SINGAPORE - Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has urged the Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP) to continue improving the socio-economic performance of the Malay-Muslim community and to help all segments of the community.
Mr Lee also said the Government will continue to support the efforts of the Malay-Muslim organisations and back them up with national programmes. He was speaking at the self-help group's third national convention on Saturday afternoon.
AMP was set up in 1991 with a mission to improve the socio-economic performance of the Malay-Muslim community. A National Convention is held every 10 years, to take stock of what has been achieved and to work on new strategies.
Mr Lee noted that overall the Malay-Muslim community has done well and has been able to achieve this without affirmative action. He said not many other communities in the world have done this.
"The community has progressed together with the nation and fellow Singaporeans ... With higher household incomes, better education performance, larger proportion making it to tertiary education, (and) drop out rates coming down steadily," said Mr Lee.
Still, challenges remain, such as the issue of drug abuse within the community. Mr Lee said education, strong families and financial skills are key to improving the community's socio-economic performance.
Mr Lee noted that in its report, the AMP wants to reposition Malay-Muslim organisations into organisations that engage a national, inter-ethnic, issue-oriented agenda.
He said the AMP believes issues such as dysfunctional families and education cut across all the races, and so they should be addressed as national issues.
However, organisations should not lose their focus. "I would urge AMP and the other MMOs to have a care if you are venturing into civil society issues which are not primarily to do with the Malay-Muslim community. Civil society issues cover a very wide range of concerns and interests - all sorts of things... (like) the environment, animal welfare or foreign worker issues," said Mr Lee.
"AMP has a mission and a role, and if AMP gets diverted into these matters, then I think it will lose its focus on its primary task which is to tackle the social and economic issues facing the Malay-Muslim community and improve the well being of the Malay-Muslim community," he added.
The convention also saw the Prime Minister engaging participants in a wide-ranging dialogue. Some issues raised included leadership and education within the community.
CHANNEL NEWSASIA
Mr Lee also said the Government will continue to support the efforts of the Malay-Muslim organisations and back them up with national programmes. He was speaking at the self-help group's third national convention on Saturday afternoon.
AMP was set up in 1991 with a mission to improve the socio-economic performance of the Malay-Muslim community. A National Convention is held every 10 years, to take stock of what has been achieved and to work on new strategies.
Mr Lee noted that overall the Malay-Muslim community has done well and has been able to achieve this without affirmative action. He said not many other communities in the world have done this.
"The community has progressed together with the nation and fellow Singaporeans ... With higher household incomes, better education performance, larger proportion making it to tertiary education, (and) drop out rates coming down steadily," said Mr Lee.
Still, challenges remain, such as the issue of drug abuse within the community. Mr Lee said education, strong families and financial skills are key to improving the community's socio-economic performance.
Mr Lee noted that in its report, the AMP wants to reposition Malay-Muslim organisations into organisations that engage a national, inter-ethnic, issue-oriented agenda.
He said the AMP believes issues such as dysfunctional families and education cut across all the races, and so they should be addressed as national issues.
However, organisations should not lose their focus. "I would urge AMP and the other MMOs to have a care if you are venturing into civil society issues which are not primarily to do with the Malay-Muslim community. Civil society issues cover a very wide range of concerns and interests - all sorts of things... (like) the environment, animal welfare or foreign worker issues," said Mr Lee.
"AMP has a mission and a role, and if AMP gets diverted into these matters, then I think it will lose its focus on its primary task which is to tackle the social and economic issues facing the Malay-Muslim community and improve the well being of the Malay-Muslim community," he added.
The convention also saw the Prime Minister engaging participants in a wide-ranging dialogue. Some issues raised included leadership and education within the community.
CHANNEL NEWSASIA
