SINGAPORE – Easier access to marriage support and after-school care were among efforts announced by Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Faishal Ibrahim on March 5 to help different demographics in the Malay/Muslim community thrive.
In his speech on Malay/Muslim initiatives during the debate on the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth’s (MCCY) budget, Associate Professor Faishal said the community has achieved remarkable progress over the years.
“Despite the progress, I recognise that everyone has a different lived experience,” he said, citing concerns such as job security and access to healthcare.
The latest efforts aim to uplift people across different life stages to provide them with opportunities to succeed and develop trusted religious institutions, while also nurturing a vibrant cultural sector that celebrates Singaporean Malay arts, culture and identity, he said.
“Many have asked me what my vision for the community is. While we might each have different circumstances, I envision a Malay/Muslim community where every member can be the best version of themselves at every stage of their lives.”
Here are the key takeaways from his speech:
The M³ framework – a collaboration between self-help group Mendaki, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) and the People’s Association (PA) Malay Activity Executive Committees Council – is being expanded and rebranded as M³+.
This is being done to encourage greater collaboration between the three agencies and community partners, as well as to better recognise the contributions of other Malay/Muslim and Indian/Muslim organisations, said Prof Faishal,
who first mooted plans for such collaboration in 2025
.
Efforts will begin in April 2026 with a networking session. A potential initiative is a directory of services offered by Malay/Muslim and Indian/Muslim organisations to help M³ identify new opportunities.
Bersamamu – a programme that provides Muslim couples with mentoring from their solemnisers in their first two years of marriage – will be expanded to strengthen marriage support for Muslim couples.
The pool of solemnisers under the programme will be increased by 50 per cent, while family development officers will be deployed to selected mosques islandwide to make it easier for couples to access marriage support services.
The programme, which has supported more than 36,000 couples since 2019, will also be expanded to include parenthood support.
Project ARIF – which provided mothers with support from medical social workers and healthcare professionals as part of a two-year trial – will be made a permanent component of Bersamamu from June 2026.
Some 5,000 couples have had improved maternal and child health outcomes since the pilot began in 2021, said Prof Faishal.
Earlier in 2026, Mendaki and the Ministry of Education – supported by the Ministry of Social and Family Development, and MCCY – introduced a pilot programme at selected schools in Tampines to strengthen after-school care and support for Malay/Muslim children who need additional help.
This help could range from providing better nutrition or a study desk at home, or getting connected them to a trusted mentor who can address motivational issues, said Prof Faishal.
Under the initiative, a care adviser from Mendaki will work with a child’s family, school and other social service professionals to understand their unique needs and develop an individualised care plan for the child.
This partnership will provide academic and non-academic support to help these children, complementing existing school efforts.
The Singapore College of Islamic Studies (SCIS) will formalise partnerships with three respected Islamic institutions – the University of Jordan, Al-Qarawiyyin in Morocco, and Dar al-Ifta in Egypt – in 2026. This follows the signing of a
memorandum of understanding with the Singapore University of Social Sciences in December.
SCIS is on track to launch in 2028, with the development of its Rochor campus also underway.
Meanwhile, the Wakaf Masyarakat Singapura – a community endowment fund set up in 2024 to ensure the sustainability of religious institutions here – has raised more than $8.5 million so far, up from $6.25 million in March 2025.
Prof Faishal announced that MUIS and PA will support Santunan Emas, which provides seniors and caregivers with religious guidance, social engagement activities, and healthcare support.
The programme, which began as an initiative of Al-Muttaqin Mosque with religious education provider Ma:een and Muhammadiyah Active Ageing Centre, has since expanded to other mosques, benefiting some 900 seniors weekly.
MUIS will work with Santunan Emas networks at local mosques to identify needs and form partnerships with other community organisations, including healthcare providers, while PA will recruit other seniors to serve as befrienders and mentors.
MUIS will also conduct focused consultations with youth across madrasahs, mosques and tertiary institutions in 2026 to develop a playbook for Malay/Muslim youth to navigate the professional world while maintaining their religious and cultural identity.
In the long term, this will help to strengthen the Singapore Muslim community’s economic participation and professional advancement, as well as develop the next generation of leaders.
The Malay Heritage Centre (MHC) will establish a research unit, led by an advisory panel chaired by Dr Norshahril Saat, who also chairs the Malay Heritage Foundation.
The unit aims to build a comprehensive body of knowledge about Singapore Malay heritage.
The centre has also launched the Intangible Cultural Heritage Mentorship Programme, which connects experienced practitioners with young enthusiasts over 10 weeks.
MHC,
which is scheduled to reopen in April
, will introduce three new annual events – the Kampong Gelam Festival, Pesta Cilik Celik (Children’s Festival) and the Teroka Nusantara (Exploring the Malay World) Festival. These are in addition to other cultural activities across the Kampong Gelam area such as outdoor film screenings and heritage business showcases.