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A revamped marriage preparation course will be rolled out for the Malay-Muslim community in January, with financial planning forming an integral part of it.
Couples will also be taught how to continually review each phase of their marriage life to maintain a shared value system.
As well, they will be advised to seek help early, if the need arises.
The changes in the Ministry of Social and Family Development-run course are to address the "increasingly complicated and complex" challenges faced by families, said Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs.
He was speaking to reporters on Friday at the Engaging Hearts And Minds seminar attended by about 300 social workers and officers of family counselling centres that deal with Malay families.
Dr Yaacob said young Muslim families need to better understand the importance of how to manage their finances.
"Financial planning and forward planning is a culture we need to embed within the Malay-Muslim community," he said, adding that the lower middle class and lower-income groups concerned him most.
"Ultimately it's about living within your means," he said.
"It's nice that you're falling in love and having a family but ultimately you need to deal with the finances," he added.
The Debt Advisory Centre of the Association of Muslim Professionals has reportedly reviewed almost 80 debt cases of Malays - amounting to more than $1.7 million - since it was set up in April this year.
Debt is a major cause of marital discord and divorce, said Ms Siti Adilah Abu Bakar, director of marriage counselling centre Apkim Resources, one of 25 running the course.
"Going into a marriage with debt will definitely cause a strain in the relationship. Even if couples are doing well financially, conflict can still arise in how they manage their finances."
Latest figures show Malay divorces have been on the rise in the last three years: from 1,536 in 2010 to 1,538 in 2011 and 1,587 last year.
But marriages too are going up: 4,133 in 2010, 4,418 in 2011 and 4,802 in 2012.
With the revamp - the first since 2007, the course will be renamed Cinta Abadi (Malay for Eternal Love) from Bersama Mu (With You). Each year, it attracts more than 2,000 soon-to-wed Muslim couples.
Separate courses are also available for other races in Singapore as well as for people who are remarrying, and marriages between young couples in which at least one partner is below 21 years old.
Latest statistics show 164 such young marriages last year in the Malay-Muslim community.
A research study on teenage marriages presented at the seminar showed that most have household incomes that are less than $1,500 a month, and the couples are N-level or Nitec holders.
They also wish to have more than two children, and more than 70 per cent do not use the social aid schemes available.
The ministry is believed to be reviewing the findings and will consider implementing changes in its post-marriage enrichment programmes.
As part of the shared value system component in the course, couples will also learn how to build compromise.
"In terms of culture, there is a certain view that the husband is superior to the wife. The cooperation requires us to compromise and understand what choices can be made," Dr Yaacob said, adding that there has been a shift in perception of this relative status with better education.
He encouraged families to seek external help if the problem gets too complex for them to resolve internally.
"Turning to a counsellor is perhaps not quite a culture yet within the Malay-Muslim community but I can see it emerging," he said.
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Couples will also be taught how to continually review each phase of their marriage life to maintain a shared value system.
As well, they will be advised to seek help early, if the need arises.
The changes in the Ministry of Social and Family Development-run course are to address the "increasingly complicated and complex" challenges faced by families, said Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs.
He was speaking to reporters on Friday at the Engaging Hearts And Minds seminar attended by about 300 social workers and officers of family counselling centres that deal with Malay families.
Dr Yaacob said young Muslim families need to better understand the importance of how to manage their finances.
"Financial planning and forward planning is a culture we need to embed within the Malay-Muslim community," he said, adding that the lower middle class and lower-income groups concerned him most.
"Ultimately it's about living within your means," he said.
"It's nice that you're falling in love and having a family but ultimately you need to deal with the finances," he added.
The Debt Advisory Centre of the Association of Muslim Professionals has reportedly reviewed almost 80 debt cases of Malays - amounting to more than $1.7 million - since it was set up in April this year.
Debt is a major cause of marital discord and divorce, said Ms Siti Adilah Abu Bakar, director of marriage counselling centre Apkim Resources, one of 25 running the course.
"Going into a marriage with debt will definitely cause a strain in the relationship. Even if couples are doing well financially, conflict can still arise in how they manage their finances."
Latest figures show Malay divorces have been on the rise in the last three years: from 1,536 in 2010 to 1,538 in 2011 and 1,587 last year.
But marriages too are going up: 4,133 in 2010, 4,418 in 2011 and 4,802 in 2012.
With the revamp - the first since 2007, the course will be renamed Cinta Abadi (Malay for Eternal Love) from Bersama Mu (With You). Each year, it attracts more than 2,000 soon-to-wed Muslim couples.
Separate courses are also available for other races in Singapore as well as for people who are remarrying, and marriages between young couples in which at least one partner is below 21 years old.
Latest statistics show 164 such young marriages last year in the Malay-Muslim community.
A research study on teenage marriages presented at the seminar showed that most have household incomes that are less than $1,500 a month, and the couples are N-level or Nitec holders.
They also wish to have more than two children, and more than 70 per cent do not use the social aid schemes available.
The ministry is believed to be reviewing the findings and will consider implementing changes in its post-marriage enrichment programmes.
As part of the shared value system component in the course, couples will also learn how to build compromise.
"In terms of culture, there is a certain view that the husband is superior to the wife. The cooperation requires us to compromise and understand what choices can be made," Dr Yaacob said, adding that there has been a shift in perception of this relative status with better education.
He encouraged families to seek external help if the problem gets too complex for them to resolve internally.
"Turning to a counsellor is perhaps not quite a culture yet within the Malay-Muslim community but I can see it emerging," he said.
[email protected]
