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