Hansard, Friday, 6 March 2020

1 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry has conducted a study on students from Special Assistance Plan (SAP) schools for their attitudes towards inclusivity and respect for people of different cultural backgrounds; (b) if so, to what extent do the results of these studies diverge from those of students from non-SAP schools; and (c) if not, whether the Ministry will consider conducting such a study.

Mr Speaker, Sir, before I answer the Member’s Parliamentary Question (PQ), it is useful to remind ourselves about the origins of SAP schools.

We are a diverse, immigrant society. In the early years of our Independence, we established English as the common working language for multi-cultural Singapore, as a practical arrangement, to access global economic opportunities and create jobs for Singaporeans.

Recognising this, parents started sending their children to English schools and as a result, enrolment for Chinese-medium schools fell drastically in the 1970s and 1980s.

Hence, in 1979, the Government established SAP schools, to preserve the ethos of Chinese-medium schools and promote the learning of the language and its culture, while still using English as the primary language of instruction.

Mr Speaker, Sir, SAP schools did not start as popular schools. On the contrary, they were established as part of a struggle to preserve the Chinese language and culture. But over the years, with the dedicated efforts of the schools and the support of the community, and helped by the rise of China, they have become more popular.

Education in Singapore reflects the diversity of our society. We make bilingualism a cornerstone of our education policy. We offer opportunities for students to pursue MTL at a higher level – not just through SAP schools, but also through the Elective Programme in Malay Language for Secondary Schools (EMAS), Language Elective Programmes for Chinese, Malay and Tamil, and the National Elective Tamil Programme. Government schools, clan-based and religiously-affiliated schools, SAP schools and designated schools like the madrasahs all co-exist in our education landscape.

At the same time, we ensure that our students get to learn about the languages and cultures of other communities. National programmes, such as Values in Action and the Outward Bound School, offer our students the chance to forge bonds across communities and social groups.

Likewise, SAP schools make substantial efforts to encourage and build the students’ understanding of other cultures, through inter-school, cluster-based and community-based activities such as camps, festive celebrations and dialogues. Almost all SAP schools teach their students conversational Malay.

All these efforts have an impact. A 2018 study found that there is no difference in the attitudes of Secondary school students in SAP and non-SAP schools towards people from different backgrounds and cultures.

MOE will continue our efforts in this area. So, regardless of what school we are from – be it SAP, independent, clan or mission-based – we must do our part to forge a united Singapore.

Mr Louis Ng.

Thank you, Sir, and I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the reply. I understand that we teach the students at SAP schools about other cultures, other languages and that there is social mixing between the schools. But could I ask what would be MOE's efforts to ensure that there is social mixing within the school?

Mr Speaker, Sir, I want to thank the Member for his supplementary question. So, he is asking about social mixing within the school and not about across different schools. Mr Speaker, Sir, allow me to reiterate that SAP schools remain relevant and there is a reason why I am explaining this.

SAP schools remain relevant from the broader perspective of an evolving multi-cultural Singapore, amidst a changing global dynamic. We all know Asia is the fastest growing region in the world and we all know China is our largest trading partner. We also know that as countries around us catch up in the learning of multiple languages, bilingualism may no longer be a unique advantage that Singaporeans possess. That is why we certainly would want to continue to preserve and improve on the programmes that promote the learning of Mother Tongue Languages as much as possible. I have cited what are the various types of schools in our very diverse education landscape.

SAP schools are uniquely positioned to immerse the students in an environment that is rich in Chinese language and culture, with the aim of developing effectively bilingual, bi-cultural talents, given the context that I have explained earlier. But I also want to re-assure the Member, that within the schools, the students do not just learn Chinese language and English language. If they want to learn the Malay language, they would be given as much support to do so. For example, they can learn Malay language or Bahasa Indonesia as a third language at the MOE Language Centre or take up the Malay Special Programme at the Zonal Centre or within the school.

I am happy to update the Member that within the school itself, for example, for the SAP Secondary schools – we have 11 of them – seven of them have their own in-house Malay Special Programme. So, seven out of 11 SAP Secondary schools implement their Malay Special Programme within the school. It also allows for social mixing as they learn the Malay language within the same school.

Furthermore, we have made Conversational Malay available in almost all SAP schools. This is important because it opens up the ability of our SAP school students to appreciate the Malay language and culture, and then, equips them with the skills to communicate, not just with students within the same school but also with peers from other schools and the community, and also, from the region.

I want to assure the Member that the SAP schools will continue to encourage their students to interact with peers within the school and peers from other schools as well as from the community, and give them multiple platforms to learn about and also to interact with other cultures, so that we can forge an inclusive and united Singapore.

Minister Ong.

I think if we are honest and we just look around us, look around the world, in a country where there is a majority community, they will tend to insist that the language that the majority speaks becomes the national language and then, school instruction becomes in that language. You do not have to look very far – just look around us.

In Singapore, we have majority of one community but we have decided we shall be a multi-racial country. And therefore, we use English, that is neutral to all, a common language for everyone. But having done that, let us make sure we respect the fact that every community also values their own language, customs, culture. This is why within our education system, different kinds of schools – from SAP schools to clan-based, church-based ones, specially-designated madrasah schools, the Umar Pulavar Tamil Language Centre – they all exist as part of our education landscape.

This is how we reconcile as a country the fact that we all have multiple levels of identity. Two important ones are: first, we are all Singaporeans; second, we are also a member of our ethnic community. Therefore, there is a place for all these schools.

So, within SAP schools, there is a downside – as the Member mentioned – which is that there are less opportunities to interact with members of other races. But we live in Singapore! So, let us be realistic. If you are a student in a SAP school and you feel that you do not have the opportunities, come, volunteer for the Member of Parliament! We have plenty of opportunities. Just get into the community, visit the hawker centres – this is Singapore. You do not have to confine yourself to just revolving around your classrooms.

I think SAP schools can do more. I would say that they can do more and they have been doing more. Visiting several SAP schools, I am actually quite glad and amazed at the efforts they have taken to teach Conversational Malay. Many SAP school students – Senior Parliamentary Secretary Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim has met some of them – are speaking very fluent Malay, and are able to go out to the community and interact with people.

So, be mindful that in Singapore, do not take extreme positions. We all have multiple levels of identity; they are all important to us, but we have always managed that and we are a society that is, a work in progress.

2 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Health what is the rationale for banning ex-offenders from donating blood within one year of their prison release.

Mr Speaker, to ensure a safe and high-quality blood supply for our patients in Singapore, pre-donation interviews are conducted to screen blood donors for risk factors and blood donations are also tested for blood-borne infections.

However, infections can only be detected some time after the blood donors have been infected. This is known as the window period. Therefore, donors who have been exposed to infection risks will be asked to defer their donation until after the window period.

For this reason, the World Health Organization recommends an appropriate deferral period after ex-offenders have been released from prison before blood donation. HSA has adopted a one-year deferral period, aligned with the practices of other countries such as Australia, Canada and the United States of America. It ensures that the window period after these donors become infected has passed, enabling the screening tests to detect blood-borne infections if any, as patient safety is utmost important and cannot be compromised.

I do understand we are following WHO guidelines. But WHO says prisons are extremely high-risk environments for transmission of HIV due to over-crowding, poor nutrition, limited access to healthcare, continued drug use, unsafe injecting practices, unprotected sex and tattooing.

This might be representative of other prisons, but can I ask the Senior Minister of State whether this is representative of the Singapore prisons? And having myself visited the prisons, I am quite sure that this is not. If it is not, then why do we follow the WHO guidelines when our prisons are not the same as other prisons?

The second clarification is, if we really do believe that the Singapore Prison is an area where there is high infections, then, surely, MOH should be doing something to protect our inmates against HIV, Hepatitis B which we can vaccinate against, and Hepatitis C, rather than the stigma of the ex-offender coming out and then, going to try and donate blood, and the doctor says, "No, you can't because you are an ex-offender." And that is a real-life example because it was an ex-offender who emailed me after coming to my blood donation drive in Nee Soon East and being turned away.

I would like to thank the Member for those clarifications. As I have mentioned, HSA has very high standards on donor criteria to ensure the safety of blood supply. I think that this is something that all of us do support. We also know that studies have shown that inmates of prisons and corrective institutions have a higher incidence of infections from blood-borne diseases such as Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C. This is a fact.

Although there are no reported instances of inmates contracting blood-borne or infectious diseases while in Singapore's prison – and this is something that we are very proud of as compared to many of the other prisons that Mr Louis Ng has alluded to – we still need to err on the side of caution as inmates may have contracted the infectious diseases before their admission to prison. We also acknowledge that they are considered a higher risk group compared to the population. If I can just quote some statistics: for HIV, for the general population between the age 15 and 45 in Singapore, the HIV prevalence is 0.2% but it is 1.1% amongst inmates or ex-inmates. This is a fact that they are of a higher risk profile.

Like I have mentioned in my reply, they may be in the window period, so therefore, we have adopted what WHO has recommended, taking into consideration all these factors.

I also thank the ex-inmate who came forward to donate. I think for genuine donors, they can still continue to come forward to donate their blood after that 12-month deferral period.

Ms Anthea Ong.

Thank you, Speaker. I thank the Senior Minister of State. On this topic of blood donation, I mentioned it yesterday in my cut, too, that there are persons with mental health conditions who declared and were also turned away at the blood banks here in Singapore. It just concerns me that between ex-offenders and persons with mental health conditions, our blood donation policy seems to be entrenched deeply in stigma that we are trying so hard to get rid of. Could the Senior Minister of State explain why persons with mental conditions are turned away at blood donation drives?

I thank the Member for that clarification. As far as I know, not all mental conditions will be excluded from blood donation. In fact, we have checked with HSA. There is a wide spectrum of mental illnesses – from very mild mental conditions to very severe conditions. So, as long as the patient with mental illness is able to prove from maybe some form of certification from their psychiatrist or doctor that they able to make decisions on their own, then, we will be able to accept them as blood donors.

Sir, the follow-up question to my second point – what is MOH doing to help the inmates who have been released? We are saying that a year from their release date, they have very high potential of being infected with Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV, surely, MOH should have a programme to help these inmates following their release.

I think we must be cognisant that the reason why they are inmates is because of certain things that have happened, prior to that. That actually pre-disposes them to some high-risk behaviours. While we do not want to say that every single person who has been admitted to prison is considered high risk, we do need to take an approach whereby we have to err on the side of caution. Like I have mentioned, for genuine donors, they are still welcomed to donate after the 12-month deferral period.

3 Ms Anthea Ong asked the Minister for Health (a) why is "treatment of self-inflicted injuries or injuries resulting from attempted suicide" not covered under MediShield Life; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider removing this from the standard exclusions under MediShield Life.

Sir, the general rule is that treatment of self-inflicted injuries or injuries resulting from attempted suicide is excluded from MediShield Life, so as to not encourage this kind of behaviour. Nonetheless, exceptions can be considered where such injuries might arise from mental illnesses.

I thank the Senior Minister of State. In a Parliamentary Question (PQ) that I had filed last month, it was shared that from 2016 to 2018, we had about 300 claims in this category that were excluded every year. Would the Senior Minister of State Edwin Tong please share if there will be a review at least to see if we can include such injuries?

As I had mentioned, we exclude them as a general rule because you do not encourage this kind of behaviour. We do not want to encourage people to self-inflict injuries and that is why MediShield Life does not cover it. Nonetheless, to the extent that these injuries arise as a result of an existing mental condition that might pre-dispose the claimant or the person to inflicting the injuries on himself or herself, in those situations, we can consider exceptions to the general positions.

4 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for National Development whether the Ministry will consider providing more incentives, including partial funding, for shopping malls to install tactile paving to aid the visually impaired.

Speaker, BCA’s Accessibility Fund (AF) provides co-funding for eligible building owners to upgrade their buildings with accessibility features. These features would also include aid for the visually impaired, such as tactile paving and information signage. For eligible private buildings, including shopping malls, the AF co-funds up to 60% of the construction cost for such features, capped at $300,000 per development.

More information on the AF, including how to apply for funding, is available on BCA’s website. BCA will continue to reach out to building owners to raise awareness of the AF.

Mr Louis Ng.

Thank you, Sir. This feedback actually came from a visually-impaired person who came to a dialogue session. He was sharing how at the Yishun Integrated Transport Hub, it really is very good. And I tried it. If you close your eyes, you can walk there, following the tactile paving. But his question was, it is very hard for him to get to there, to use the tactile paving because at the Northpoint City, there is no tactile paving.

I understand we are encouraging the building owners to provide these for the visually-impaired but I am just wondering whether we can perhaps make it compulsory so that the visually-impaired can find it easier to get around.

I thank the Member for his question. Today, under our building accessibility codes, the new buildings will certainly have such accessibility features on board. The AF is to encourage older buildings to come on board. I know Northpoint City is probably an older building. There are certain limitations with buildings that did not come with such designs. When they undergo A&A, BCA will try to encourage as much as we can. But to enforce it on all buildings is quite difficult because many of these buildings may or may not necessarily have the design features or they were not purpose-built for these. When buildings are being designed, we understand the newer ones, like the Member mentioned, are better equipped to provide such tactile pavings.

For the older ones, to be fair to building owners, we will encourage them as they undergo A&A. They can still tap on to the Fund.

The Fund is quite substantive – 60% and up to $300,000. It is not a small sum either, to encourage more building owners to come on board.

To give an example, more than 90% of existing buildings in the Orchard Road shopping belt have already achieved barrier-free accessibility. Certainly, we can do more, and in the heartlands, especially, and see how we can make it better.

Order. End of Question Time. Mr Louis Ng.

Mr Speaker, I beg to move*, "That leave be given to introduce a Bill intituled An Act to amend the Wild Animals and Birds Act (Chapter 351 of the 2000 Revised Edition)."

[(proc text) *The Motion also stood in the name of Miss Cheng Li Hui. (proc text)]

Sir, after more than two years of work by the Wild Animals Legislation Review Committee (WALRC), I am proud to say that we are now ready to move the Bill.

The WALRC comprises of representatives from the nature community, animal welfare community, the Singapore Pest Management Association, the Pet Enterprise and Traders Association of Singapore, the Buddhist Federation, academic and legal community and the Nee Soon East Youth Network. It has been a privilege chairing this committee and having meetings where we argue passionately, agree to disagree and work together so that we can have a stronger piece of legislation.

We conducted extensive public consultations over the past two years. We started with a face-to-face public consultation, followed by an online consultation on REACH where we received over 1,000 responses. This was followed by another round of face-to-face public consultation. We also held closed-door consultations with the pest management companies and separately with religious leaders and also obtained feedback from the MND Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) Members. Later this month, we will publish a post-consultation summary online and on REACH.

I thank the WALRC for their hard work, and also thankful for the strong support and help from MND and NParks.

Mr Speaker, this Bill seeks to strengthen the protection, preservation and management of wildlife for the purpose of maintaining a healthy eco-system and safeguarding of public safety and health. In particular, it seeks to: (a) control the feeding and release of wildlife in Singapore; (b) enable the Director-General, Wildlife Management of NParks to require wildlife-related measures to be implemented to address the impact of developments or works in relation to wildlife; (c) introduce new offences and enhance criminal penalties in the Act; and (d) enhance enforcement powers in the Act.

Mr Speaker, this Bill is drafted by the people with feedback and suggestions from the people. As such, I am happy to introduce this Bill on behalf of the people and animals. I have waited a long time to say this. Mr Speaker, I beg to move.

Comments from anyone?

[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]

[(proc text) Resolved, (proc text)]

[(proc text) That leave be given to introduce a Bill to amend the Animals and Birds Act (Chapter 351 of the 2000 Revised Edition). (proc text)]

Who is prepared to introduce the Bill?

I am, Sir.

Please proceed.

Mr Speaker, I beg to introduce a Bill intituled "An Act to amend the Wild Animals and Birds Act (Chapter 351 of the 2000 Revised Edition)."

[(proc text) Bill read the First time. (proc text)]

Second reading, what day?

At the next available sitting, Sir.

So be it.

[(proc text) Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply [6th Allotted Day]. (proc text)]

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Head X – Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth. Dr Lim Wee Kiak.

Mr Chairman, I beg to move, "That the total sum to be allocated for Head X of the Estimates be reduced by $100".

Today, the global environment is more fractious and societies are increasingly polarised. Disruptive technologies are changing our economies, our jobs, our way of life and challenging our norms. Singapore is a global city state that is multi-racial, multi-cultural, multi-religious and in some way multinational is at the epicentre of these forces. If we are not careful, these global forces can exert tensions that will threaten, disrupt and test the strength of the fabric of our society.

While MCCY has done well in fostering a strong sense of national unity and pride through sectors of arts, youth, community and sports, new challenges such as the COVID-19, regional political turmoil and international trade tensions are always emerging and we must be prepared to remain resilient and stay united as one Singapore.

MCCY must continue to strengthen the social fabric and the solidarity in the face of these forces. Are the current MCCY's strategies still relevant in the building an inclusive home where everyone feels that we are equal members of the same community, and are given equal opportunities to thrive and to pursue one's passion and interest? Given the increasing diversity and fractious state of our society, can we continue to progress together as a people?

What unites us as one people, one nation? Is it the Kallang Roar and Kallang Wave when Singapore Lions beat Pahang during the 1994 Malaysian cup? Or the 50.39 secs that Joseph Schooling swam while we all held our breath in front of our TV screens during the 2016 Olympics? Or the nail-biting table tennis finals during the 2008 Olympics when our paddlers brought us a silver medal?

We wept as a nation as we mourned together during the passing of our beloved founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew in 2015. People of all walks of life regarding of race, language or religion came together to queue for hours under the weather, rain or shine, day or night, to pay their last respect.

We faced fear and death together during the 2003 SARS crisis which infected 238 people and killed 33 in Singapore. Today, we are again tested and challenged and tested with COVID-19. We are tackling these challenges together and collectively with resolute and resilience.

As we continue to progress, the natural fault lines in our society – socio-economic divide, racial and religious divide, ideology divide, sexual orientation divide, e-literacy divide and many more – will continue to exist and may surface from time to time to threaten our resolve and unity. Will we be able to rise to the occasion like previous challenges and emerge stronger or will we be divided and withered?

MCCY needs to intensify the efforts in building a home that provides opportunities for all. It is important while we embrace our diversity and differences as strength of our nation, we need to work hard to create and expand common spaces and experiences that is unique to Singapore. To do this, I have three suggestions.

One, use arts, culture and heritage unique to Singapore. Make of arts and cultural programmes more accessible and affordable to Singaporeans. Similar to the $100 Active SG credits for sports facilities, MCCY can consider giving all Singaporeans $100 Active Arts and Culture credit to attend arts and cultural courses or attend local arts & cultural performances.

Two, renew and remake of community clubs to remain relevant so that more Singaporeans will visit and use the CCs. Our CCs should be the Community Centre for arts, culture, wellness and health, social interactions and skills upgrading.

Three, expand and build up community sports that can unite and bring people together. Top up the Active SG credits on a regular basis to promote community sports and expand the use of Active credits to sports events attendance, including our SG football leagues and national sports events.

Chairman, building a home that provide opportunities for all is not just an ideal. It is a reality. It is a basic right for all Singaporeans. I would like to thank MCCY for their hard work and invite all Singaporeans from all walks of life to join MCCY to make this arduous task a reality.

[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]

Mr Chairman, in Malay, please.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Our youths play a vital role in developing our community. MENDAKI has focused its efforts on providing educational support for youths. Some of MENDAKI's programmes include the MENDAKI Tuition Scheme and the Future Ready programme. Emotional support is also important to prepare our youths for the future. How is MENDAKI supporting our youths in their emotional development?

(In English): Next cut. Singaporean Muslims live in a diverse multi-racial community. We face unique challenges that are different from Muslim majority countries. Asatizah play a crucial role in guiding our community to live a rich and confident social religious life in a multi-religious Singapore.

Our asatizah have a profound impact on the outlook of Singaporean Muslims including how we practise Islam and how we interact with people of different faith. Almost all our asatizah are trained overseas in Muslim majority countries. MUIS is developing Post-Graduate Certificate in Islam in Contemporary Societies to socialise our returning graduates to our local needs and context.

Could the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs provide an update on this programme? How else is MUIS preparing our asatizah to guide Singaporean Muslim community to live in a multi-cultural modern society?

Mr Chairman, in Malay, please.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] To effectively guide the Muslim community who live in a multi-cultural society, the community depends on the asatizah to dispense religious knowledge that is based on lived reality and are able to address emerging issues, such as cryptocurrency and plant-based food.

It is important that the asatizah are equipped with the necessary skills to engage the community effectively. How can our asatizah further engage and contribute to the community’s needs, beyond that of a religious teacher? Will MUIS provide assistance and support so that the asatizah are better equipped to contribute in the fields mentioned earlier?

Mr Mohamed Irshad, take your two cuts together.

Chairman, for the first cut, I wish to congratulate the Committee on Future Asatizah or COFA, led by Senior Minister of State Dr Maliki Osman, for completing its work. In the report submitted to the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, COFA proposed a bold vision accompanied by 10 key recommendations based on three key thrusts. What can the asatizah fraternity expect from the recommendations?

The Singapore Muslim community is a highly diverse one that speaks a multitude of languages. In addition to a significant number of Indian Muslims who speak a myriad of languages, there is a growing resident community of Muslims who speak Tagalog, Mandarin and other north Asian languages. We also have a large population of Muslim foreign workers who speak Bangla, Urdu and other South Asian languages.

Since 1998, when the first MUIS scholarship was awarded, we have groomed a generation of Malay asatizah who are highly educated and doing some amazing work on the ground. I would like to ask the Minister if there are similar plans to build upon this foundation to groom a generation of non-Malay asatizah who can guide the local non-Malay Muslim communities?

For my second cut, Chairman, the Greek philosopher Heraclitus' statement "Change is the only constant in life" is applicable to all of us and all our situations without exception. For our respected asatizah fraternity, this statement is especially important as they have donned the robes of responsibility of guiding fellow Muslims in their faith.

In order to be effective torchbearers and shepherds, our asatizah need to remain relevant by constantly updating themselves with knowledge, skill sets, contemporary issues, and even vocational skills.

Sir, the recently submitted COFA report appears to have set a direction for tuture asatizah. I also note that the current generation of asatizah have the MUIS Academy which offers a range of courses and training as part of their lifelong learning ethos. There is also the SkillsFuture initiative for those asatizah who wish to acquire new skills.

In order to benefit from these effectively, our asatizah need to be more aware of the competencies they ought to possess. This will then enable them to make informed choices about improving themselves. Can the Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs share how MUIS will support the asatizah in this regard and the competencies they should acquire in order to stay relevant?

Chairman, in Malay, please.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Asatizah play an important role today in guiding the Singaporean Muslim community to help us thrive in a multi-religious and multi-cultural society, as well as globally, in addition to upholding our religious values.

MUIS will also focus on efforts to enhance the professional development of our asatizah.

There are many ways for an ustaz or usatazah to contribute to society, but one of the common grouses amongst this group is that this sector appears to have limited employment opportunities.

What has MUIS done to ensure that the religious sector can become an attractive sector for employment, especially for the talented ones who can make good contributions?

It was also reported that a revision will be made to asatizah's wages. What are the strategies that our community will support in order to ensure that our asatizah’s wages are aligned to market rates?

Mr Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap, you take your two cuts together.

Chairman, Sir, in Malay.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Sir, I would like to ask the Minister how many applications were received by the Syariah Court of Singapore for; firstly divorces, and second, obtaining counselling, between 2017 to 2019. And from these applications, how many applicants eventually divorced.

Second, I hope that the Minister can also share three main reasons or factors that are the causes of divorce in the Malay/Muslim community in Singapore within the time period I mentioned earlier.

Sir, The Registry of Muslim Marriages (ROMM) launched the "Bersamamu" programme in May 2019. This programme aims to provide holistic support to Muslim couples before and after marriage.

I would like to seek an update on this programme from the Minister.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] I would like to get the following facts from the Minister. How many appeal cases does the MUIS Appeal Board receive annually in relation to the decisions of the Syariah Court of Singapore for divorce cases in 2017, 2018 and 2019, and what are the main reasons for these appeals?

From this number of appeal cases that were reported, how many cases were reported by the ex-husband and how many by the ex-wife?

Sir, in my four years as a counsellor handling counselling sessions for the Syariah Court's Marriage Counselling Programme (MCP), I received feedback from some husbands as well as ex-husbands who felt that the Syariah Court seem to place emphasis on the Women's Charter in their deliberation process when making a judgment. In fact, until today, I still receive similar feedback from time to time from some of my residents as well as the public.

Sir, may I seek the Minister’s view and clarifications on this issue?

Mr Saktiandi Supaat, take your two cuts, please.

Chairman, in Malay, please.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Preschool education plays an important role in the early years for better development and learning in the later stages of life. In the last few years, there has been a growing emphasis on preschool education.

The Early Childhood Development Agency has been pushing for more children to attend pre-school regularly so that they will not fall behind in their studies compared to their peers when they enter primary school. This is because the early years of childhood are important towards shaping social and communication skills as well as attitudes towards learning. It is a platform to give all children an equal start in life regardless of their backgrounds.

How is MENDAKI supporting preschool learning for the Malay/Muslim community to ensure that our children have access to quality education and other learning opportunities?

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] MENDAKI has been playing a crucial role in supporting career mobility among the Malay/Muslim community. Last year, MENDAKI held its first Raikan Ilmu (Celebrate Knowledge) campaign, which celebrates the diverse bodies of knowledge in our society. The campaign saw activities that encouraged both children and adults to explore knowledge in new areas such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics. I was very impressed by it and I hope to see further extensions of it soon. Such campaigns are important and engaging reminders to the community to be open to learning new skills, especially in today’s economy where the rapid pace of growth has disrupted traditional industries and business models.

Can Minister share how will MENDAKI continue to support and encourage the community to explore and gain competencies in new skills, so that they can remain relevant and have the confidence to seek employment in new industries?

Chairman, in Malay, please.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] I had the opportunity to speak to several groups of asatizah at dialogue sessions organised by Berita Harian last year. In the discussions with them, one of the issues raised was the challenges faced by the asatizah when they perform their duties to educate and provide guidance to the community. Among other things, the asatizah shared that our community members approach them to ask about new issues that they face, and therefore, the asatizah must have knowledge and a fresh approach to manage such issues.

Our living environment has certainly changed. The Malay/Muslim community needs to adapt religion within a new context that is different from the context long ago. From the way we connect in the cyber world, to the way we do business, to our medical treatments; much has changed. For example, MUIS has produced a compilation of fatwas (Islamic legal ruling) on issues related to science, medicine and health. There have been many new scientific procedures and developments, and our community requires proper guidance. What is certain is that, with rapid global developments, there will always be new issues that our community must face.

Due to the ever changing needs of the community, our asatizah must also be equipped with the relevant knowledge to manage current issues. Our young asatizah must have a very strong foundation in Islamic education as well as other relevant fields such as science and technology. We must begin preparations as early as primary school. We must develop a younger generation that is well-versed and comfortable with current issues so that they are able to handle future challenges. They may also join other fields apart from Islamic education and therefore they should be prepared. Investment on our madrasah students’ development is highly important.

I would therefore like to ask what are MUIS' plans to ensure that our madrasahs have the resources and capabilities to fulfil the developmental needs of students in current and new fields?

Chairman, as I previously mentioned in the House, the Singapore Muslim community is a highly diverse one. In addition to the racial diversity, we have Muslims from all around the world coming to study, work, marry and settle in Singapore. Like a garden of flowers, this diversity adds to the beauty and richness of the Singapore Muslim Community, in particular, the Singapore society at large.

Sir, it is vital that these Muslim foreign workers, expatriates, migrants are able to intermingle seamlessly with the larger body of resident Muslims, so that they do not end up creating inward-looking enclaves.

We have seen the introduction of Friday sermons being translated and at times being delivered in English and other languages. In addition to this. I would like to ask the Minister what efforts are being undertaken to reach out to these groups of Muslims, so that they are better integrated with fellow Muslims in Singapore and the wider Singaporean community, and that they are aligned with our Singapore Muslim identity and values.

Mr Chairman, in Malay, please.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] The 4G leadership recently expressed the Government’s strong commitment to partner Singaporeans of all races, cultures and religions, and working together with them in nation-building.

For the Malay/Muslim community especially, what are the new methods of engagement in which the Government is prepared to partner the Malay/Muslim community to co-create and collaborate in co-solutioning for issues faced by our community?

Minister had also mentioned about M3 launching a new series of dialogues, Ciptasama, this year. Could the Minister elaborate on the aim of Ciptasama, and provide us with an update on the engagements with our community so far?

In Malay, please, Chairman.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] In recent years, there have been many changes to the education system and landscape in Singapore. Some of the changes include an increased number of places for Direct School Admission (DSA), Subject-Based Banding (SBB) in lieu of streaming, the removal of mid-year and year-end examinations for Primary 1 and 2 students, changes to the Primary School Leaving Examinations grade banding, and work readiness initiatives in post-secondary institutions.

Prior to this, most of MENDAKI's programmes and initiatives often focus on academic excellence and this has resulted in an increase in post-secondary passes, scholarship holders and white collar workers in our community. Now, with a shift towards providing education with multiple pathways to success that is not solely based on academic excellence, as well as collaborations with the industries to ensure work readiness and lifelong learning, MENDAKI's programmes, initiatives and approach must also transform so as to remain relevant.

In light of these changes to our education system and landscape as well as schools, what are MENDAKI's plans and progress in reviewing its education programs so as to be in line with these changes that were made to our education system and schools, to ensure that relevant and useful support is given to our community?

I would also like to ask the Minister for an update on whether MENDAKI has plans to venture into the pre-school sector as well, and whether Mendaki will implement initiatives or programs for this sector, in light of the rapid changes to the pre-school sector in recent years.

Minister Masagos.

Mr Chairman, last year, during my Hari Raya speech, I said that our Malay/Muslim community is a Community of Success, or in Malay, Masyarakat Gemilang.

While we are part of the Malay diaspora in the region, there are three things that make our community unique – character, competence and citizenry, or what I call the 3Cs. The first "C", character, is about the outlook of the community and the values that it cherishes. The second "C", competence, is self-explanatory. We cannot be successful if we are liabilities. The third and final "C" is citizenry, a sense of responsibility towards nation-building and society. We cannot be satisfied merely with being equal in rights, we must also be equal in substance as citizens. Singapore is our home and we have a duty to it.

Mr Chairman, in the midst of our fight against COVID-19, I want to start by talking about citizenry. In a number of dialogues with the community, we received feedback that the community is happy with the support that the Government is extending to citizens in response to COVID-19. I am happier to see that the community is contributing where it can in the fight against the virus, not just happily receiving help.

For example, Masjid Assyakirin teamed up with Bo Tien Temple, representatives of the Baha'i faith, the Calvary Bible-Presbyterian Church and Jurong Christian Church to prepare lunch boxes and notes of appreciation for healthcare workers in Jurong Polyclinic. In support of their initiative, Al Ayza Restaurant sponsored half the food and helped with delivery. Other Muslim-owned restaurants, such as Kinamaya, Rumah Makan Minang, Hajjah Maimunah Restaurant and Positano Risto, also stepped up. They teamed up with the riders of Dadah Itu Haram, who delivered the food to frontline healthcare workers in Singapore General Hospital.

Over the past week, MUIS raised money in the mosques to contribute to the Courage Fund. Mendaki, too, organised a walk to raise funds. MESRA Youths made and distributed 1,000 ribbon flowers to our frontliners to tell them – we remember you.

Many Malay/Muslims have been at the frontline in the healthcare sector, home team and even the passenger transport sector. I am proud they are standing shoulder-to-shoulder with fellow Singaporeans in this fight. During this crisis, we see that citizenry is genuinely demonstrated.

Standing bravely at the frontline and stepping forward to help, exemplify character, the second "C" and one of the three qualities that our community wants to be known for. As Muslims, character is closely intertwined with our religion, culture and therefore our identity. There are many minority Muslim communities around the world that struggle with the practice of Islam in secular jurisdictions, multicultural societies and against contemporary challenges. In Singapore, we are fortunate to have a strong fraternity of asatizah, who are also fellow Singaporeans and their guidance has made all the difference for our community.

Our asatizah bear significant responsibility in guiding the community on how to thrive in our multicultural society, live in harmony with others and navigate contemporary and future challenges. This is why we formed the Committee on Future Asatizah (COFA) last year, to better understand what our community would like to see in our asatizah, and in turn, how we can better support the asatizah fraternity.

After extensive engagements, COFA found that the community would like to our asatizah to guide them on issues of the modern world and to see them connecting with other communities to build a cohesive society and contribute to Singapore. My colleague, Senior Minister of State Maliki, will elaborate further on what we intend to do with COFA's recommendations.

I agree with Senior Parliamentary Secretary Amrin Amin, who spoke about the importance of being able to address Muslims who live in our multicultural society. And as Mr Irshad said, there is diversity not just in our society, but also within our community. We can look into grooming more religious leaders who can engage in various languages.

MUIS will also work with our asatizah to develop a body of knowledge and practice to guide Muslim life in multicultural societies. Singapore is not alone in this challenge. There are other minority Muslim communities around the world that share our belief that Muslims can thrive in plural societies. We want to learn from these communities, we want to learn from each other and this is why MUIS will organise an International Conference on Communities of Success later this year.

We must also re-think the role of asatizah. Over the past two years, the work of M3 has shown us that asatizah are well-placed to provide spiritual guidance and support in various facets of Muslim life, beyond the mosque and the madrasah. They can provide pastoral care to the incarcerated, the sick and the aged. They can be spiritual guides to couples, whether they are trying to build a new family or overcoming trials and tribulations to preserve the home.

Mr Faisal Manap asked how the Syariah Court has handled the divorce cases that has come before it. In my view, the more pertinent issue is to work with the community upstream in strengthening families and preventing divorces. Through M3 flagship programmes like Bersamamu and FITRAH, our asatizah volunteers have helped close to 3,000 soon-to-wed couples as well as 40 families where at least one parent is incarcerated.

There are many ways an ustaz or ustazah can contribute. The Muslim community needs religious curriculum developers for our madrasahs, specialists to administer religious programmes in MUIS, ROMM and our mosques and jurists to support our Syariah Court and Fatwa Committee. These institutions need able asatizah.

Importantly, we need asatizah who do not shy away from grappling with contemporary issues. As a Muslim Singaporean, I feel proud that our asatizah have risen to the occasion. For example, when NEWater was introduced, our asatizah sought to understand the water technology used and were quick to recognise that the end-product was clean and that means, also Halal.

Such clear-minded, progressive thinking is even more important in exceptional times, like now. To minimise the risk of transmitting COVID-19, our asatizah gave guidance on bringing our own mats when we pray in the mosque and refraining from shaking hands for now. Singapore is probably the only place in the world where Muslim religious leaders give practical, medically-sound advice with such speed.

If we can train and enable more asatizah to support our community in these ways, our community will be better for it. The job of an ustaz is not easy. To perform his job well, an ustaz must not only be well-versed in Islamic knowledge, but also be au fait with psychology, sociology, social work, comparative law, science and technology and more.

As several of our Members of Parliaments pointed out, we must support our asatizah in this journey. We are therefore making an investment not only in asatizah training but also to transform the formal religious sector. To facilitate this transformation, MUIS has developed the Asatizah Workforce Development Plan (AWDP), on which Senior Minister of State Maliki will elaborate later.

Mr Chairman, how effective our asatizah are in nurturing the character of our community therefore hinges on their competence. But for our community to succeed, we must also encourage every Muslim to aspire towards excellence and contribute to the community and Singapore. Inasmuch as the camaraderie amongst our healthcare workers and home-team members matters, it is also their competence that earned them the trust of Singaporeans in the fight against COVID-19.

As a community, we have come a long way. In 1980, only 16% of Malay/Muslim students achieved five GCE "O" level passes. We marshalled community resources to form MENDAKI, which then worked with MOE as a partner to develop a support system for Malay/Muslim students. By the end of the decade, we doubled the proportion of Malay/Muslim students who achieved five GCE "O" Level Passes. Today, this proportion is four times that in 1980. Last year, our students outperformed their OECD peers in Mathematics and have made substantial improvements in reading.

Today, nine in 10 of Malay/Muslim students in a P1 cohort make it to University, Polytechnic, ITE or other post-Secondary education institutes. As we move forward, we must try to make sure that all our students are able to acquire at least a Nitec – this is the "red-line" that MENDAKI must ensure no one falls below. Concurrently, we must grow the numbers of our youth who can graduate with a University degree. During my Hari Raya speech, I called this our "blue line" and MENDAKI must help as many as possible across it.

The truth is, addressing dropouts and failure rates are already problems of yesterday. We need to prepare our young for a tomorrow that will be challenging and volatile. In today's economy, ITE, Polytechnic and University qualifications are merely hygiene factors. MENDAKI's efforts are only as good as it keeps pace with the changing educational, social and economic landscape.

Thus, we have started a comprehensive review of MENDAKI's policies and programmes, to ensure that MENDAKI can be an effective partner to MOE and our educational institutes. Beyond that, there must be an equal emphasis on lifelong learning in our community, much like in the past, when we emphasised the importance of educating our children well.

We cannot just be focused on tax-rebate vouchers to manage today's cost of living. Our community must also take advantage of other forms of support like the SkillsFuture Credit, to acquire new competencies and qualifications for better-paying jobs, especially when their current skills run the risk of being irrelevant in the near future.

The same applies to Malay/Muslim SMEs and funding support for digitalisation and venturing overseas for them to grow. Minister of State Zaqy will speak on the shifts MENDAKI will be making and how we are encouraging lifelong learning. Mr Chairman, allow me to conclude in Malay.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Our community can do more to contribute in various areas and sectors. Many initiatives have been rolled out by our volunteers at M³@Towns with the close cooperation of MUIS, MENDAKI and MESRA. In line with this measure, a series of conversations called CiptaSama@M³, was formed to hear the views of the Malay/Muslim community on national issues that are of greatest concern to them and to co-create solutions that can be implemented so that we can prosper together as a nation. We have started the conversation with the leaders and volunteers of the M³@Towns and we look forward to engaging members of the community from all walks of lives in the coming months.

In building a Community of Success, we must continue to uphold the three key values of the community – Character, Competence and Citizenry. As our asatizah shape the community’s character and identity, we must be committed in our investment to enhance our asatizah’s competencies.

We will also invest in the future of our children and youth by providing educational support to develop a future generation that is competent and capable in contributing back to society. And we are determined to work together with the Malay/Muslim community, not just to build a Community of Success, but also to build a prosperous future together for Singapore.

Mr Chairman, our asatizah anchor our community to values and traditions in a rapidly evolving world. Increasingly, they are expected to dispense religious guidance on matters not limited to faith and rituals, but also on finance and estate matters, science, medicine and family.

Socio-religious issues are becoming more complex. Bio-scientific developments pose new ethical questions. Demographic shifts, such as an ageing population, evolving concepts of gender roles and challenges brought forth with the Internet of Things, require clearer religious guidance.

In March 2019, we formed the Committee on Future Asatizah (COFA) and I led the engagements on the vision for future asatizah. COFA members included representatives from the asatizah fraternity, Malay/Muslim community leaders, professionals and academics from different fields. The diversity reflects the expanded role expected of future asatizah. We held 16 engagements sessions over nine months, involving over 1,900 stakeholders. These engagement platforms include focus group discussions, round tables, online surveys, street surveys and interviews. COFA concluded its deliberations with the following vision for future asatizah:

As religious leaders in a multi-cultural and diverse society, our asatizah must proactively engage on issues of the modern world and connect with other communities to build a cohesive Singapore society.

As professionals, our asatizah are advocates of lifelong learning, acquiring new knowledge and skills in guiding Singapore Muslims to respond to contemporary challenges.

As role models, our asatizah are rooted to Islamic traditions, resilient, adaptable, compassionate, driven and committed to the betterment of Singapore society.

COFA proposed to realise the vision through three strategic thrusts: first, we will professionalise the asatizah sector; second, we will strengthen key religious institutions; and third, we will do more to nurture inspiring asatizah.

First, on professionalising the asatizah sector. Today, a significant proportion of jobs in the religious sector are unstructured and, as Mr Zainal Sapari highlighted, this results in limited opportunities to progress. To transform and professionalise the sector, I am glad to share that MUIS is developing an Asatizah Workforce Development Plan (AWDP) to enhance the attractiveness of the religious sector and the skills and competencies of our asatizah.

This year, asatizah can look forward to the first initiative under AWDP, which is the Career and Competency Framework (CCF). This framework articulates the different roles and pathways within the formal religious sector and provides information on the respective skillsets needed. With this framework, asatizah can better plan their careers and proactively learn about skills and competencies required for the various career pathways.

In the next three years, MUIS will develop more initiatives under the AWDP. This includes salary guidelines, a religious talent programme to identify and develop future religious leaders and more opportunities for skills upgrading. The religious talent programme, like the Muis scholarship that Mr Irshad mentioned, will be open to deserving applicants on the basis of merit, regardless of race.

For asatizah who are interested to upgrade themselves on emerging issues, Muis will organise relevant courses on digitalisation and the use of social media. Lifelong learning is crucial and critical for all Singaporeans who want to stay relevant, and our asatizah are no exception. The top-up to their Skills Future Credit announced in Budget 2020 will be an additional boost for them to explore new frontiers of skills and opportunities.

The second strategic thrust is strengthening institutions. As we nurture a stronger, more adaptable asatizah workforce, it is also important to strengthen religious institutions. I agree with Mdm Rahayu Mahzam that madrasahs play an important role in developing future asatizah. MUIS has been working closely with our madrasahs to support the development of teachers, improve programmes and curriculum and enhance the facilities of madrasahs. For example, Madrasah Al-Arabiah has a new campus. The campus is equipped with better lab facilities and resources for students, so that our young asatizah can build a strong foundation in both religious and secular subjects.

The Registry of Muslim Marriages (ROMM) and Syariah Court also play key roles in the lives of Singaporean Muslims. While overseeing the registration and solemnisation of marriage and managing divorces will remain their core roles, these institutions can play a bigger part in shaping community life. For example, to further enhance Bersamamu, ROMM has been working closely with MSF to train Kadis and Naib Kadis to better engage and support soon-to-wed couples. Thus far, Bersamamu has benefited close to 3,000 couples since its launch in July 2019.

The third strategic thrust is to nurture inspiring asatizah. COFA saw potential for asatizah to contribute to adjacent sectors, such as social work, and to provide Singaporean Muslims with advice on how to navigate contemporary developments in the use of technology and finance. To help our asatizah step up to this role, the Postgraduate Certificate in Islam in Contemporary Societies (PCICS) will also expose them to social sciences, develop counselling, social work and other vocational skills to prepare them for an exciting and promising future. In addition to partnerships with renowned Islamic institutions like Al-Azhar University and the University of Jordan and our local publicly-funded Universities like NUS and SUSS, PCICS will include a practicum component to equip students with on-the-job training, exposure and experiential learning for their future roles in the workforce.

Mr Chairman, allow me to continue in Malay, please.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] Our asatizah shape the character of our community. This is an important responsibility. The role of an asatizah has evolved from only functioning as religious teachers to religious leaders who contribute their expertise in the religious and non-religious sectors. Our long-term vision is to develop our future cohorts of asatizah as religious thought leaders who are highly regarded locally and internationally.

(In English): Mr Chairman, our young asatizah can be great assets to the community, beyond the mosque and the madrasah. We must continue to invest in their development. In turn, I hope that our young aspiring asatizah will rise to the occasion, be the confident guides that the community needs to navigate future challenges and contribute to the vision of a Muslim community of success and help us build a strong and cohesive Singapore.

Mr Chairman, let me touch on our efforts to strengthen our community’s competencies through MENDAKI. There are three drivers in today’s education landscape to provide the impetus for transforming MENDAKI.

First, good pre-school education is critical to the development of our children. Every child should have access to this, regardless of background.

Second, as Dr Intan Mokhtar has highlighted, our education approach in schools is changing and MOE is catering for greater flexibility in education for students with different abilities and interests.

Third, in a fast-changing world, lifelong learning is a must.

Sir, in response to these changes, MENDAKI will enhance its mission to provide end-to-end educational support for our Malay/Muslim community. As Minister Masagos has mentioned, the community has shown significant progress in school dropout and failure rates. We can now focus on new challenges to take the community forward.

Completing school today is not enough. We want our children to succeed in school and be equipped to achieve successful careers.

Dr Intan and Mr Saktiandi asked about our plans to support the pre-school sector. For our young children, we want to equip them with a strong foundation so that they can achieve in life. While initiatives, such as the Preschool Outreach Programme, have paid off, there are vulnerable families in our community who need extra support. Thus, MENDAKI and MUIS have set up the MENDAKI MUIS Preschool Grant (MMPG) which builds on existing Government initiatives to provide additional financial support for our low-income parents.

Sir, with MMPG established in January this year, beneficiaries can see a quadrupling of their CDA savings. For example, if you put just $1 a day in your child’s CDA account, you will have $30 in a month. MMPG will double that amount to $60 and the Government’s CDA co-matching initiative will double the $60 to $120 a month. The money can then be used to pay for your child’s education and medical needs. So, contribute $1 and you get another $3 to support your child.

On the academic front, MENDAKI also started moving to pre-school last year with KelasMateMatika(KMM)@CC with the support of our M3 partners for Malay pre-schoolers. This programme reinforces basic numeracy skills and help parents to be more involved in their children’s development. Last year, more than 1,200 children and parents benefited from KMM.

Over 90% of parents who attended KMM said that they now recognise the importance of pre-school education and are confident on how to develop their children’s numeracy skills. MENDAKI is planning to scale up KMM to benefit more families this year.

As our children progress into schools, MENDAKI Tuition Scheme (MTS) and MOE's UPLIFT programme step in to help those who need extra coaching and motivation to attend school more regularly. This year, so far, more than 7,500 students have enrolled in our 85 MTS centres. By next year, we intend to introduce 15 more centres to make it 100.

The academic performance of our MTS students has been encouraging. In 2018, 60% of MTS students who took Standard Mathematics achieved at least one grade performance in their PSLE result, compared to their year-end result the previous year.

However, like Dr Intan said, we recognise the need to improve MTS, given our evolving education landscape. This is why MENDAKI will review the MTS in five areas: (a) governance and leadership; (b) curriculum; (c) pedagogy; (d) professional development of our tutors; as well as (e) outreach.

Beyond educational support, I agree with Mr Amrin Amin that it is also important to provide emotional support and career guidance for our youths. With the support of other M3 agencies, MENDAKI has set up a Youth Mentoring Office (YMO) to grow a culture of mentoring in the community. We now have over 700 volunteer mentors and 200 of them are already on the ground to support our work with the community.

A key aspect of the Budget this year was about supporting Singaporeans in lifelong learning. The ability to upskill, adapt to industry shifts and be ready for new opportunities is key to staying relevant. Mr Saktiandi asked how MENDAKI will be supporting the community in this area.

We want to encourage our adults to take up various initiatives to support their learning, such as the SkillsFuture Credit top-up announced in Budget 2020. This is especially useful for our mature workers who are looking to improve their career prospects.

MENDAKI SENSE will continue to guide jobseekers and workers on how to make full use of these opportunities provided by the Government so that they can access desired jobs. MENDAKI SENSE has also helped over 2,000 Malay jobseekers who come to its doors to find employment through their programmes in the last five years and we will continue to strengthen its efforts.

Sir, this year, Bulan Raikan Ilmu will continue to champion Lifelong Learning. Our first Raikan Ilmu month reached out to about 30,000 participants and we hope to further our outreach to 40,000 this year.

Mr Chairman, allow me to conclude in Malay.

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] We are committed to providing end-to-end support, at every stage of life, for our community. MENDAKI is enhancing their initiatives in response to the changing education and employment landscape.

This starts from efforts that encourage the learning and development of young children, to supporting the aspirations of youths, and building a culture of lifelong learning for adults. In turn, we hope that the community recognises the importance of enhancing our educational standards and embracing the spirit of lifelong learning.

Come, let us double our efforts to become a highly competent community and continue to contribute to the success of Singapore.

Clarifications, if any. Mr Saktiandi Supaat.

Chairman, I have two clarifications. Can I ask the questions in Malay?

(In Malay): [Please refer to Vernacular Speech.] I would like to ask the Minister or Minister of State whether they can provide more information about the MUIS-MENDAKI Preschool Grant (MMPG). I welcome the support that will be given to Singaporeans. How will it benefit low-income Malay/Muslims families? More importantly, how can they apply for the grant? Can details be given, if available?