ and the role that active citizenry has played in this? How does M³ amplify the efforts, compared to if MENDAKI, MUIS and MESRA undertook their respective initiatives alone?

I ask this especially as opportunities for cross-pollination of ideas already exist. For example, the Community Leaders' Forum launched in 2003 is a platform to ensure efficient and effective management of resources by the various Malay/Muslim Organisations (MMOs) to avoid duplication of programmes and services. Is there an intention to bring more MMOs under the M³ umbrella as well, such as the Singapore Muslim Women's Association (PPIS) and the Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP)?

Push More Volunteers to Step Forward

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Through the recent Forward SG exercise, we recognise that many in our community wish to step forward and contribute to support and uplift the lives of those around them, as part of our refreshed social compact.

M³'s wide range of different focus areas, together with the momentum of its programmes and initiatives in the past five years, gives it unlimited potential to attract individuals with different skills and interests. And it is these diverse strengths we must harness to bring the Malay/Muslim community and Singapore forward, as our former President, Mdm Halimah, had stated at the Community of Success Conference last year.

What are some opportunities and key areas of need within M³, where volunteers can step forward and make a difference? Can we improve our capabilities in terms of sustainable volunteer management, and in terms of budgeting and human resources? I have three suggestions.

First, in addition to the financial advisors, lawyers and healthcare professionals who help the community in their own area, we should broaden efforts to gather more professional groups from various industries – perhaps from emerging industries – who can lend their assistance or mentorship.

Second, we should scour for more Singaporean Malay/Muslims overseas who have done very well and flown Singapore's flag high. They have unique perspectives in this age of internationalisation.

Third, we will need more online thought leaders, to participate responsibly in the increasing debates that are taking place on the Internet.

The Chairman: Dr Wan Rizal, please take both your cuts.

Malay/Muslim Community of Success

Dr Wan Rizal (Jalan Besar): Chairman, in Malay please.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs has shared his vision to create a Community of Success based on the "3C"s – Character, Competency and Citizenry.

This framework not only serves as a road map for the community, but it also reflects our nation's broader aspirations, as exhorted in the Forward SG exercise. Through Forward SG, we have seen how Singaporeans' aspirations are now focused on the pursuit of meaning and purpose, and looking beyond themselves and helping others. This collective aspiration represents what we wish for in our society, that is, a society where success is measured not only through an individual's achievements, but also through our contributions to the greater good.

In this context, the Citizenry element of the Community of Success framework takes on a higher significance. Therefore, can the Minister share how the Citizenry component within the Community of Success framework can contribute towards our common aspirations as Singaporeans and strengthen our social compact?

Malay/Muslim Community Health

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Sir, through Healthier SG, the increased awareness on the importance of preventive health cannot be ignored any longer. Preventive health is a proactive measure that aims to improve the quality of life and reduce the burden of illness.

More people are aware that lifestyle and daily choices can influence our long-term health. Furthermore, more people are interested in enhancing their understanding and activities in terms of mental health. Many recognise that mental health is just as important as physical health.

Last year, the Minister launched the fifth focus area, or FA5, led by M³, as an initiative to increase awareness and actions towards preventive health. This is a good time to look back on the measures that were taken and the journey forward to empower individuals to take ownership of their health, with support from the community.

Sir, health and well-being are not just the responsibility or obligation of an individual. In fact, it is a shared commitment that we must make as one people. Therefore, we need to underscore the importance of creating a conducive environment that encourage, educate and enable every member of our community to lead a healthier life.

In this context, may I ask the Minister, what are the key initiatives of FA5, and how does it help to drive and advance our collective effort to improve our community's health – both physically and mentally?

Progress of Malay/Muslim Community

Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap (Aljunied): Sir, in Malay.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Sir, I would like to ask a few questions to get some clarification and also give suggestions on these two matters, firstly, the Mosque Building and MENDAKI Fund (MBMF), and secondly, M³.

Sir, the Mosque Building Fund (MBF) was initially set up to finance the cost of building new mosques during the period when Singapore was undergoing development and urbanisation. The MBF then became the MBMF in 1984, after the establishment of MENDAKI Foundation, and the use of this fund was further expanded to include efforts and initiatives for community development. In 2009, this fund was also extended for the use of upgrading and revitalising mosques. Sir, the information I share is available on MUIS' website.

I would like to ask Minister about the use of the MBMF to fund the development of mosques. What is the allocation of funds from MBMF, in terms of percentage, against the actual cost, firstly, for the construction of new mosques like the Yusof Ishak Mosque; secondly for rebuilding mosques, like the Al-Ansar mosque; and thirdly, for mosques that undergo upgrading and repair works, like the one that Alkaff Kampung Melayu mosque is undergoing.

Sir, regarding the M³ network that was established in 2018, I would like to know whether the Minister will produce its Progress Report. If this report will be produced, when will it be done? May I suggest that this progress report be released once every five years. A complete and detailed progress report will enable, firstly, the community to have a deeper knowledge and understanding about the development and effectiveness of the programmes and initiatives that have been carried out, and secondly, so that the community can also know about the progress of M³'s efforts in achieving the mission and vision that has been outlined for the Singapore Muslim community.

The Chairman: Assoc Prof Razwana Begum. Dr Syed Harun, please take your two cuts together.

Role of MUIS in Community

Success of M³ Initiative

Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi (Nominated Member): Thank you, Chairman. In Malay, please.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] First, regarding MUIS' role in Muslim affairs, there are various complexities and diversity in today's world, especially with the rapid developments in the use of technology, such as the increasingly widespread use of artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and so on. From a religious perspective, the community faces a variety of complex issues, such as the latest technologies in medicine and food, as well as in the international financial systems and structure, as presented at the Fatwa Conference organised by MUIS recently.

We can see how international issues, such as the events in Israel and Palestine, Russia and Ukraine, as well as in the Middle East, can give rise to strong and considerable tension and emotions in society. There is also an additional dimension in Singapore, where the Muslim community is a minority group within a plural society. However, there is a desire among Muslims to further enhance their contributions, not only to issues that are near and dear to the Malay/Muslim community, but also to contribute to the nation and the wider Singapore society.

There is also a desire, as well as expertise and knowledge from asatizah and members of the Muslim community to contribute their expertise and capabilities towards the religious affairs and benefit of the global Muslim community, for both the minority and majority groups.

Many turn to MUIS' leadership to provide clarifications and guidance to address challenges that Muslims face. Is MUIS' current structure adequate and can it fully support the needs of the community in the future? What are the next steps to further enhance MUIS' competencies and capabilities, in order to produce a robust institution when facing contemporary challenges in Singapore?

Can we also increase support for local madrasah education as it is a pipeline for local religious scholars, in order to produce community leaders who can provide solutions to contemporary issues in Singapore in an appropriate, wise, credible and balanced manner?

Second, Chairman, I would like to ask about the success rate of M³'s initiatives to date. The implementation of M³ programmes has been encouraging, because it combines the resources across the three major community institutions, namely MUIS, MENDAKI and MESRA, in a way that multiplies their respective efforts, and this has benefitted the community.

M³ is already in its fifth year. I hope that Minister will be able to share, in particular, the result of all the good work and programmes under M³, and whether there are any early outcome measures to indicate that home ownership, health indices and accessibility to education, especially early childhood and post-secondary education – are improving within the Malay/Muslim community, and also whether there are any early outcome measures that indicate that drug abuse and crime recidivism rates are decreasing further among the communities and families engaged by M³.

My view is that M³ should also focus on such outcome measures, and it should give attention to these indicators. Certainly, it should be considered as one of the benchmarks of M^3's success to ensure that the community’s progress and improvement are assessed objectively.

The Chairman: Ms Nadia Samdin, would you like to take your two cuts together?

Growing Contextualised Knowledge

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin (Ang Mo Kio): Thank you, in Malay please.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] As a small country, we are vulnerable to global and geopolitical developments. Religious and Malay/Muslim organisation leaders have been the guiding light for our community in navigating crucial challenges, whether in dealing with the global pandemic, technological developments and geopolitical issues, such as the ongoing crisis in Gaza. They also play a role in representing our community, both nationally and globally.

A minority Muslim community in a country like Singapore faces unique challenges. Asatizah and leaders of Malay/Muslim organisations play an important role in guiding the response of our community. Our actions and responses should recognise the context of Singapore's plural and multicultural society, based on religious principles.

May I ask how MUIS can continue to equip and support our asatizah, to guide our community in addressing contemporary issues?

What kind of support and resources are available to our religious and MMO leaders, in terms of training opportunities and global exposure, to broaden their experience and deepen their capabilities, to guide and unite our community?

5.00 pm

Tunas Bersama M³ Programme and MMO Leadership

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Serving the community is a never-ending task. Leadership renewal plans are key in sustaining the impact that Malay/Muslim organisations have made over the years. In 2021, Minister Masagos launched the Tunas Bersama M³ programme to groom the next generation of Malay/Muslim leaders by equipping them with the knowledge, skills and networks to lead their community and respective organisations.

Our community leadership remains crucial, especially at a time when the challenges that our society face are increasing and becoming more complex, such as climate change, online harms, mental well-being and so on. I hope that more from our generation will step forward to lead us to face these challenges.

Can the Minister provide an update on the Tunas Bersama M³ programme? How does the Tunas programme help to develop our organisations’ leadership for the future and better meet the needs of our community?

Can Tunas be expanded to provide training and networking opportunities to other office-bearers in the MMOs, as well as the key groups serving the community?

Enhancements to the Bersamamu Programme

Mr Mohd Fahmi Aliman (Marine Parade): Chairman, in Malay, please.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] In the ever-evolving landscape of community support and empowerment, initiatives such as the Bersamamu programme, stand as pillars of strength in nurturing resilient and harmonious Muslim marriages. This ground-up effort, spearheaded by Naib Kadis, extends its support to couples from the pre-solemnisation phase through their initial two years of marriage. By offering personalised guidance and assistance, Bersamamu not only lays the groundwork for a strong marital bond, but also addresses the evolving needs of Muslim families.

With the recent enhancements to the programme, including the involvement of female asatizah, there arises a pertinent question - how does the Registry of Muslim Marriages (ROMM) and MUIS plan to further elevate the competencies of our Kadis, Naib Kadis and female asatizah, to better serve the multi-faceted needs of Muslim families in Singapore?

Building up Wakaf Masyarakat Singapura

Mr Sharael Taha (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Chairman, in Malay, please.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The Administration of Muslim Law Act (AMLA) was amended last month to enable MUIS to create the Singapore Community Wakaf (WMS).

We must continue to think of ways to meet the future needs of our community and the AMLA amendments lay the foundation for WMS to serve as a community endowment fund for social and religious development.

In my speech during the AMLA amendment Bill, I shared about the importance in having the WMS as a sustainable revenue stream and how its returns can be used to prepare for medium- and longer-term needs of our community.

This includes ensuring that our madrasahs are supported with sound and sustainable funding, so that we can continue to offer quality education, provide different development pathways to enhance the skills of our religious teachers, as well as meeting the long-term needs of our mosques and madrasahs including land lease renewal.

Can the Minister share more about the plan to build the WMS corpus to ensure that we are prepared for the future needs of our community? How can we encourage more of our community members to contribute to the WMS?

The Chairman: Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim. Take both your cuts together.

Support for Wakaf Masyarakat Singapura

Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim (Chua Chu Kang): Chairman, in Malay, please.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] I have spoken previously about an ecosystem to develop wakaf in Singapore through a comprehensive dispute resolution framework. I am glad that this suggestion is being considered alongside more innovative plans for wakaf in Singapore.

The Mosque Wakaf Investment Plan (MoWIP), which was launched in 2022 with mosques in the West District, is an example of an innovative investment to generate good returns.

The AMLA was recently amended to enable MUIS to create the WMS. The WMS will provide a sustainable source of revenue to support the socio-religious needs of our community in the long run.

According to MUIS' Annual Report, the total wakaf assets in Singapore is close to $1 billion. The World Bank estimates that the value of wakaf assets globally has reached $100 billion.

Therefore, we should consider how to make the institution of wakaf in Singapore more attractive. Currently, the income generated from wakafs vested in MUIS are exempted from the Income Tax Act.

However, can MUIS, together with the Ministry of Finance and the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore, consider appropriate tax regimes that will incentivise Singaporeans to establish wakafs and attract foreign wakafs to relocate to Singapore?

In respect of the WMS, I would like to ask the Minister whether he can share the plans to build up the WMS corpus to prepare for our future needs?

Minister had also shared in his speech at last year' Hari Raya Get-Together that some in the community have pledged contributions to WMS.

Can Minister provide an update on the status of pledges received so far? And what are the plans to encourage our community to pledge and continue to contribute to the WMS?

Internationalising our Halal Products

(In English): The global halal market is projected to cross US$2.8 trillion by 2025 and Singapore is currently ranked seventh on the global Islamic economic indicator. There is thus a huge growth potential opportunity in this sector. Singapore recently signed Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) to mutually recognise halal certificates with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Jordan. These MOUs are significant for Singapore as it not only paves the way for Singaporeans to benefit from a wider range of halal-certified products entering our market but would also allow Singapore companies to bring their local halal-certified products overseas.

Can the Minister elaborate on the significance of these halal internationalisation efforts for our minority Muslim community's success? And what are the plans that MUIS may have with Ministry of Trade and Industry or Enterprise Singapore to get more businesses from Singapore to take full advantage of such agreements? Besides this, there is also a potential to deepen expertise and skills among our community. In November last year, at the 20th Informal Meeting of Menteri-Menteri Agama Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, dan Singapura (MABIMS) in Singapore, an MOU, was entered on the exchange of research and studies on sharia, science and technical aspects in the development of halal-related fields. Can the Minister share any plans to encourage more of our asatizahs and madrasah students to pursue such expertise in the halal industry?

The Chairman: Assoc Prof Razwana Begum. Not here. Mr Sharael Taha. Please take your three cuts together.

Support for Educational Journey

Mr Sharael Taha (Pasir Ris-Punggol): Thank you, Chairman. Chairman, in Malay, please.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] A strong educational foundation remains a key pillar in helping both individuals and families achieve success and social mobility.

Organisations like MENDAKI play a crucial role in supporting our children and youth at different stages of their education journey, through programmes like the KelasMateMatika (KMM) and MENDAKI Tuition Scheme (MTS). Could the Minister share how programmes, like KMM and MTS, have helped our students and how the programmes have grown over the years?

Beyond programmes like KMM and MTS, how can programmes like Learning Journey by MENDAKI's Future Series Team and M³@Pasir Ris-Punggol provide avenues for youths to explore the jobs in the growth industries?

Over the past year, the learning journey programme has given our students the chance to visit more than 10 science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) companies, such as Google, SIA Engineering Company, Rolls-Royce, SMRT and SAESL. How can we encourage more youths to attend such programmes, so that they can be inspired and learn more about opportunities in the growth industry?

Support for Professional Development of Workers

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] In his Budget speech, Deputy Prime Minister Wong shared that there will be many economic uncertainties ahead. Therefore, to ensure that our Malay/Muslim workers continue to have good jobs, we must equip our workers with the knowledge and skills to be resilient, participate in growth industries and seize opportunities in the future economy. Could Minister share whether there are plans to better support our Malay/Muslim workers to ensure that they are better prepared to thrive in the future economy?

Within our community, we have started professional networks, such as MMiT and MMs in Engineering. The volunteers from MMiTs and MMs in Engineering have supported the programmes, such as Learning Journey, Raikan Ilmu and Hashtech. In the Hashtech competition recently organised by M³@Pasir Ris-Punggol, volunteers from MMiT and MM in engineering assisted students to explore skills in AI.

Could the Minister also share how professional networks in our community can come together to share insights on the industry for students and potential mid-career switchers?

Building Up our Youth Mentoring Capability

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Beyond educational support, mentoring plays an important role to equip our youth with emotional support and career guidance, so that they can achieve their aspirations.

Aside from mentoring programmes in educational institutions, M³ has also started to roll out mentoring programmes in some M³@Towns. At M³@Pasir Ris, we launched a mentoring programme where young professionals provide mentoring support to at-risk youths in secondary schools. I am heartened that, through this programme, all the youth beneficiaries managed to pass their year-end examinations, and more importantly, they gain a more positive outlook about their future.

Could the Minister also share how these mentoring programmes could continue to be relevant and effective in supporting the needs and aspirations of our youths?

The Chairman: Mr Mohd Fahmi Aliman, please take your three cuts together.

Support for Professional Development of Workers

Mr Mohd Fahmi Aliman (Marine Parade): Chairman, in Malay, please.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Sir, the recent study conducted by Yayasan MENDAKI sheds light on critical insights regarding employment and employability within the Malay/Muslim community. With over 1,000 respondents polled, this study underscores the significance of lifelong learning and upskilling, particularly among individuals with higher household incomes and those contributing to their families financially. These findings present an opportune moment to recalibrate our approach towards lifelong learning initiatives and career development support within the community.

How does the Ministry intend to leverage these insights to facilitate targeted interventions and support mechanisms, to ensure that individuals have the requisite skills and opportunities to thrive in an increasingly dynamic economy?

Laying the Foundations for Giving Back

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Sir, it is crucial to acknowledge the invaluable role of volunteers in driving community-centric programmes and initiatives. Volunteers, who often come from diverse backgrounds and walks of life, play a pivotal role in shaping the trajectory of community development efforts. However, encouraging greater participation in volunteerism, especially among beneficiaries of community support programmes, remains a pertinent challenge.

What are the Minister's plans to inspire and incentivise individuals, including past beneficiaries of community initiatives, to step forward and actively contribute to the betterment of the community?

Growth of M³

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Sir, the M³ framework, which is a collaborative effort between key community institutions, such as MUIS, MENDAKI and MESRA, has played a pivotal role in fostering unity and collective action within the Malay/Muslim community. Through its citizen-centric approach and emphasis on impactful community programmes, M³ has served as a catalyst for meaningful contributions from professionals, community leaders and volunteers alike.

As we reflect on the journey of M³ over the years, it becomes imperative to examine the key ways in which the framework has facilitated greater impact on the ground. Could the Minister provide insights into some notable initiatives and collaborative ventures undertaken through the M³ framework, particularly highlighting successful partnerships with community stakeholders and volunteers?

5.15 pm

The Chairman: Minister Masagos Zulkifli.

The Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs (Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M): Chairman, our Malay/Muslim community has made significant strides since Independence and over the decades. This is a result of the collective and steadfast effort of everyone in the community. As our Forward SG conversations have highlighted, this sense of care and contribution by everyone, regardless of race, language or religion, is key to strengthening Singapore's social compact.

The Singapore Malay/Muslim Community's vision of a Community of Success is underpinned by "3C"s: Character, Competency and Citizenry. This is supported by M³, which marshals the strengths and resources of three institutions – MUIS, MENDAKI and PA MESRA – and our community assets to better serve the needs and aspirations of our community.

It has been about five years since M³ was set up. Mr Saktiandi Supaat, Dr Syed Harun and Mr Faisal Manap asked about the progress and outcomes of M³. Through a more culturally nuanced approach that complements national efforts, we have been able to provide impactful programmes in the community. For example, through the Bersamamu programme, more than 26,000 couples have been supported by the Kadi and Naib Kadi or Muslim solemnisers to build stronger marriages. To Dr Syed Harun's query, the number of new Malay drug abusers arrested has fallen from 513 in 2013, to 351 in 2023. The two-year recidivism rate for Malay offenders has also improved over the past decade from 34.7% for the 2011 release cohort, to 26% for the 2021 release cohort. The improvements have been made possible through complementary efforts by the Government and M³ community programmes like FITRAH to preventing re-offending.

While it has been five years of M³, it would be too early to celebrate its success even as there are early and good indicators of it. We are continuing to review the impact of our programmes and will provide updates in due course.

What is clear is that M³ has importantly provided the structure to nurture a culture of contribution within the community. Volunteering, including through M³, is part of our national culture that is being celebrated by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) this year. To Mr Fahmi Aliman's and Dr Wan Rizal's queries, we have mobilised volunteers across the 11 M³@Towns to deliver greater impact on the ground and support last mile delivery. With a dedicated pool of over 850 volunteers at the M³@Towns, M³ has been able to tackle some of the key issues faced by our community.

How can we take our Community of Success to greater heights? I believe this lies in a continued spirit of Citizenry, where we support one another to create a brighter future for our community and for Singapore, which my colleagues and I will speak more about today.

I will first share three strategies to fortify our Community of Success: first, encouraging a culture of giving back to build strong community institutions; second, empowering confident religious and community leaders to face contemporary challenges; and third, exemplifying citizenry on the world stage. Chairman, in Malay, please.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] First, we must continue to ensure strong foundations for our religious institutions. In turn, our religious institutions provide the moral foundation for our community to thrive in the economy.

Dr Syed Harun asked how MUIS can continue to support our community's future needs. MUIS established the WMS to generate a sustainable funding stream to support the future religious needs of the community, for the current and future generation. These include our mosques, developing our asatizah and other community programmes.

Mr Sharael Taha and Mr Zhulkarnain asked about the plans to build the corpus or principal fund for WMS. Under the Mosque Wakaf Investment Plan, mosques invest their reserves in Shariah Compliant Investment Products to generate better returns. Thus far, 14 mosques from District West have collectively invested more than $2.7 million. MUIS will expand this initiative to all mosques in other districts, so that they can grow their funds and amplify their impact on the community.

While the spirit of gotong-royong has been part of our community's DNA, we need to be more organised and focused in multiplying efforts to encourage our community to contribute for the long term. I would like to thank Mr Zhulkarnain for his suggestion on encouraging more to create and contribute to wakaf. We will work with the relevant agencies to study these proposals. To Mr Sharael Taha's and Mr Zhulkarnain's queries, MUIS has embarked on a series of public education initiatives to equip the community with financial planning knowledge and tools to plan for their personal and family needs. They can thus plan and contribute their excess income and wealth to WMS for the greater good, and reap perpetual rewards in the afterlife. God willing.

Since last year, MUIS has received WMS pledges amounting over $3.6 million from individuals, besides the investment of mosques. I am heartened by the community's response so far and I encourage more to contribute or pledge to WMS.

Mr Faisal Manap asked about the MBMF. The MBMF provides for the development of all mosques including building upgrading and maintenance, where the allocation of funds are subject to each mosque's specific needs. For all new mosques, all land and building cost are funded by the MBMF. The MBMF also supports up to 75% of the approved cost for mosque upgrading.

I hope that contributions to WMS will help to foster a stronger culture of giving back within our community. Senior Minister of State Zaqy will elaborate on how we can empower our community through MENDAKI's initiatives, and with the success that we achieved, we can contribute more actively. Senior Parliamentary Secretary Rahayu will share ways we can leverage opportunities for contribution through M³ as a community that has become an educated and talented community.

Second, it is critical for our religious and community leaders to continue to have the knowledge, skills and experience, so that they are competent in guiding our community navigate the challenges ahead. This includes developing our madrasah students who will be our future community leaders, as Dr Syed Harun mentioned earlier. As a matter of fact, in recent years, our asatizah have guided the community through difficult issues, such as the wearing of the tudung and the repeal of section 377A of the Penal Code.

Ms Nadia Samdin asked about our plans to empower our asatizah to guide the community through contemporary issues. As a minority Muslim community, we face a different set of challenges compared to Muslim majority countries. In this regard, I agree with Dr Syed Harun that MUIS and our asatizah must provide clear leadership and guidance for our minority Muslim community living in such a contemporary context.

MUIS has taken concerted efforts to grow bodies of knowledge and one recent initiative is the Fatwa in Contemporary Societies Conference held last month. Eminent religious scholars from here and around the world discussed the importance of the fatwa institution and asatizah in providing robust solutions in the face of complex contemporary challenges. Although Singapore is a small state with a minority Muslim community, internationally renowned Islamic institutions like Egypt's Darul Ifta' recognised our country's contributions in building bodies of religious knowledge. This help to facilitate minority Muslims around the world to thrive in their respective contexts.

In fact, it also nurtures active citizenry in the respective societies. This is in line with the words of wisdom by the Grand Mufti of Egypt at the Fatwa Conference that minority Muslim communities should exemplify the spirit of active citizenry.

To further drive the development of our religious leaders and contextualised bodies of knowledge, MUIS will convene the second edition of the International Conference on Communities of Success (ICCOS) this October. This Conference will focus on how citizenry and community leadership are underpinned by religious values, and add to the body of knowledge of how minority Muslim communities can thrive in plural societies.

At the same time, we must also raise the capabilities of our community leaders to offer effective support to families and the community.

Mr Fahmi Aliman asked about our efforts to strengthen the competencies of our Kadi, Naib Kadi and female asatizah on the Bersamamu programme. More than 90% of them have undergone training to better guide couples in conversations on financial preparedness for marriage. This helped them be more confident and empathetic in guiding couples. We will further develop their competencies in other areas, so that they can provide more effective support to couples.

We will be commemorating the fifth anniversary of Bersamamu later this year. The success of Bersamamu would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of our volunteer Kadi, Naib Kadi and female asatizah.

(In English): Mr Chairman, as a Community of Success, we take pride not only in actively contributing to society. We also can demonstrate active citizenry on the world stage and bring distinction to our minority Muslim community and to Singapore.

Last year, Singapore signed our first MOU to mutually recognise halal certificates with Saudi Arabia. Such MOUs not only allow for halal-certified products from other countries to enter Singapore, but for Singapore companies to bring their halal-certified products overseas.

5.30 pm

To Mr Zhulkarnain's query, MUIS works with our economic agencies to do so. MUIS will also explore opportunities for our asatizah to be involved in halal-related industries.

Mr Zhulkarnain also asked about the significance of this MOU for our minority Muslim community. The MOU with Saudi Arabia is the first MOU they have signed with a country where Muslims are not the majority. This reflects the strong trust and confidence in our halal standards. More than just expanding business prospects, the MOU has enabled Singapore's minority Muslim community to stand tall in the world.

I was glad to join some Singapore business leaders to explore opportunities in Saudi Arabia in January. One of them was Mr Jimmy Soh, Managing Director of Growers Agri which exports rice and noodles, who shared with me that the MOU was a valuable commitment in promoting Singapore brands to the world.

Beyond the MOU with Saudi Arabia, MUIS has signed similar MOUs with the UAE and Jordan; and are looking to do the same with other countries.

Beyond efforts to strengthen halal cooperation, our minority Muslim community also contributes at the global stage, with how our religious leaders and institutions are internationally recognised for their thought leadership. Our Mufti Dr Nazirudin was recently appointed to the Forum for Research and Studies on Fatwas for Muslim Minorities, a world-renowned body of Islamic scholars founded by Egypt's Darul Ifta', led by the Grand Mufti of Egypt. The Congress plans to showcase Singapore's exemplary model for Muslim minorities to a global audience. We hope that our model of thriving Muslim minorities in a modern, plural society will inspire other communities and pave the way for fostering peace and harmony globally.

Mr Chairman, as a community that has done well, it is our mutual responsibility to contribute both within our community and to wider society as well as beyond our shores. It is when every one of us does our part as active citizens that we can advance and scale greater heights and together, be a Community of Success for the future. [Applause.]

The Chairman: Senior Minister of State Zaqy Mohamad.

The Senior Minister of State for Defence and Manpower (Mr Zaqy Mohamad): Chairman, our Malay/Muslim community has made significant progress in the last decade, especially in education. As the community's talent pool strengthens, it provides strong foundations for our community to contribute back and support one another as a Community of Success.

MENDAKI has played a key role in improving the education and professional development outcomes in our community. We do so in three ways: first, to strengthen education as a pillar for progress; two, empowering our community to thrive and contribute; and three, grooming the community leadership for the future.

Last year, MENDAKI engaged and supported close to 90,000 members of the community through its various programmes and schemes.

One of MENDAKI's key pillars is to provide support for our children and youths at all stages of their education. To achieve this, one of our main approaches is to mobilise talents and energise the community.

Mr Sharael Taha asked about the progress of MENDAKI's signature programmes, like KMM and the MTS. I am happy to share that our KMM programme for preschoolers saw a 74% increase in its enrolment between 2022 and 2023, with 1,700 children and 1,500 parents enrolled in the programme in 2023. Parental involvement has been an important part of KMM, to ensure that parents are empowered and confident to support their children's learning. KMM's scale-up was possible with the help of targeted outreach and referrals by partners, such as Family Service Centres (FSCs), social service agencies (SSAs) as well as M³@Towns. More KMM facilitators have also come on board, with their number tripling from about 50 in 2022 to more than 140 in 2023.

One KMM facilitator is Mr Irfan bin Ibrahim, a Year 3 student at the National University of Singapore (NUS), who started volunteering when he was serving his National Service in 2020. Volunteering shaped his decision to take up a degree in psychology and pursue a career in the social services sector to continue contributing to the community.

The MTS continues to be the backbone of our educational programmes and enrolment for primary and secondary school students has increased by 15% over the past five years, to over 9,000 students in 2023. Today, MTS students are supported by 100 physical and virtual centres. MENDAKI has also continually sought to improve MTS offerings – such as by expanding its subjects offered to include Biology and Additional Mathematics.

Mr Fahmi Aliman has also asked how we could encourage and inspire more people to step forward and serve, especially those who have benefited and done well.

MENDAKI has many platforms for the community to contribute their skills and passion to meet the community needs. An example is how our steadfast MTS tutors have played an integral role in how MTS has grown from strength to strength. One such tutor is Ms Anggreini Hamid, who benefited from MTS during her secondary school days. Now a schoolteacher herself, she has been contributing back as an MTS tutor for the past 18 years. She adopts innovative techniques to make her classes more engaging and effective for her students. Just a tidbit, all three of us – Minister Masagos, myself and Mdm Rahayu – have all been MTS tutors at some point of our lives too. So, we have done our volunteer duty at some point to contribute back to our community.

At the post-secondary and tertiary level, MENDAKI's initiatives, such as the Youth Mentoring Office, help students realise their potential. Senior Parliamentary Secretary Rahayu will share more on these efforts in her speech.

Beyond a strong educational foundation, our Community of Success also needs a workforce that can secure good jobs and meaningful careers. We want to empower our workers to thrive so that they can grow our community and our nation.

Mr Fahmi Aliman and Mr Sharael Taha asked about our plans to better support Malay/Muslim professionals and workers in the future economy. MENDAKI continues to help our workforce develop their careers and professional networks, complementing national efforts by our tripartite partners in Government, employers and the Labour Movement.

MENDAKI initiated the Professional Networks to support Malay/Muslim professionals in growing their networks; to contribute back to the community; to exchange ideas; and to help younger workers enter growth industries. To date, MENDAKI has formed nine Professional Networks covering various industries in the Care, Green and Digital sectors; and plan to form four more new networks in areas such as Healthcare and Media this year. We now have more than 450 Malay/Muslim professionals in these networks as at 2023 and MENDAKI will continue to encourage more professionals to join and serve as mentors. To Mr Sharael Taha's question, within both the Professional Networks and beyond, we now have about 1,000 Malay/Muslim professionals contributing across MENDAKI's initiatives – whether it is serving as KMM facilitators, MTS tutors, youth mentors or as speakers or human libraries.

Chairman, in previous Committee of Supply debates, I shared about how corporate partners have partnered MENDAKI to provide scholarships for students to enter different industries from biomedical to finance, to aviation and technology. From this year, I am happy to announce that Micron Semiconductor will come on board to provide scholarships over three years to engineering students in polytechnics, as well as internships and learning activities for secondary and tertiary students.

We appreciate how companies also provide other forms of support, such as mentoring, to our students. More than 50 MSD Pharmaceutical staff, such as data scientists, and those from the AI and Cybersecurity sectors, have signed up as mentors to 120 ITE students through the #amPowered@ITE programme.

So, as our economy and workforce evolves, MENDAKI will continue to support our Malay/Muslim workforce in navigating career transitions and seizing future opportunities. Through the M³ Focus Area 4 (FA4) on Employment and Employability, MENDAKI employs a community-based strategy by collaborating with M³ partners, including the NTUC. More than 5,000 Malay/Muslim workers have benefited, including receiving support from MENDAKI's Care Advisors on their job search and career-related needs.

For women who wish to return to the workforce after a career break, MENDAKI's Women at Work (W@W) programme equips them with the relevant skills and connecting them with job opportunities. In 2023, MENDAKI referred over 140 participants from W@W to NTUC's e2i for career coaching and job assistance, with close to 60 successfully securing job offers.

One of them is Ms Siti Raudah, who was looking for a job to support her family and her three school-going children, after her husband was retrenched. Ms Siti joined the W@W programme in September last year, where she benefited from support, such as interview techniques and access to broader social and professional networks. Earlier this year, Ms Siti found a job as an administrative executive in the oil and gas industry and shared that the programme has helped her to transit back into the workforce. Chairman, in Malay, please.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Our third strategy is to grow and develop leaders not only for our community, but for our country as well.

Ms Nadia Samdin asked for an update on the Tunas programme. MENDAKI started the Tunas Bersama M³ programme in 2022 to nurture the next generation of leaders of Malay/Muslim Organisations (MMOs). This 18-month programme not only equips emerging leaders with the knowledge, skills and networks to contribute and lead their own organisations. In fact, we want to support them in taking on larger leadership roles in our wider community in the future. One of the Tunas participants is NMP Dr Syed Harun, who ranks among our young MMO leaders today. For example, participants get to develop competencies in the areas of management, administration, fund raising, communications and change management, as well as the opportunity to be mentored by experienced senior leaders.

Our first cohort of 13 Tunas participants from various MMOs will complete their programme in April. The participants were able to apply the knowledge and skills that they gained to carry out seven community projects across the M³ Focus Areas.

For example, through Project Dream On, Tunas participants worked with professionals from MENDAKI's Professional Networks. Their objective was to provide opportunities to Malay/Muslim youths, aged 15 to 17 years old, with sector-specific job shadowing opportunities. This will help the youths to gain experience and expand their horizons in terms of future job opportunities.

The youth participants shared that this experience helped them gain confidence, exposed them to a variety of experiences and expand their range of interests, and help to better shape their future field of study and career plans.

Building on the positive outcomes of this programme, we will welcome our second batch of Tunas participants in April this year. That cohort will include leaders from MENDAKI's Professional Networks.

Mr Chairman, MENDAKI will continue to support our Malay/Muslim community in reaching greater heights and empower the community to be active, contributing citizens.

However, each individual has a part to play to ensure that our community continue to progress together. I strongly encourage our Malay/Muslim workers to take up the opportunities to upskill through the initiatives that were recently announced during Budget 2024.

For instance, mid-career workers aged 40 and above who are looking at reskilling can consider the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme. This programme offers a SkillsFuture Credit top-up of $4,000 that can be used for selected courses.

Workers who wish to take on full-time diplomas at the polytechnics, ITE and arts institutions can also make use of the enhanced subsidies from the Government.

To offset income loss for workers who have to take time off work for training, the Government will also provide a monthly SkillsFuture Mid-Career Training Allowance, capped at $3,000 per month, for up to 24 months.

ITE graduates can also benefit through the ITE Progression Award of $5,000 upon enrolment to a diploma programme, and receive another $10,000 when they complete their studies.

I am confident that as a community, we can strengthen the culture of contributing. And in partnership with the Government and other community organisations, we can ensure our community achieve greater heights in education, professional development and leadership.

(In English): Our third strategy is to grow and develop leaders not only for our community, but for our country as well.

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin asked for an update on the Tunas programme. MENDAKI started the Tunas Bersama M³ programme in 2022 to nurture the next generation of leaders of MMOs. This 18-month programme not only equips emerging leaders with the knowledge, skills and networks to contribute and lead their own organisations, in fact we want to support them in taking on larger leadership roles in our wider community in the future. Among them NMP Syed Harun and he is among the youngest leader. For example, participants get develop their competencies in the areas of governance, fund raising, communications, and change management, as well as the opportunity to be mentored by experienced senior leaders.

Our first cohort of 13 Tunas participants from various MMOs will complete their programme in April. Particpants were able to apply their knowledge and skills that they gain to run seven community projects across the M³ Focus Areas.

For example, through Project Dream On, Tunas participants worked with professionals from MENDAKI's Professional Networks. Their objective was to provide opportunities to Muslim youths aged 15 to 17 with sector-specific job shadowing. This will help the youths to gain experience and expand their horizons in terms of future job opportunities.

Youth participants shared that this experience helped them grow as individuals, expose them to a variety of experiences and expand their range of interests, and help to better shape their future field of study and career plans.

Building on the positive outcomes of this programme, we will welcome our second batch of Tunas participants in April this year, and this cohort will include leaders from MENDAKI's Professional Networks.

Mr Chairman, MENDAKI will continue to support our Malay/Muslim community in reaching greater heights and empower the community to be active, contributing citizens.

However, each individual has a part to play to ensure that our community continue to progress together. I strongly encourage our Malay/Muslim workers to take up the opportunities to upskill through the initiatives that were recently announced during Budget 2024.

For instance, mid-career workers aged 40 and above who are looking at reskilling can consider the SkillsFuture Level-Up Programme. This programme offers a SkillsFuture Credit top-up of $4,000 that can be used for selected courses. Workers who wish to take on full-time diploma at the polytechnics, ITE and arts institutions can also make use of the enhanced subsides by the Government. To offset income loss for workers who have to take time off work for training, the Government will also provide a monthly SkillsFuture Mid-Career Training Allowance, capped at $3,000 per month, for up to 24 months.

ITE graduates can also benefit through the ITE Progression Award of $5,000 upon enrolment to a diploma programme and receive another $10,000 when they complete their studies.

I am confident that as a community, we can strengthen the culture of contributing, and in partnership with the Government and other community organisations, we can ensure our community achieve greater heights in education, professional development and community leadership.

5.45 pm

The Chairman: Senior Parliamentary Secretary Rahayu Mahzam.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Minister for Law (Ms Rahayu Mahzam): Mr Chairman, over the last five years, we have worked hand-in-hand with our Malay/Muslim organisations to build up the M³ network. The structures we have in place have enabled us to deal head on with various needs of our community, while complementing the Government's efforts at the national level.

A sense of Citizenry has been at the heart of what M³ has accomplished so far. Entrenched within it is the culture of giving which will continue to be integral to our Community of Success. We have established a strong foundation for contribution through M³. I will share three ways we can build on this legacy: first, equipping our youth for the future; second, empowering our community to take ownership of their health; and third, encouraging more volunteers to step forward and play a part.

Mentoring is important as it guides our youths to realise their potential. It can also be transformative when those who have benefited from the experience, pass it on, creating a virtuous cycle of giving.

To create a thriving mentoring culture in the Malay/Muslim community, we set up the Youth Mentoring Office, or YMO under MENDAKI, in 2019. Since then, YMO has trained and deployed over 1,600 mentors to support more than 5,700 mentees through various mentoring programmes under M³'s Focus Area 3.

Mr Sharael Taha asked how we ensure the continued relevance of our mentoring programmes. We conducted youth mentoring programmes in four M³@Towns at Jurong, Pasir Ris-Punggol, Tampines, and Woodlands last year, and will now be refreshing our approach to bring mentoring programmes closer to more youths. By the end of this year, we will offer at least one youth mentoring programme at each of our 11 M³@Towns.

One new mentoring programme we will be introducing at our M³@Towns, as well as mosques and Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) is "Cool Yah Conversations". It adopts the concept of flash mentoring, a first of its kind approach in our mentoring programmes. Flash mentoring takes place over a shorter period and will combine interest-based activities like sports and games with impactful mentoring interactions in areas of personal development, educational transition, and career guidance. We hope that it will resonate with youths and lower barriers for them to get involved. Through this programme, we aim to reach 1,000 youths within a year, over and above the youths who will be engaged through our existing mentoring programmes under YMO.

To Mr Sharael Taha's query, beyond mentoring programmes, MENDAKI also offers their Future Ready programmes which help youth better understand the changing work landscape and provide avenues for them to explore jobs in growth industries.

Key to the success of these programmes are our passionate and dedicated youth mentors. Most have benefited from MENDAKI's many initiatives and now find ways to give back to the community.

One of them is Arinna Fithriyya Ridzuan. In 2019, Arinna received MENDAKI's Special Achievement Award for Excellence and Anugerah Cemerlang MENDAKI. Today, she works at the National Youth Council and has been a mentor to Nur Odelia Mohamed Azme since Odelia's second year of studies at ITE College Central through the #amPowered@ITE programme. With Arinna's support, Odelia learnt to build self-confidence and take charge of her personal development. Odelia is now working with MENDAKI's Care Advisors to explore potential post-tertiary pathways.

Our youth mentors also join me and my fellow Malay/Muslim Members of Parliament including Mr Saktiandi Supaat, Ms Nadia Samdin and Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim in the YOUth@M³ Engagement sessions, and various M³@Town programmes. These include Youth Edge for vulnerable youth which Ms Mariam Jaafar advises, the Youth Network Mental Health Townhall that Dr Wan Rizal champions and learning journeys to STEM companies that Mr Sharael Taha organises.

I hope our youth mentors continue to inspire others to join our mentoring community in supporting others to realise their aspirations. Chairman, in Malay, please.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Health is a blessing and we have a responsibility to take ownership of it. Leading healthy lifestyles also enables us to be active citizens in our community.

One good role model who takes care of his health is Mr Iylia Shukor. He actively encourages our Malay/Muslim community to adopt a healthy lifestyle by organising health programmes for them. When the fifth focus area of M³ was introduced last year, Mr Iylia tapped on the Saham Kesihatan programme to collaborate with more community partners. He has since organised monthly five kilometres brisk walking events with Kembangan Chai-Chee Community Centre, Braddell Heights Constituency Office, Wisma Geylang Serai and Kassim Mosque, as well as Qigong sessions at community centres in M³@Geylang Serai.

Dr Wan Rizal asked how M³ initiatives spur efforts to take charge of our community’s health. Volunteers like Mr Iylia show how Saham Kesihatan can empower the Malay/Muslim community to drive their own health programmes. Through Saham Kesihatan, they can receive support from M³ agencies, like PA MESRA and the Health Promotion Board, to implement programmes on health, including for mental well-being.

Last year, over 500 participants took part in Saham Kesihatan programmes. They gave feedback that they enjoyed being part of a community which fosters a strong sense of support for one another to lead healthy lifestyles. This year, we aim to double the reach to benefit 1,000 participants. To achieve this target, I invite more individuals, like Mr Iylia, to leverage on Saham Kesihatan, to bring health programmes to our Malay/Muslim community.

Besides Saham Kesihatan, M³ agencies also work with HPB and the Jaga Kesihatan Jaga Ummah, or JKJU, network, where members regularly collaborate on initiatives that encourage healthier habits. In 2023, over 40,000 residents benefitted from JKJU programmes. We can expect more JKJU programmes at the M³@Towns throughout this year.

Through JKJU and Saham Kesihatan, our Malay/Muslim community also contributes to the national Healthier SG campaign which aims to help all Singaporeans take ownership of their health. I hope we will embrace this responsibility towards our health as we strive for a meaningful future together.

In looking to the future, we also take stock of how far we have come. Dr Syed Harun asked whether M³ initiatives have led to improvements in community engagement. Since its formation five years ago, M³ has developed structures and built networks for us to help the community more effectively, including the vulnerable. With this framework in place, we need more volunteers to step up and help make M³ initiatives a success.

Our volunteers comprise professionals from different fields who have been instrumental in the delivery of programmes at our M³@Towns – from initiating new programmes and befriending vulnerable families to connecting them with social assistance programmes.

Therefore, we continue to ensure volunteers are equipped with the skills and knowledge to engage the community effectively. Last year, we enhanced our Volunteers' Capability Building Framework with the M³ Seminar Series. This year, the M³ Engagement Coordination Office, or M³ ECO, and PA MESRA will work with the National Community Leadership Institute to organise workshops for volunteers. Through such workshops, they will learn to engage residents more meaningfully during house visits. The volunteers will also be able to increase their understanding of services at the national level, and therefore, help them to support residents in building strong and resilient families.

For example, through Project DIAN, volunteers will provide holistic support for Malay/Muslim families residing in rental flats. They will also journey with these families to better understand their needs and connect them to the relevant services.

One such volunteer is Mdm Eryannie Mohamad, a Project DIAN Ambassador from M³@Geylang Serai who was motivated to encourage parents to take greater interest in early childhood development. In November 2023, Mdm Eryannie and her fellow volunteers collaborated with MSR Interior Design to refurnish and repaint a beneficiary's home to provide a more conducive environment for their children's learning and family bonding.

It is also important for M³ to work closely with MMOs to deal with issues that may require a nuanced approach. For example, the Singapore Muslim Women's Association, or PPIS, provide support for Malay/Muslim women. Indeed, MMOs play a key role at the community and national level, and we are happy to have more MMOs and partners come alongside us to support our families and community.

We thank Mr Saktiandi Supaat for his suggestions on areas where volunteers can make a difference. Allow me to share some of the volunteer opportunities within M³ that suit the interests and skillsets of those who wish to contribute.

Our tertiary students can join the #amPowered programme as mentors for MTS students, or the "Cool Yah" programme at the M³@Towns.

If you are a working professional, you can contribute your knowledge and experience as mentors or speakers for M³ youth mentoring programmes, or support other professionals through MENDAKI's Professional Networks.

Those who want to contribute towards supporting children or vulnerable families can sign up as facilitators for our KMM initiative or as Project DIAN Ambassadors.

Starting this year, our corporate partners are also invited to collaborate with M³ to cultivate a culture of giving in your organisations, where interested staff can serve as volunteers at our M³@Towns as part of their work hours.

I strongly urge my fellow Members to share these volunteer opportunities with your respective constituencies. M³ will also be conducting volunteer recruitment drives throughout this year, and those who are interested can sign up via the M³ website or our socials.

(In English): A culture of contribution, driven by active citizenry underpins the spirit of M³. Everyone of us has a stake in ensuring that we continue to thrive as a Community of Success. There are many ways we can contribute in our different capacities, whether through pledging to the WMS, committing our time and effort as volunteers and mentors or even as a corporate partner.

I hope that many more of us will step forward to join this noble cause to uplift our Malay/Muslim community.

The Chairman: Minister Masagos Zulkifli.

Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Mr Chairman, in Malay.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] My colleagues and I have spoken on citizenry and our efforts to grow a culture of contributing back to society. This will strengthen our community, so that we are more united and prepared to navigate the future. With geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainties, the path ahead of us will be challenging. The issues we face will be more complex and can even be divisive, and it will also test our mettle and unity as a country.

Over the past few months, what has weighed heavily on our hearts is the situation in Gaza. It has been heart-breaking for me, and many Singaporeans, to witness the humanitarian tragedy unfolding, and the suffering of many innocent civilians. Bound by our shared humanity, we cannot help but carry with us their pain and suffering. We may be miles away from Gaza, but we still feel connected in our hearts and minds, and we constantly pray for their well-being.

From conversations on this crisis with the community, my Parliamentary colleagues and I hear the deep sense of grief, frustration and helplessness that many feel amidst the ongoing crisis. We understand and share these sentiments.

With more than 30,000 lives lost and the human toll increasing, Israel's military response has gone too far. The carnage must stop. I reiterate Singapore's calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, so that humanitarian aid can reach those who desperately need it. We are committed to supporting the civilians of Gaza, and Singapore will send a third tranche of aid via Jordan, as shared by Minister Vivian last week. To contribute to the national humanitarian effort and to further support those affected by the crisis, the Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation (RLAF) will conduct another round of fundraising appeal for Gaza in the upcoming month of Ramadan. We hope that Singaporeans will step forward and contribute generously.

The crisis may well be prolonged, and we do not know what will unfold in the coming days. But we must continue to stand together and strengthen the unity that we share. I am heartened that even during such a trying time, our community continues to embody the spirit of citizenry, as Singaporeans providing a whole-of-society support to the Palestinians in our uniquely Singaporean way – contributing to dialogue, giving generously to humanitarian aid, praying for the victims of war, and not forgetting how we can strengthen solidarity with one another. As Muslims welcome the blessed month of Ramadan next week, let us also intensify our prayers for peace and protection – not only for the people in Gaza, but also elsewhere in the world and here at home.

6.00 pm

(In English): Mr Chairman, in conclusion, I would like to thank Members for your support and suggestions on how we can continue to deepen our citizenry and grow a culture of contribution. By working together with our community partners, I am confident that we will strive towards a Community of Success and contribute to a bright future for Singapore. [Applause.]

The Chairman: Mr Saktiandi Supaat.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat: Mr Chairman, I would like to thank Minister and Senior Minister of State and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for her answers to my cuts and for their speeches. I have two clarifications.

One, to Minister Masagos. He mentioned in his last speech about the efforts and I think he gave a very heartfelt speech about the issues that we face in Gaza and in Palestine. He mentioned about how Rahmatan Lil Alamin will be coming on stream, especially during Ramadan. Can Minister share a bit more whether this second round, whether there will be a time limit? Because the previous one, Rahmatan Lil Alamin there was a period of time where they can collect donations, whether this time round, can Minister share so that the community and public can know a bit more about that? And how does RLAF plan to reach out to the community, especially during Ramadan and may be beyond that as well?

Second question, Mr Chairman, I think Senior Parliamentary Secretary Rahayu and Senior Minister of State Zaqy mentioned about working with corporates. I think there is only so much that the Government can do as part of a social compact. I was wondering whether there is more that corporates can be involved, whether Malay/Muslim corporates or maybe non-Malay/Muslim corporates, how they can actually help the Malay community going forward beyond scholarships that Senior Minister of State has mentioned and beyond the specific volunteerism sort of efforts that Senior Parliamentary Secretary Rahayu has mentioned, whether there could be — well, our efforts to actually entice a bit more of the Singapore corporates to help our community going forward?

Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: I thank the Member for his clarification question.

The Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation, like any other organisations, when they want to raise funds – particularly for an overseas purpose – need to regularise, get its permits in place and it will take time. But it will also be time limited by the permit and that was why in the previous exercise of collecting the funds, it was time-limited. I think it is the right thing to do. At the same time, we want to ensure that there is a time where we can focus our efforts in raising these funds.

But we must also be able to move on to do other important things for our community and for everyone else. So, I hope that our community will rally. I think it will be an exercise for about a week. And we will raise this awareness about when it starts and when it will end during our Friday sermons as well as through the media.

Mr Zaqy Mohamad: Chairman, I will take the second question Member Saktiandi Supaat asked earlier. We are quite fortunate that we had corporates who have come forward to support us over the years, given MENDAKI's focus, especially on education. Particularly starting with scholarships and bursaries because that is, I think; while I would say lowest hanging fruit, but I think it is quite core to much of the work that we do. So, we have had SIA over the years; we have had GIC; Micron; MiRXES and others, who have come forward and given us.

But it is really about also the community coming forward because it is not just about scholarships and bursaries, but if you look at the contribution that I have shared in my speech, such as Micron providing opportunities, or internship opportunities, for many of our young students who have perhaps never seen the insides of a semiconductor and would never have considered careers in that space. These are good examples.

Mr Sharael Taha has shared how some of the youths were taken to Rolls Royce and others, so that they can look into growth industries and some also visited the Airshow recently to have a look at some of the defence technologies that are available.

So, we are using various platforms and opportunities to open minds, open conversations with many of our youths who may come from low-income families especially, who may not have had the exposures, but now given the chance to be exposed, to have internship opportunities, to be mentored.

As I shared, MSD Pharma, for example, with their data scientists, AI specialists, cybersecurity specialists to give them opportunities and mix around with professionals who they may never have met through regular channels.

I think this is one way in which we want to build social capital. So, yes, we have started with certain corporates but I would not underestimate the impact and effect. We hope that more will come forward, especially through the professional network. We started this last year, as I shared. We have about 450 professionals already onboard, many deployed to mentor. Ms Rahayu Mahzam has shared about 1,000 on her network too, with our youths. We hope that this brings about building up social capital within the Malay/Muslim community.

We want to encourage more to contribute back in small ways. It does not have to be big corporates. We have businessmen too. We have members from the Indian/Muslim community as well, who came forward to set up funds because some Indian/Muslims did not qualify for TTFS, for example. But there are efforts on the ground that came ground-up because they want to do something for the community, including those who have qualified for certain schemes.

So, we are providing a wide range of opportunities but I think it is more than just scholarships and bursaries; but providing opportunities, providing social capital, providing mentorship. I think that will make a difference.

The Chairman: Mr Sharael Taha.

Mr Sharael Taha: I would like to thank the Minister and Senior Minister of State and Senior Parliamentary Secretary Rahayu for the clarifications. Just some clarifications in Malay, Mr Chairman.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] My thanks to Senior Minister of State Zaqy for sharing that the MTS has been expanded further to include subjects, like Additional Maths, as well as Biology.

May I suggest to the Senior Minister of State that we encourage Secondary 3 and Secondary 4 students to participate in programmes, like Learning Journeys, so that they can be acquainted with the kind of jobs and skills that are required in the growth industries?

My second question: can we also provide specific programmes to encourage learning of skills in subjects, like AI and cybersecurity, so that our students and workers will have the best chance to work in the growth industries?

Mr Zaqy Mohamad: (In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] I thank Mr Sharael Taha for the good question. If we look at our MTS programme, we do have a fairly packed curriculum, where we see our children spending three to four hours each week in our MTS centres. In these sessions, as we can see from the curriculum, they are required to take two subjects today. Some of them attend virtual classes after their in-person sessions. So, we also need to give priority to their schooling and their tuition sessions.

However, I also recognise that among the programmes that we want them to attend, as I have mentioned to Mr Saktiandi Supaat, we also want them to be given the opportunity to have internships, join learning journeys, and at times, during the Raikan Ilmu month for example, we give them the flexibility to enjoy learning journey opportunities outside, as what has been done under FA3 with Mr Sharael Taha.

We want our youths to be given the opportunity to be mentored as well. Here, some of them are given the opportunity under the #amPowered programme, as well as the mentoring programme under Ms Rahayu Mahzam within FA3, to share experiences with our professionals.

We aim to provide these opportunities beyond our MTS youths, by extending this network to other youths in our M³ towns. We hope to use all the resources in our M³ towns, so that we can reach out to more youths who can benefit from the programmes.

I hope Mr Sharael Taha will continue to give his support, and this goes for other Members here too, so that we can provide better opportunities for our students.

The Chairman: We will take the last two clarifications. I see two hands. So, Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim and then, Ms Nadia Samdin.

Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim: Thank you, Chairman. I have a question on wakaf for the Minister.

In 2021, MUIS disbursed a total of about $4 million as wakaf proceeds. About 28% went to overseas beneficiaries. Maybe this is due to legacy or original terms of the wakaf, some set more than 100 years ago. In some of these cases, you may find it challenging to find the beneficiaries and locate the rightful heirs to the wakaf. So, I have two questions.

Firstly, does MUIS continually review the list of wakaf, especially for those with overseas and foreign beneficiaries, to make sure that they are up to date? Secondly, for such wakafs with no clear beneficiaries, will MUIS review or consider measures, for instance, to pass fatwas to bring more of these wakaf assets onshore and benefit our local Muslim community?

Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: I thank the Member for asking that clarification.

Indeed, one of the motivations why we instituted the WMS is to move on away from or to provide alternatives to the traditional wakaf system, which for Singapore, although it has amounted to a billion dollars, most of them are in fixed assets. And when you have a fixed asset, the returns from fixed assets are not very high. In addition to that, the beneficiaries that were named some time 100 or some 200 years ago, either the country does not exist anymore; the village does not exist anymore; let alone the person does not exist anymore. This is not just faced by communities like ourselves, it is faced all over the world.

In the meantime, there are good discussions, conferences to evolve the concept of wakaf. In the last fatwa conference, I had a good discussion with Dr Sano, for example, who said that today, the instruments of wakaf has evolved. For example, there is something called a temporary wakaf. That means you pledge your Corpus Fund for, say, one year and that you cannot use it; but the returns will then go into the wakaf – the Corpus Fund goes back to you after that one-year contract.

So, that is an evolving and a new way of doing wakaf and whether or not we can do something about the previous and older wakaf. I think for now let us keep to the trust that has been put to our generation, to try as best as we can to execute the will or the intention of those before us who put this wakaf in our trust to benefit the people they wanted to.

6.15 pm

The Chairman: Ms Nadia Samdin.

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin: I thank the Minister for sharing about the upcoming RLAF Ramadan fundraising appeal. I believe the previous tranche, over $5 million was raised, it truly speaks to the generosity of Singaporeans. Just two clarifications for the Minister.

Firstly, given that the media has reported how the receipt of aid has been affected on the ground in Gaza, is the Minister able to share at all how the earlier tranche of aid was used by RLAF to reach the innocent victims of the Israel-Palestine crisis and the rebuilding in Gaza as well as the intended use of the future ones, so that Singaporeans are aware of the impact of their efforts?

Secondly, given how protracted the hostilities have been, while the heart of this is not a religious issue, how can community leaders help Singaporeans of all backgrounds process the deep sense of injustice and helplessness felt, so as to prevent unfortunate divisive postings on social media as well as impact on the ground and which affect communities, such as Singaporean Muslims and Singaporean Jews?

Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Thank you, Ms Nadia, for that clarification question. Firstly, every fund that RLAF would have collected would need to be channelled into bodies and use that our Government approves. So, in the previous tranche, we worked with UNRWA and, in the coming tranche, we will work with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to identify how these funds will be channelled. And I do not believe this is the last time we will be doing it. I said just now that we will have to move on to do important things that we need to do for the community. I foresee that we will probably need to raise funds again because it does not look like this conflict will be resolved fairly quickly.

On the second question, all of us need to recognise two things about Singapore. It is a small country. We may have a strong government, a strong country, but we are a small country. Therefore, when we go out and say things, our foreign policy is based on our long-term interests as a small country. So, it is to safeguard our Independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, security, and all for the sake of our citizens. And these things are most important, in fact, more important for a small country than a big country.

So, when we say things, I hope people understand the context upon which we say it. For example, our position on Israel has been consistent. We have said that from the start, Israel has a legitimate right to defend itself from acts of terror. But that is not just for Israel. That is for Singapore, too. In fact, every country has a right of defence against acts of terror. In the case of Israel, it was the incident on 7 October. For us, we have to guard ourselves against any incident and sending the signal that we will act as a right of self-defence.

But that is probably where our similarity to Israel ends because we know that the right to self-defence also must comply with international humanitarian law, including principles of necessity and proportionality, principles of distinction and humanity enshrined in the Geneva Conventions. And that is why we voted for two UN General Assembly resolutions which called for a humanitarian ceasefire to alleviate the suffering of the civilian victims in Gaza. And I hope, as leaders, we try to educate people who talk about this to understand the context, what the Government said and why the Government said it. I think it is important that we live as Singaporeans to know why these things have to be said the way they are.

Finally, though, most recently, we have seen Minister Vivian Balakrishnan stated in Parliament last week that the Israeli military response has gone too far. And that is, again, a consistent departure from just calling the right for self-defence with the need to balance it with the right of human dignity and human rights, too.

Secondly, Singapore is not just a small country. Singapore is a diverse country. We are diverse and if our solution to a small country is to be strong, our solution in being diverse is to be united. And that is why, even as a Minister, I may have my sentiments about the Palestinians, fellow Muslims, but I must also, as a Muslim leader and a Minister in Cabinet in a multiracial, multi-religious society country like ours, speak with one voice in Cabinet inasmuch as Singaporeans should be united and speak with one voice because we need to protect Singapore's national interests both domestically and internationally.

A united people, a united Government, that is how we become a strong government, a strong country, despite being small. But I recognise that Singapore Muslims do have connections with the Palestinians. But we also should recognise that we are in a unique position and often not the same situation as many other Muslim communities, especially when they are in the majority.

And, therefore, for us being diverse, we have to work together to preserve the peace between ourselves, never be driven, never be divided, and, as I have shared in the Committee of Supply debate, our community thus far has shown and proven themselves where citizenry is concerned. And I hope that as the situation unravels over the next few months, we continue to hold this, that we must never be divided, we must always seek to unite because we are diverse. And that is the only way Singapore can survive. [Applause.]

The Chairman: There being no further clarifications, let us move on with the debate. Next cut, Mr Sitoh Yih Pin.

Hosting Major Events in Singapore

Mr Sitoh Yih Pin: Mr Chairman, I would like to start by sharing with this House a recent experience I had. In late January this year, I was at our National Stadium to watch the Coldplay concert. Sometime during the show, the lead singer, Chris Martin, said something along the following lines; maybe not exactly in those words, but something along the following lines. He said, "Tonight is a special night in Singapore. We have so many fans from different countries with different religions, all coming together to watch a concert in Singapore happily, peacefully and safely." After he said this, the Australian guy next to me instantaneously shouted, "Lee Kuan Yew".

And yes, Mr Chairman, this is the multiracial, multicultural and multi-religious Singapore that Mr Lee Kuan Yew and his team has created for us. And I am very confident this is also the Singapore that our People's Action Party (PAP) Government will continue to build for many more generations of Singaporeans.

Sir, over the course of the past year, after the Government took back control of the Sports Hub, the Kallang Alive Sport Management (KASM), a wholly owned entity under MCCY, has been working hard to make the Sports Hub more vibrant for all Singaporeans. Besides Taylor Swift, who is currently in Singapore, there have been many popular concerts last year and this year by international and regional renowned performers, such as Black Pink, Coldplay and Ed Sheeran. Sir, I am not much of a music fan, but I am told that Coldplay is currently the most popular band group in the world. And I am also reliably informed that Taylor Swift is currently the most popular solo artist in the world. Coldplay performed six shows in Singapore at the beginning of this year and Taylor Swift is due to do the same, six this week, starting I think from last Saturday.

I do not know of any other city in the world that has managed to host such most popular world-class events within two months of each other. For this, we must recognise and compliment MCCY and its many partners for having the ability, capacity and mobility to seize opportunities that come our way. Sir, to me, this is the X-factor that differentiates Team Singapore.

Apart from concerts, the Sports Hub also hosted several major international and regional sporting events, and more than 140 National School games and School Sport events. Singaporeans can also now use many facilities at the Sports Hub which are open to the public. This has made the Sports Hub more accessible to Singaporeans.

Importantly, hosting these major events make significant contributions to the Singapore economy. They give a big boost to our tourism sector, especially in areas, such as hospitality, retail, travel and dining.

Mr Chairman, I recall a Parliamentary Question in late 2022 and the then-Senior Minister of State Chee Hong Tat informed this House that tourists and foreigners in Singapore accounted for about half of the net goods and services tax (GST) paid by households and individuals in 2018 and 2019. Therefore, as a natural consequence, with so many more world-class major events in Singapore, I think it would also mean that more 9% GST will be collected from our tourists and this would ultimately translate to more goodies and more infrastructure and more good news for all Singaporeans.

And why has Singapore been able to host such major events successfully? Some commentators point to the possible grants given in return for exclusivity. I think it is much more than that. Singapore projects as an attractive entertainment and sports events hub because we have a strategic location, quality infrastructure, safety, efficiency and diverse cultural offerings that allow us to present a complete package in pitches to host such major events.

Moving forward, we should leverage on this important momentum and, while we continue to do so, also look towards renewing older infrastructures at the Sports Hub, such as the Singapore Indoor Stadium, which has hosted Singaporeans to many fond memories over the years. Maybe, just maybe, a new equally exciting indoor venue could be built to replace the Indoor Stadium.

At the same time, whilst many Singaporeans and tourists can enjoy the many spectacular events in Singapore, I think we can also do more by providing cheaper or maybe free tickets to our lower-income families. As an example, whenever the Suzuki Cup matches are played in Singapore, I would get a sponsor to purchase bulk tickets and these are distributed to our lower-income families in Potong Pasir. Our residents go as a family and they enjoyed the football matches.

Sir, MCCY is a very good team that always sees opportunities, never limitations, when promoting Singapore's interests. I think our greatest strength right now is our forged sense of purpose and unity to give the best life to all Singaporeans. I, therefore, invite the Minister to update us on plans for the Sports Hub and share with us the strategy that MCCY intends to employ to cement Singapore's position as an entertainment and sports hub, and also to let our lower-income families enjoy these events in Singapore.

Inclusivity through Sports and Youth

Dr Syed Harun Alhabsyi: Mr Chairman, I focus my cut on the value that sports and youths can bring to building community, promote inclusivity and strengthen social cohesion.

First, on sports. The value of sports is beyond the physical. Its value is multifaceted, encompassing also psychological, social and economic benefits, with its significance observed at all levels of society, too: at the individual, community and globally. Beyond the obvious benefits of health and exercise, sports has the power to strengthen well-being, unity in diversity and organic cultural exchange in communities. Importantly, sports has the power to galvanise and rally.

6.30 pm

When Shanti Pereira won the Silver in 100-metre and Gold in 200-metre events at the Asian Games last year, ending Singapore's 49-year wait for a track and field medal, many Singaporeans were glued to their television screens and fixed to their seats. We were in awe of her success and achievements in 2023, and taken to her example in terms of her determination, resilience and ability to overcome adversity. When Joseph Schooling won the Olympic Gold in the 100-metre Butterfly in 2016, the sentiment of national pride was much the same. Few things rally people, community and a nation more than a celebration of a fellow countryman's great success in sports.

The barrier to entry to sporting success is relatively low in that it does not matter whether one is a populous country or a country with wide and sizeable geographical areas. For example, if we use the Olympics as a benchmark, Liechtenstein with a population of under 40,000, San Marino under 35,000, Bermuda under 65,000 have won multiple medals at the Olympics. It is, indeed, possible.

I urge the Ministry to look closely and more strongly at sports as a means to rally and bring people closer together. Those of us who have engaged in sports and continue to do so will agree that it builds character, values and a certain resilience that cannot be replicated in the classroom. Team sports further engender a spirit of responsibility, trust in others, camaraderie and a sense of team like no other.

There are three things that I hope the Ministry will focus on as part of this Budget, as far as sports is concerned.

First, we need to continue focusing and investing in sporting excellence as a country and do more for our athletes. Our athletes need our support to do well, for they spend a good portion of their hours, days and weeks, even years on end to achieve the success for the country. In fact, for a good portion of the time where their peers spend building careers and income, the prime of the young lives of these athletes are consumed in honing their sport, optimising their performance and pushing their physical bodies for peak outcomes, for which, sometimes, injuries can occur. Where there is talent in our Singaporeans and they are willing to go far with us in terms of their sporting excellence, I propose we spare no effort for them to give their best for Singapore.

Second, I hope for the Ministry to look more deeply and specifically at team sports. While we already have examples of success in individual sportsmen and sportswomen, we need to do better for team sports as well. It does take much more deliberate investment, a sustained care in the planning over years if not decades for the sport, and a wider systemic approach to develop young talent within a team sport. However, the benefit of being able to see a multiplicity of individuals in team sports, where we have a broad representation of athletes from all communities playing together for the national team, is emblematic of the kind of Singapore we hope to build. It resonates at a deeper level for us as a people and it becomes a palpable vision of the society we want for ourselves.

Third, I hope for the Ministry to narrate the value of Sports better for the ordinary Singaporean and help make it easy for people to participate in them en masse. The benefit of sports in health and mental well-being cannot be understated and should continue to be emphasised at the level of the individual. Yes. However, the societal benefit of sport can only be realised if everyone participates, enjoys and interacts with one another in play and activity. Even for relatively individual sports, it is possible, with some creativity, to encourage togetherness and cohesion in the activity. For example, even for the solitary activity of running, which some may prefer, there are running clubs where people may build friendships, find commonality and meet others through their collective joy and passion in the specific sport. Such cohesion and strong relationships make for a sustained participation in sports and more opportunity to bring people together.

My other area of emphasis in this cut is for the Ministry to continue harnessing the potential of our youths. In fact, we saw quite a relatively young audience earlier on from St Joseph's Institution and we talked about our ageing population often and, indeed, this is an important concern. However, by a similar proportion, it also means that the number of youths are in relative decline and youths are a much valued resource. I believe we can do better to engage our youths, harness their creativity and innovation, as well as curate ideas through their perspectives and share their willingness to challenge conventional wisdom and current solutions. This is an important aspect of our nation-building exercise and as the Government moves ahead in its plans for Forward SG.

In my work through the various initiatives with the National Youth Council, our youths care about what happens in Singapore, are concerned for its future and share a deep resonance in wanting to build a more caring, cohesive and inclusive society. In this light, I urge the Ministry to cast their net wider and more deliberately in engaging youths across different communities and backgrounds and bringing them together through activities that build common ground, unity and a shared identity.

Youths in themselves are heterogenous, and if we consider the wide age group defined under the banner of youths from 15 to 35, we must tailor the approach better to cater to the wide range of interests and diverse priorities at different timepoints in the lives of youths.

Even as there are opportunities for youth programmes of NYC through the Youth Action Challenge, Young ChangeMakers grants and various youth panels, I urge the Ministry to study its reach further and ensure breadth in participation at all levels of youth, as we seek to invest in the next generation of Singaporeans, empower them to take ownership in collaborative solutions for current and anticipated societal challenges, and build a collective future together for Singapore.

Enhanced Support for Our TeamSG Athletes

Mr Mohd Fahmi Aliman: Chairman, amidst the emergence of new and lesser-known sports disciplines where Singaporean athletes have excelled on the international stage, it becomes imperative to explore avenues for providing support and recognition to athletes in these niche sports.

As sports, such as tchoukball and powerlifting, gain prominence, albeit not featured in major games, such as the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, there arises a critical need to empower aspiring athletes in these disciplines. How does the Ministry intend to provide support to athletes of emerging sports, ensuring equitable opportunities for sharing excellence across all disciplines?

Supporting Retired Athletes

Ms Sylvia Lim (Aljunied): Sir, last July, the House debated a Motion on sporting success filed by the Workers' Party (WP). I would like to follow up on the issue of how we could show our recognition and gratitude to our retired national athletes.

How can we show that we have not forgotten the contributions and personal sacrifices of those who have brought us such exhilaration and joy, as well as shared anguish, competing against the best in the region and, indeed, the world? Today, I will touch on two points: (a) helping retired athletes to transit to a work career; and (b) providing healthcare support.

On helping athletes to transit to viable careers after competition, there was a Parliamentary answer given in November 2017 on how the Ministry supported the career plans of athletes who had given up their jobs to focus on certain regional competitions. I note that Sport Singapore has had its spexBusiness programme for the last 10 years. Under spexBusiness, partner corporations commit to empower athletes to take charge of their future through a dual career opportunity and prepare them for a successful transition into life after sports. What is MCCY's assessment of the scheme thus far? Are there other similar schemes?

Secondly, at last year's debate, I had suggested that the Government consider providing an additional layer of healthcare subsidies to these athletes after they have stopped representing Singapore. I had highlighted that much more is now known about the health conditions associated with sports, not just the usual knee and strain injuries we are familiar with, but also brain injuries caused by certain contact sports. As these conditions will remain with our retired athletes for the duration of their lives, I had called for some additional help for them to foot such healthcare bills. I had suggested that a task force be formed to look into the feasibility of this. Is the Government looking into this possibility?

Emerging Sports

Mr Darryl David (Ang Mo Kio): Chairman, to echo the point made earlier by my colleague Mr Mohd Fahmi Aliman, we have seen the rise of emerging sports in Singapore where our athletes are performing well internationally in sports, such as tchoukball and powerlifting. In 2023, Singapore won the hosting rights for World Youth Tchoukball Championships and, shortly after, our women's team achieved great success on the world stage.

While tchoukball is not a major sport globally, Singapore has been proactive in promoting and supporting it alongside other sports. This continues the excellent work of athletes that are still flying our Singapore flag high and should be supported in some way by donors, supporters and the Government.

We know that Singapore has a strong sports development system to support athletes across a variety of sports. This support system often takes several forms. Singapore's sports associations and federations often provide funding, training facilities, coaching and administrative support for athletes competing in their respective sports. Singapore has national sports institutes looking into athlete development and training as well. So, we provide funding and support for sports development through organisations like Sport Singapore, and this funding may be allocated to national sports associations, sports clubs and athletes to help cover training expenses, travel costs for competitions and other related expenses.

While we are aware of these initiatives to support mainstream sports and may they long continue, can MCCY share what it is doing to support aspiring athletes in emerging sports to pursue their dream of sporting excellence?

Singapore Football

Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap: Sir, I have spoken extensively in this House on the topic of Singapore football. This was the focus of my speech during a Motion on sporting excellence which I filed in July 2023 alongside my colleague Assoc Prof Jamus Lim.

From July 2023 until now, our national football team has won matches against Guam twice as well as Taiwan once and were defeated by Tajikistan, South Korea and Thailand respectively. We have also appointed a new coach, Tsutomu Ogura, who will replace his countryman who was sacked after a string of disappointing results. I would like to know if MCCY is privy to what targets FAS has set for Mr Ogura in the short, intermediate and long term.

Sir, the Football Association of Singapore is one of the many national sports associations (NSAs) that receive funding from the Government via Sport Singapore. In 2017, my colleague Mr Pritam Singh had asked a Parliamentary Question about how the Government exercised oversight over how monies are used by the NSAs. I would like to seek an update from MCCY on the current policies on what are the safeguards in place to prevent any misallocation or misuse of public funds from happening in our NSAs. I would also like to know what is the framework for determining how much funding each NSA gets and what benchmarks are put in place to determine whether an NSA is performing its function in a satisfactory manner. How much weight is placed on success and victories in tournaments and competitions?

To be clear, Sir, I am not saying that sporting success is the only or most important measure in determining if an NSA is performing well. Rather, I believe that it is also in the public interest that senior appointments in NSAs are also carried out in a way that ensures that the best available person for the job is hired, especially since public monies are involved.

On a related note, I would like to know how much has been spent on the Unleash the Roar project to date and what are the key milestones which have been reached.

Unleash the Roar

Mr Darryl David: Chairman, as much as it pains me to say this, the fact that Singapore has not been doing well recently on the international football scene is an understatement.

FIFA first introduced a ranking system in the early 1990s and Singapore once had an all-time high ranking of 73 out of 211 countries. As of February 2024, however, Singapore is ranked 156th and we are sixth out the 10 ASEAN countries.

While Singapore has clearly had success in the past, winning the AFF Suzuki Cup in 2012, the team's performance in recent editions and in other tournaments has, indeed, been below par. There has not been much success in finding a good head coach either, with the new coach joining in January after his predecessor lasted, I believe, less than two years. Can the Government please provide an update on the Unleash the Roar initiative and how this could help lift Singapore football to a higher level?

Uniting Singaporeans through Sports

Mr Xie Yao Quan (Jurong): Chairman, sports unite Singaporeans in various ways. In the area of high-performance sports, can MCCY share its plans to encourage more Singaporeans to donate to the One Team Singapore Fund? Can MCCY also share the plans to support Team Singapore athletes in preparing for the upcoming major games?

6.45 pm

In community sports, sports in our everyday lives, can MCCY provide an update on its plan to upgrade existing sports facilities and build new ones to encourage sports participation? Lastly, in terms of making sports a part of our lifestyle, can MCCY share if there are plans to bring in more major sporting events to add vibrancy to our sports scene?

The Chairman: Assoc Prof Razwana Begum, not here. Mr Ong Hua Han.

Boosting PwD Sports Participation

Mr Ong Hua Han (Nominated Member): Mr Chairman, we must go beyond physical accessibility to ensure that PwDs feel welcomed, supported and empowered to participate in sports activities alongside their peers. The inclusive ActiveSG gym orientation programme for PwDs is a good first step.

It would be great if MCCY can share more about plans to make recreational sports more inclusive via the Disability Sports Master Plan. To this end, could MCCY expand the range of sports programmes offered to cater to more disabilities? Based on my survey, it also seems that not many PwDs have taken part in a SportSG or Para Sport Academy programme. Beyond partnering disability organisations, I encourage MCCY to consider ramping up its efforts on increasing outreach of its programmes to motivate more PwDs to take part.

Supporting Coaches to Fortify Singaporeans

Ms See Jinli Jean (Nominated Member): Sir, in his 2024 Budget Statement, Deputy Prime Minister Wong called on Singaporeans to, "fortify our resilient, solidarity and unity, so that we remain strong and effective against any challenges and threats."

Arts exercise, sports and outdoor adventure education, are essential ingredients for strengthening our nation. Recalling the pandemic, many of us felt a sense of loss when safe management measures put a pause on many arts, exercise, sports and outdoor activities. Some, like our seniors, missed the joy of learning; while others, like our youths, longed for the happiness from camaraderie of common pursuit.

The joy and happiness that enhanced our health and well-being were made possible by a community of dedicated coaches and instructors, who I shall refer to as "coaches". The pandemic struck hard at coaches' livelihood and self-worth. Since then, some have gotten back on track while others have chosen to leave coaching. In today's uncertain world, arts, exercise, sports and outdoor remain essential to strengthening and uniting Singaporeans across ages. We must thus support coaches to keep faith. Many coaches are freelancers.

As micro-businesses, they are expected to thrive regardless of the pressures from big service buyers and price competition and the struggles from shouldering interlocking business, personal and family responsibilities. Passion is what keeps them going. Nonetheless, coaches have shared with the National Trades Union Congress' (NTUC's) National Instructors and Coaches Association (NICA), which I serve, that stagnant rates and rising costs are making them lose heart.

MCCY and its relevant agencies – the National Arts Council, Sports Singapore and People's Association – guide the professional development of arts, exercise, sports and outdoor Coaches. In recent years, MCCY and its agencies have dedicated much effort and resources to uplifting coaching and instructing standards. Initiatives, such as the National Registry of Exercise Professionals and Competency Framework for Arts Educators, are noteworthy.

NICA members and their fellow Coaches appreciate the Government's affirmation of their support and of their contribution and impact. Like other workers, they ask if the affirmation could translate to professional recognition and wage growth. Many coaches have told NICA that they struggle to adjust their fees to factor in the rising costs of operations, such as venue booking, and essentials ,such as meals, insurances and healthcare.

This is because corporate and Government buyers often resist adjusting budgets for services on the one hand; even though on the other hand, they feel obliged to raise wages for their own staff because of rising costs of living. Because freelance coaches are microservice providers that are up against big and dominant service buyers, they often feel compelled to meet buyers' price expectations even when rates are on the downside and unsustainable in the long run. Thus, I would like to propose three possibilities for the Minister's consideration.

First, will the Ministry and its agencies work closely with NICA to establish fair and balanced guidance on the value of coaches' services? The guidance would articulate the survey costs of coaches as freelancers delivering professional instruction to different segments of Singaporeans, especially as Healthier SG comes on stream. The guidance could consider how similar qualified professions are remunerated and suggest differentiated premiums for coaches who upskill and attain different levels of mastery. Most important, the guidance assures buyers of transparency and coaches of structured recognition for their contribution.

Second, could the Ministry offer affordable venue spaces for coaches in their capacity as micro-firms to book directly than going through dominant intermediaries? Not-for-profit entities could be tapped to manage the bookings. Doing so would allow talents in different fields to flourish and also nourish the entrepreneurial spirit in Singaporeans.

For instance, the Sports Facilities Master Plan could allow sports and exercise coaches to directly tap repurposed spaces, such as refurbished schools. These coaches could in turn cater classes for more Singaporeans at dedicated and convenient venues.

Third, might the Ministry work closely with NICA to finetune the SkillsFuture Level-Up programme to help freelance coaches make career breakthroughs? Against the backdrop of Healthier SG, NICA is putting together upskilling pathways to equip our members to coach niche segments, such as persons with disabilities and frail seniors. We are also familiarising coaches with AI and other emerging knowledge that can help to sharpen their edge. NICA welcomes more hands on deck to advance efforts.

By unlocking these three possibilities, we can support our freelance coaches for arts, exercise sports and outdoor adventure education to make a fair living, access opportunities on a level playing field; and like fellow Singaporeans, be equipped to take forward prospects on the horizon. Sir, we can and must do more to fortify our coaches and instructors. Let us empower those who help us to live life happy, healthy and well.

The Chairman: Ms Usha Chandradas, please take your four cuts together.

Support for Our SG Arts Plan

Ms Usha Chandradas (Nominated Member): Sir, in this year's Budget Statement, Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong stated that our Government will support the Our SG Arts Plan (2023-2027) by investing $100 million over the next four years. From the estimates, I note that the amount allocated for the National Arts Council's (NAC's) development expenditure in FY2024 is only around $5.83 million.

This appears to be a relatively small amount as compared to the overall $100 million which has been committed to the rollout of the latest Arts Plan. I may be misreading the numbers and if I am, I am very happy to stand corrected, but is the Ministry able to clarify how the $100 million of allocated funds will be applied over each of the four years, including the upcoming financial year? Would the Ministry also be able to explain the rationale behind the allocation of these yearly amounts of expenditure?

Finally, what are the Ministry's plans in the coming year to harness more resources to help transform arts businesses and grow the arts ecosystem? The availability of art spaces, for example, is a perennial hot topic.

With the very recent announcement by the Ministry of National Development (MND) of the potential conversion of Gillman Barracks into public and private housing, we see the potential loss of one arts district – one that has been associated with the arts at least since 2012, when it was first launched as a contemporary art and lifestyle enclave with many tenants who are well-known art gallerists and galleries. Will the Ministry be working with MND to ensure that the unique artistic character of Gillman Barracks will be preserved or will the space be completely transformed? If it is to be the latter, will alternative spaces be then set aside for the present tenants of Gillman Barracks?

Plans for Cultural Concierge and Analytics

Mr Chairman, my second cut relates to the spending allocated for the building of the Cultural Concierge in FY2024. This is budgeted at around $1.5 million. I also have some questions on the expenditure, which has been planned for the Culture Sector Data Analytics Solution. This has been budgeted at around $1.7 million.

With regard to the Cultural Concierge, I would like to declare my interest here as the owner of a local digital art magazine. Is the Ministry able to clarify what the expenditure relating to the Cultural Concierge will entail? As the Ministry is aware, there are a number of independent digital content creators in the industry who all work with the aim of promoting awareness of the arts and in publicising arts events.

Some platforms are more lucrative than others, some are purely run as passion projects; but what all creators in the space have in common is their commitment and passion in promoting awareness of the arts. They have put in resources to this end and some have spent years on their work. In developing its new digital platforms, what opportunities are there for the Ministry to work with existing independent content creators in the arts space? How can the public and private sectors work together in this area to improve arts appreciation, consumption and awareness amongst general audiences?

On the spending that is planned for the Cultural Sector Data Analytics Solution, can the Ministry provide details on what the expenditure will entail and what effect it is intended to have? How will the Ministry ensure that while audience preferences are catered for in arts offerings, that there is still room for the avant-garde and works and events that push boundaries?

These two play an important long-term role in challenging and educating audiences on arts and cultural appreciation. This was a point that I made as well in my adjournment Motion last year. I hope that while our arts offerings are able to cater to popular demand, that there is still room for experimental and fringe activities. I certainly hope that the Government will continue to support these.

Revision of Cultural Medallion Grant

Mr Chairman, for my third cut, I would like to ask the Ministry if it will consider converting Singapore's Cultural Medallion Award into a cash grant or cash award with incentives, such as health benefits. This would be similar to national artistic awards given by our neighbours, such as Thailand and Malaysia. Presently, each Cultural Medallion recipient in Singapore wins an entitlement to access up to $80,000 from the Cultural Medallion Fund throughout their lifetime in order to support arts-related projects that meet certain objectives.

So, to be clear, it is not a cash award. It is an entitlement to apply for funding for certain types of projects. For example, these include projects that involve the mentoring of younger artists, the transfer of knowledge, community outreach and the development of the artist's own practice. But there is an administrative application that has to be made and the funds are granted only if the application is approved.

In response to a Parliamentary Question that I filed earlier this year, the Ministry clarified that 71% of living Cultural Medallion recipients have partially or fully used their access to this funding. Of the recipients who had passed away and were eligible for the funding, 59% had partially or fully-utilised their entitlements. Of the total $9.4 million awarded to Cultural Medallion recipients since 2001, $3.4 million – or around 36% – remains unutilised as at January 2024.

I thank the Ministry for making these statistics available. For our national athletes who win medals internationally, cash awards are granted under the Major Games Award Programme. While these award amounts vary and athletes are required to plough back a certain percentage of the awards into their respective national sports associations, it is still a cash award and one which recognises the huge costs of training at an elite level.

It also serves as a reward for our athletes who play a big role in bringing Singaporeans together whenever they win medals. Artists too, when they are at a developmental stage of their careers, incur significant costs in maintaining and growing their artistic practices. As acknowledged by Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in his Budget Statement, the arts play such an important role in making Singapore a distinctive home for us all. The Cultural Medallion is Singapore's highest arts accolade. It honours distinguished individuals who have enriched Singapore's arts and culture scene.

I would like to suggest that the Ministry consider offering a direct cash grant and additional supports, such as health benefits, for recipients of the Cultural Medallion. This would allow for better practical access to and actual use of the award funds. A cash award could also have a better signalling effect of accomplishment and prestige, recognising the life achievements of our country's best artists. It would also provide them with a measure of monetary support in recognition of the financial sacrifices that are often required to build a career in the arts.

Redevelopment of 45 Armenian Street

Sir, my final cut has to do with the redevelopment of 45 Arminian Street. 45 Arminian Street was the previous permanent home of the substation and the closure of the substation at that location was the source of considerable debate in previous years. Is the Ministry able to provide details of the expenditure planned for the redevelopment of the building this year? Can the Ministry provide updates on how long redevelopment will take and what future plans are for tenants who will occupy the building once it is ready?

Finally, are there lessons to be learned from the experience of the substation in the building; and if so, moving forward, how will the Government's engagement with the space be different from what was previously done? For example, in his announcement on the proposed new artist space at Kampong Java, Minister Edwin Tong said that the Government was prepared to let the arts community take the lead in telling the Government what they want. He said, "A little bit of messiness in that space is something that I think we need."

I fully agree with this sentiment and I know that many in the arts community do as well and I thank the Minister for this affirmation. Would the Ministry be able to provide details on how these big picture ideas will be operationalised, both in 45 Arminian Street and in the new art spaces that will be coming up in this year?

The Chairman: Mr Darryl David, please take your two cuts together.

7.00 pm

Heritage Places

Mr Darryl David: Mr Chairman, Singapore is a multi-racial, multi-cultural country and there are several neighbourhoods that are representative of this and take pride in their unique identities. These neighbourhoods have escaped the wrecking ball through careful planning, rebuilding and restoration and new life has indeed been injected in them.

One of these is Tiong Bahru, Singapore's oldest residential neighbourhood and is well known for its well-conserved art-deco architecture. Now the place is alive with hipster cafes, boutiques and a vibrant community for all walks of life. It evokes strong memories of our heritage.

Kampong Glam is a historic Malay/Muslim neighbourhood featuring the iconic architectural and cultural features such as the Sultan Mosque, Arab Street and the Malay Heritage Centre, a reflection of traditional Malay architecture indeed.

Chinatown is a bustling neighbourhood, rich with Chinese culture and heritage. Here we see traditional pre-war shophouses, together with street markets and cultural attractions such as the Thian Hock Keng Temple.

Of course, Little India is another showcase of Singapore's Indian heritage and culture. This is home to the beautiful and bustling temples in Little India which date back to the 19th century. Besides the temples, Little India is dotted with colourful streets and Indian eateries.

And, of course, Joo Chiat and Katong are unmistakably Peranakan neighbourhoods that are filled with colourful shophouses, wonderful cuisine and cultural landmarks such as the Katong Antique House.

Sir, the point I am making here is that cultural heritage embodies Singapore's history and legacy. And this rich history and legacy is manifested in a unique tapestry of places and is a placeholder for us to grow together even as we are anchored in this heritage and culture of the past.

As we continue to welcome people from all over the world, our cultural heritage will grow to take a confident hold of the future while harkening back to the past – our roots. Can MCCY share how we will create opportunities to enliven these and other neighbourhoods, celebrate their rich heritage and foster a stronger sense of belonging and identity?

Art Spaces

Sir, my next cut echoes points that was made earlier by the hon Member Ms Usha Chandradas, and that is to look at the art spaces in Singapore. One of the strategies under our Arts Plan 2.0 includes widening the access of public arts in both public and private spaces so that Singaporeans from all walks of life can experience and enjoy the arts.

Initiatives over the years have included the establishment of community arts and culture clubs across different neighbourhoods in Singapore to offer a variety of arts and cultural activities for residents to participate in.

Another initiative is a strong emphasis on arts education in school, ensuring that students have exposure to various forms of arts and cultural expressions from young. Art education is premised on openness and diversity.

NAC's Art Education Unit, I believe, works closely with the arts community and various agencies, including the Ministry of Education (MOE), the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) and the Preschool Anchor Operators (AOPs) to provide an access to a range of well-designed arts education experiences with Singapore artists and arts groups.

NAC also provides a sustainable funding infrastructure through grants and arts housing support for the arts community to achieve a vision of Singapore as home to diverse and distinctive arts that inspire our people, connect our communities and position Singapore globally. Indeed, the arts can help foster connectedness, inclusivity and collaboration, strengthening social cohesion.

In this regard, can MCCY provide an update on the efforts to ensure diverse art spaces that serve as touchpoints for both the public and artists?

Using Arts to Promote Health and Well-being

Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar): Chairman, Singapore has a rapidly ageing population. It is important for us to age healthily to reduce the growing burden on our healthcare system. Amongst the various measures implemented by the Government, an effective one is using arts to promote and enhance health and well-being.

In September last year, the World Health Organization and the Jamil Arts and Health Lab announced a forthcoming Lancet Global Series on the health benefits of the arts. There is a growing body of evidence on how the arts can help improve health and well-being. The arts has a role to play in preventing, managing and treating physical and mental disorders.

In a 2019 publication, the medical journal The Lancet stated, "Music can reduce heart rate and blood pressure pre-operatively and decrease anxiety, pain and analgesic use post-operatively. Singing can help patients with respiratory disease. Music and dance can help motor rehabilitation after a stroke. Singing in a choir, making art or group drumming can ease anxiety and depression."

Would the Minister provide an update on broad-based mental well-being support in the arts and its role in Healthier SG? Can MCCY share more about the specific art-based programmes and resources that promote health and well-being? For example, festivals, programmes and resources that arts groups can use for selected target segments such as the elderly. What are the initiatives to support and promote the wellbeing of art practitioners, including freelancers?

Mr Mohd Fahmi Aliman: Chairman, in our rapidly evolving societal landscape, the role of the arts in promoting citizens' health and well-being has become increasingly significant. As Singapore grapples with the challenges posed by an ageing population, there arises a pressing need for innovative interventions to enhance the quality of life and overall well-being of our citizens.

Against this backdrop, could the Ministry share insights on how the arts can serve as a powerful tool for promoting greater health and well-being among Singaporeans? Furthermore, what are the Ministry's plans to augment arts-based interventions and how will these initiatives be implemented to ensure their effectiveness in addressing the diverse needs of our community?

Building National Identity

Mr Mark Lee (Nominated Member): Chairman, I am keen to understand the strategies MCCY has in place in utilising our heritage assets, notably museums to foster community bonding, national pride and unity under the Forward SG movement. How are these cultural assets planned to be leveraged for cultural exchange, celebrating our heritage and building a resilient national identity?

Could the Ministry provide insights on increasing museum accessibility, digital engagement and educational outreach such that the public understands their contribution towards a cohesive and future-ready Singapore?

Singapore's Multicultural Heritage

Mr Sitoh Yih Pin: Mr Chairman, one of Singapore's fundamental tenets of our social compact is to strive towards being a multiracial, multi-cultural and multi-religious community, living harmoniously together. I say "strive", because this element of our social compact is something we need to constantly keep in our minds and work towards improving. Because no matter how well we think we are on this call, it is not something that can be taken for granted.

We need only look at the conflicts around the world to understand that racial, cultural and religious differences can often lead to unimaginable hardship and suffering for communities. The preservation of our diverse cultural heritage is an important way for us to foster a strong sense of belonging and a shared identity in Singapore.

We have neighbourhoods such as Geylang Serai, Little India and Chinatown that are culture-rich and many Singaporeans take pride in their unique identity and culture. More can be done to create opportunities to celebrate these culture-rich places. Further, we should take the opportunity to empower our youths in this endeavour. Our youths represent the next generation of Singapore.

Through the Forward SG exercise, they have expressed their desire to play an active role in shaping policies and co-creating the communities they live in. They will play a big part in determining how strong our social compact will be in the future.

I therefore invite Minister to update us on MCCY's plans to celebrate the shared heritage of our culture-rich places and how we can engage our youths in our efforts to preserve our cultural heritage.

Our Shared Heritage

Mr Keith Chua (Nominated Member): Mr Chairman, as mentioned by the Member just before me, we have a rich heritage. Our ability to forge racial and religious mutual respect today stems from our decades of living together, working together and facing challenges together. It was not

The changing world will require us to deepen our unique heritage and stay united as one people, stemming from our different races, our different cultures and our different religious affiliations. Engaging our youths in appreciating and preserving our cultural and societal heritage needs to continue. It was encouraging to see higher visitor numbers to our museums and heritage institutions in the recent years.

May I therefore inquire what the Ministry's plans are to engage youths in our efforts to understand more and preserve our cultural and societal heritage? May I also inquire how we can engage our seniors to share their lived experiences and stories, in particular, to our younger generations?

Social Harmony

Mr Darryl David: Mr Chairman, as a multiracial country, social harmony is key to ensuring that our community stays together as one people, one Singapore. Yet, issues exist, and we are witnessing conflicts around the world with ethnic and religious angles and undertones that could have a possible adverse effect on our society.

Several conflicts around the world have indeed taken on ethnic dimensions. The impact of the Gaza crisis has affected communities on both sides of the conflict that started on 7 October 2023. The Russian-Ukraine war is also an ethnic one, largely involving ethnic Russians and Ukrainians. The annexation of Crimea by Russia and the ongoing war in Donetsk and Luhansk since early 2022 have only heightened ethnic, linguistic and cultural divisions in the region. Sadly, neither one of these two conflicts look like they will end any time soon.

Another long-drawn conflict in Syria is a clash of ethnic groups such as the Turkmen, Kurds, Arabs and Assyrians, among others. We have also seen civil war in South Sudan between the Dinka and Nuer ethnic groups. The Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria is another example of a conflict with ethnic and religious undertones.

These are just a few examples and many other regions around the world experience conflict with ethnic and religious dimensions. Understanding and resolving these conflicts often require addressing deep-seated historical grievances, promoting inclusive governance and fostering inter-ethnic dialogue and reconciliation.

Can MCCY share how we can continue to work towards facilitating social harmony and community cohesion in Singapore to ensure that our various communities are not duly affected by these global conflicts that have ethnic and religious undertones and that we can continue to live in peace and harmony?

Bolstering Racial and Religious Harmony

Mr Raj Joshua Thomas (Nominated Member): Sir, the Deputy Prime Minister pointed out in his Budget speech that societies across the world are becoming increasingly divided and nations more fragile. Despite our diversity, we have managed to build and maintain a strong and united society. This can aptly be described as an unusual modus vivendi.

Amidst this, there are incidents that arise from time to time that threaten our balance and some incidents may result in a lingering sentiment, especially amongst our minority groups. Migrants may also pose challenges to our unity as they go through the process of integrating into our way of life. Maintaining our racial and religious harmony is therefore an ongoing effort.

It is not a natural balance and significant effort must continuously be expended by the Government to steward our social harmony together with other stakeholders like community groups and religious organisations. Could the Minister update on MCCY's efforts to bolster our racial and religious harmony and its priorities in the coming year?

7.15 pm

The Chairman: Ms Hany Soh, please take your two cuts together.

Encourage Civic Participation in Youths

Ms Hany Soh (Marsiling-Yew Tee): Mr Chairman, our youths are a key and valuable segment of our society. Their views, feedback and ideas must be heard, not least because they often inject fresh perspectives and introduce new dimensions to thought processes. Therefore, I would like to ask how has MCCY been encouraging and supporting our youths to experiment and transform their ideas into tangible actions and to fruition? How else and how better can MCCY provide their encouragement and support?

The Youth Action Challenge started in 2019 as a platform for youths to champion ground-up initiatives and to partner the Government, businesses and community to realise their ideas. As it approaches its five-year mark, are there any updates that MCCY can share on the outcomes achieved and the number of projects implemented from the Challenge thus far?

Enhancing Mental Well-being Support

Mental well-being continues to be an important issue in the minds of Singaporeans, particularly our youths. The SG Mental Well-Being Network was set up in July 2022 to build community and peer support and raise awareness of the importance of mental health and well-being. One key initiative is the Well-Being Circles. Can MCCY provide an update on the Network's progress in meeting its objective and, specifically, the assessed effectiveness of the Well-Being Circles in supporting mental health and mental well-being? How can these initiatives rolled out by MCCY synergise with other ground-up initiatives introduced by local divisions?

Take, for example, in our Marsiling-Yew Tee GRC's Woodgrove division, we recognise that it is crucial to raise awareness of the importance of mental health and well-being and establish a strong community support network to encourage those who are in need to seek help. This year, a series of mental wellness-related workshops has been planned to take place in Woodgrove, from training our grassroots leaders with skills, such as active listening and psychological first aid to equipping families with better awareness on youths and seniors-related mental health issues. I look forward to MCCY's responses.

Youth Mentoring

Ms Rahayu Mahzam (Jurong): Chairman, last weekend, Jurong GRC and M³@Jurong organised a flash mentoring programme for students who had just received their "A" level results. We collaborated with MENDAKI and SINDA which recommended some of their accomplished volunteers to be mentors. Some were students from law school or awaiting entry into Cambridge; some were young professionals but all so eager to share their insights with our youths. The programme, known as School of Day 1, was coordinated by Mohammad Matin Mohdari. Matin and the mentors worked hard to curate a meaningful session where difficult topics were broken down to actionable steps. I am certain the participants took away very useful learning points.

I am a great believer in mentoring and programmes like School of Day 1 serve to connect youths with a network of support and access to information that could help them navigate their paths ahead. I am, therefore, very supportive of Mentoring SG and its efforts in promoting a mentoring culture and making it accessible to youths through the community-driven digital platform Mentoring SG Connect. I note that there are also efforts to build the capability of mentors.

I would like to learn from the Ministry about the latest initiatives that have been done to further promote mentoring. What has been the outcome of all the efforts thus far? In particular, how successful has Mentoring SG been in providing mentoring opportunities to the youths?

I also feel that it is important to work with people and organisations in the community. Has there been meaningful collaboration with the stakeholders in the community and corporate partners in this endeavour?

Growing Philanthropy

Mr Keith Chua: Mr Chairman, Singapore is a generous society. A quick look at our history will show accounts of individuals from all races generously giving back over the centuries. Many familiar names can be found in hospital and healthcare facilities, educational institutions, community services. Many contributions are captured in our archives: individuals and families from all walks of life giving time, talents and treasures.

As we shape our new social compact, there are many ways we can continue to engage all of society across all ages and at all levels. The proposed collaboration with the Community Foundation of Singapore, MSF and Community Chest will provide opportunity for those who are in a position to donate materially to support those from lower-income groups. Developing the Company of Good will bring about giving from our extensive business community. May I ask about MCCY's next steps toward growing philanthropy and fostering more collaborations?

Supporting Businesses in Giving Back

Mr Neil Parekh Nimil Rajnikant (Nominated Member): Chairman, there are many ways that corporations can support the vulnerable and those in need. Offering their professional resources and expertise is one way. The ESG Coordination Office, operated by the Singapore Business Federation (SBF), was set up for businesses to play a more significant role in society. Can MCCY share how it will work with the ESG Coordination Office to support businesses in integrating social impact into their business models, and what is the progress thus far?

The National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) also has its Company of Good programme to encourage businesses to do good. Can MCCY share how can the ESG Coordination Office and NVPC better synergise efforts and also share its plans to encourage the business community and working professionals to contribute more to society beyond just making corporate donations and volunteering?

Co-operatives and Their Role in Singapore

Mr Mohd Fahmi Aliman: Chairman, since 1925, co-operative societies (co-ops) have been playing a pivotal role in Singapore, alongside the Government and the private sector. Today, there are 80 registered co-ops that provide a variety of services, including supermarket, thrift and loan, childcare and welfare services. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that the business model of co-ops serve the people's social and economic needs in bad times and not just in good times. For example, NTUC FairPrice ensured that daily essentials remained available and affordable, and the FairPrice on Wheels service was launched to bring essential groceries within walking distance of homes.

I am heartened that the Government has engaged the co-op community as part of the Forward SG dialogue. As such, how can co-ops be further supported to continue their unique role alongside other business entities in the "Do Good" space, thereby reinforcing Singapore's commitment to social cohesion and inclusive growth?

Senior Volunteerism

Ms Rahayu Mahzam: Chairman, there are many grassroots leaders in Bukit Batok East who are seniors and I am often inspired and heartened by their energy and commitment. One of them is Judy Leong, an 82-year-old lady who has been a volunteer for about 35 years. Judy lives alone as her husband had passed away some years ago and she does not have any children. But Judy's life is full, as she spends her days engaging with residents and helping out at various community events. I want to be like Judy when I am older.

We are all cognisant of the issues relating to ageing in Singapore. We know that mental and social well-being are important and that we need to actively engage seniors so they are not socially isolated. One meaningful way to do so is to encourage volunteerism.

I note that there have been efforts in place like partnerships with organisations like RSVP. In some spaces, we are also seeing an increase in the number of senior volunteers. Last year, CNA reported that Lions Befriender Service Association saw the number of their senior volunteers increased by four times from 2021 to 2022. RSVP was also reported to see a 30% increase.

While there are positive news, we should continue to build a culture such that people want to volunteer after they have retired or when they reach their silver years. We should have a deeper understanding of the current demography. For example, we are looking at younger seniors who are more educated or tech-savvy. Look at what opportunities interest them and put in place a more structured approach to create more avenues of participation. I hope to hear the Ministry's plans on encouraging senior volunteerism.

The Chairman: Mr Baey Yam Keng. If you like, please take your two cuts together.

SG Cares Movement

Mr Baey Yam Keng (Tampines): SG Care Volunteer Centres (VCs) are now set up across all 24 towns in Singapore to support needs on the ground by matching the needs with volunteers and resources. The concept is great. As these centres are operated by organisations based in the community, they know the needs in the respective communities better, are better connected to resources and can broker supply and demand at the town level more effectively.

This initiative started in 2018 in a few towns, and it has been two years since all 24 VCs were established. Can MCCY share the impact VCs have had in building a culture of care and how this impact will be sustained? What have been the challenges and experiences gained over the years? I know there have been some changes of operators in some towns. What are the reasons for these changes and how has MCCY been managing the disruption?

The needs in each town are varied and span across a spectrum. Besides social service agencies and charities, there are Government agencies, such as Silver Generation Office, requiring volunteers, too. At the same time, while there could be some town-specific demographic characteristics that require VCs to have different focus areas and strategies, there will be some commonalities as the Singapore population is generally ageing and the importance of mental health applies across all age groups. Can MCCY share how it will strengthen the VCs' capabilities to attract, engage and sustain volunteers more effectively in meeting the diverse needs? How do the VCs cross-share and cross-learn from one another?

It is expected that many volunteers are retirees or people who do not work full time as they would have more time to spare. However, there are specific skills and networks that working professionals can bring to the table. How have the VCs been able to reach out to this group of potential volunteers?

In each town, there will also be businesses and corporates, both big and small, where their staff could be encouraged to volunteer, too. Can MCCY share its plans in encouraging corporates to join the SG Cares movement?

SG Partnerships Office

Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong launched the Singapore Government Partnerships Office (SGPO) in January to strengthen the Government's partnerships and engagements with citizens. Can MCCY share how SGPO will drive Government-citizen partnerships?

The Partners Portal has a useful listing of all partnership receptacles, grants and volunteering networks available in the public sector. I think this is a good starting point as citizens can sometimes be confused and do not know the existing resources available. Getting help in navigating to the right agency and contacts can accelerate the process and help to put good intentions to actions quickly.

One area that this portal can help is in areas where a proposal might cut across portfolios of different Government agencies but yet become an orphan in a way that it might not feature too highly in any one agencies' agenda. Then there is also the policy of no double-dipping. A proposal may not receive funding from more than one Government grant or scheme. Can MCCY share how citizens will be supported to materialise their proposals, especially those that may fall between the cracks?

As all new initiatives will have some teething issues, I wish SGPO all the very best in its journey to forge a closer partnership between citizens and the Government.

The Chairman: We have now come to the end of the cuts for MCCY. Ms Low Yen Ling.