Committee Of Supply Debates 2022 Speech By Minister-In-Charge Of Muslim Affairs, Minister For Social And Family Development, Second Minister For Health Masagos Zulkifli On 10 March 2022

Shaping a Credible and Resilient Religious Sector amidst an Evolving Global Landscape

Chairman, in Malay please.

Introduction

Golongan asatizah dihormati masyarakat kita kerana peranan penting yang mereka mainkan. Malah, pernah ada ulama Singapura tersohor seperti Ustaz Syed Ahmad Semait, Ustaz Syed Abdillah Al-Jufri, dan Ustaz Ahmad Sonhadji. Mereka telah banyak menyumbang kepada wacana Islam di Singapura. Kitab-kitab karangan mereka masih dibaca dan dijadikan rujukan hingga hari ini. Seperti ramai yang seangkatan dengan saya, kami dibesarkan dengan kitab asas Ustaz Ahmad Sonhadji – Mari Sembahyang.

Kita beruntung mempunyai madrasah tempatan yang memastikan bekalan bakat asatizah yang berkekalan. Mereka juga mesra dengan konteks kehidupan Singapura. Sejak rombakan kurikulum lebih 20 tahun yang lalu, para pelajar madrasah kini mampu melanjutkan pelajaran ke bidang Pengajian Islam di peringkat pengajian tinggi, ataupun meneruskan pendidikan mereka ke aliran sekular.

Encik Abdul Samad bertanya tentang kadar pengekalan pelajar dalam sistem madrasah. Setiap tahun, madrasah secara keseluruhan menerima sekitar 380 pelajar di peringkat darjah satu. Dalam setiap kohort, sekitar 50 pelajar sertai sekolah nasional, sama ada dalam tempoh enam tahun pendidikan sekolah rendah, ataupun selepas PSLE. Di kalangan mereka yang kekal dalam madrasah, sekitar separuh akan melanjutkan pendidikan posmenengah di institusi-institusi sekular. Hari ini, sekitar satu daripada setiap empat pelajar yang memulakan pendidikan mereka di madrasah lulus daripada laluan ukhrawi, dan menjadi asatizah. Berdasarkan Kajian Perancangan Tenaga Kerja Asatizah, ini hampir memadai. Sememangnya, kita harus berbangga kerana para pelajar madrasah sekarang tidak menghadapi masalah untuk beralih ke jurusan sekular. Namun, perlu juga kita titik beratkan di sini bahawa tujuan utama pendidikan madrasah setempat adalah untuk melahirkan asatizah baru yang bakal membimbing masyarakat Islam Singapura dan memperkembangkan sektor keagamaan kita, di samping menyumbang ke jurusan-jurusan umum, jika mereka pilih untuk lakukan sedemikian.

Bagi pelajar madrasah yang bakal digelar asatizah, mereka harus berupaya menyampaikan nasihat agama yang berhikmah. Mereka perlu memahami realiti kehidupan masyarakat di sini, dan peka terhadap nuansa budaya kita demi membimbing masyarakat Islam untuk mengharungi cabaran-cabaran baru dan rumit. Sejajar dengan tumpuan tahun ini untuk mempertingkat kemahiran masyarakat kita, kami akan menyokong sektor asatizah untuk sama-sama memperoleh kemahiran penting. Ini akan dilaksanakan melalui tiga strategi:

a. Pertama, kami ingin membangunkan gedung-gedung ilmu yang kritikal bagi asatizah, supaya mereka dapat didedahkan kepada pandangan serta perspektif yang lebih meluas.

b. Kedua, kami akan mempertingkat laluan kerjaya bagi sektor keagamaan, untuk memastikan bidang ini kekal menarik dan relevan.

c. Ketiga, kami ingin menggembleng sumber-sumber masyarakat untuk membangunkan terus sektor keagamaan kita.

Membangunkan Gedung Ilmu Kritikal bagi Masyarakat Islam

Krisis pandemik COVID-19 jelas menunjukkan bahawa asatizah kita perlu bersedia untuk menghadapi isu-isu yang rumit dalam masyarakat kontemporari, serta cabaran-cabaran global yang belum pernah berlaku sebelum ini. Di samping mendalami ilmu tentang tradisi agama kita serta mempunyai keperibadian yang teguh dan utuh, asatizah juga mesti cekap dalam menyampaikan ajaran agama kepada konteks Singapura. Ini memerlukan mereka dekatkan diri dengan masyarakat kita yang berbilang kaum, agar lebih peka akan pengalaman kita di negara yang majmuk. Ini lebih-lebih lagi kerana pengalaman kita sebagai sebuah masyarakat minoriti-Islam berbeza daripada masyarakat Islam yang majoriti.

Oleh itu, saya setuju dengan Dr Wan Rizal dalam perlunya membangunkan gedung-gedung ilmu yang boleh membimbing masyarakat minoriti-Islam hidup dalam masyarakat berbilang agama untuk menangani isu-isu sosio-agama kontemporari dengan lebih yakin, sambil membolehkan mereka mengamalkan agama dengan selesa. Berkaitan ini, kami telah pun melaksanakan beberapa inisiatif seperti Biasiswa Sarjana ISEAS-MUIS, Program Kajian dalam Penyelidikan Masyarakat Islam Gemilang, serta Sijil Pos-siswazah Islam dalam Masyarakat Kontemporari (PCICS).

Encik Abdul Samad bertanya tentang usaha membantu siswazah pengajian Islam menyesuaikan pengetahuan mereka bagi masyarakat Singapura. Inilah tujuan PCICS, yang menyediakan rangka kerja bagi para siswazah ini untuk menyesuaikan apa yang telah mereka pelajari kepada konteks tempatan. Salah seorang siswazah yang telah meraih manfaat daripada Program PCICS ialah Ustazah Sarah El Rani. Beliau mendapati program tersebut berguna dalam memperluaskan pemahaman beliau terhadap tradisi Islam, seperti penggunaan Maqasid Shariah dalam fiqh bagi menghuraikan cabaran-cabaran baru yang dihadapi masyarakat. Ini membolehkan beliau memahami penerapannya dalam konteks Singapura dengan lebih baik, contohnya seperti penyesuaian yang dilakukan kepada amalan agama sebagai langkah pencegahan COVID-19.

Menjawab pertanyaan Dr Shahira mengenai sokongan yang diberikan siswazah Pengajian Islam yang pulang ke Singapura, fokus utama kami adalah untuk memastikan golongan ini menyumbang kembali kepada sektor keagamaan di Singapura. PCICS melengkapkan kemahiran mereka dalam menyampaikan bimbingan agama yang progresif, sambil mendedahkan mereka kepada kemahiran dan kecekapan kritikal, yang boleh turut diterapkan pada sektor-sektor relevan di luar bidang keagamaan.

Muis bakal menganjurkan Persidangan Antarabangsa Masyarakat Gemilang pada lewat tahun ini. Cik Rahayu Mahzam telah bertanya tentang tujuan utama bagi persidangan ini, dan bagaimana ia akan memberi manfaat kepada masyarakat Islam Singapura. Membina daripada dua seminar yang diadakan tahun lalu, persidangan ini akan menghimpunkan para cendekiawan agama untuk membangunkan gedung-gedung ilmu kritikal yang dapat membantu masyarakat Islam-minoriti hidup dalam masyarakat majmuk. Bertemakan ‘Warganegara Penyumbang, Institusi Dinamik’, ia akan fokus kepada bagaimana nasihat agama yang berhikmah dan bersesuaian dengan konteks, digandingkan pula dengan sokongan institusi, dapat memperkasa masyarakat Islam untuk hidup sebagai warganegara yang dihormati, dan menyumbang kepada pembangunan negara. Peserta daripada pelbagai negara akan diundang untuk bertukar-tukar fikiran antara satu sama lain.

Mempertingkat Laluan Kerjaya bagi Sektor Keagamaan

Bagi para pelajar madrasah yang telah menunjukkan prestasi yang baik, saya harap lebih ramai di antara anda akan menceburi bidang keagamaan, dan melihat bidang ini bukan setakat sebagai satu peluang pekerjaan, tetapi sebagai satu seruan yang bermakna dan menarik. Inilah harapan saya kepada mereka yang mencapai keputusan terbaik di peperiksaan peringkat ‘A’, Diploma IB serta program Aliyah. Mereka merupakan calon yang sangat baik sebagai barisan pelapis asatizah masa hadapan kita. Kami akan terus menyokong para pelajar madrasah dalam pendidikan mereka, termasuk menyediakan biasiswa yang berprestij bagi mereka yang berbakat untuk melanjutkan pelajaran kelak. Inilah cara kita untuk memastikan pembaharuan kepimpinan dalam institusi agama kita dijalankan dengan baik.

Bagi mereka yang menunjukkan potensi, Muis menawarkan Program Pembangunan Bakat dan Kepimpinan Agamawan, atau RLTD. Kini, sekitar 120 asatizah telah memanfaatkan pelbagai inisiatif yang telah dijalankan di bawah program ini. Ia memberi peserta peluang berbincang dengan tokoh-tokoh masyarakat dan keagamaan, serta memanfaatkan program pementoran. Kebanyakan peserta mendapati program-program tersebut berguna bagi pembangunan kerjaya mereka dalam sektor keagamaan. Ini menjawab pertanyaan Dr Wan Rizal dan Encik Fahmi mengenai rancangan untuk mempertingkat dan mengasah kepimpinan asatizah di Singapura.

Di bawah naungan RLTD juga, Muis akan memperkenalkan Program Pencapaian Kepimpinan yang menyediakan latihan formal kepada asatizah yang berpotensi. Ia bertujuan untuk mempersiapkan mereka dengan kemahiran yang perlu untuk menyandang jawatan kepimpinan pada masa hadapan. Ini merangkumi dua laluan utama:

a. Pertama – laluan kepimpinan umum, di mana para asatizah boleh memanfaatkan pelbagai kursus yang ditawarkan oleh institusi awam dan swasta, untuk mengasah kecekapan mereka sebelum memimpin sebuah organisasi. Ini termasuk kursus dalam pengurusan kewangan, penggubalan strategi dan pengurusan tenaga kerja.

b. Kedua – laluan kepimpinan keagamaan. Ini bertujuan untuk meluaskan pengetahuan dan penghayatan para asatizah terhadap tradisi agama kita dan aplikasinya dalam konteks Singapura. Di bawah laluan ini, Program Eksekutif Kepimpinan akan memberi asatizah wadah untuk berbincang mengenai kehidupan beragama masyarakat Islam Singapura dan memahami isu-isu dasar awam secara lebih mendalam.

Inisiatif-inisiatif ini akan mendedahkan para asatizah kita kepada pelbagai isu, untuk membantu memupuk potensi kepimpinan dan mengasah pemikiran kritikal mereka, terutamanya mengenai isu-isu agama yang menjejas masyarakat Islam kita. Pada dasarnya, kami ingin mempersiapkan generasi asatizah muda agar bersedia apabila dipanggil untuk berkhidmat di jawatan yang lebih tinggi, termasuk menerajui institusi agama penting seperti sebagai Mufti, Presiden di Mahkamah Syariah serta Kadi di ROMM.

Oleh itu, kami perlu lakarkan jalur kerjaya yang jelas dan bermakna bagi golongan asatizah. Ini termasuk isu penggajian asatizah seperti dalam pertanyaan Encik Abdul Samad dan Dr Shahira. Muis sedang menyemak garis panduan gaji bagi sektor agama, terutama bagi mereka yang bekerja dalam sektor agama formal seperti masjid dan madrasah. Kita perlu memastikan sektor keagamaan sama menarik dengan sektor saingan. Butiran lanjut akan diberikan apabila semakan ini selesai.

Menggembleng sumber masyarakat untuk membangunkan sektor keagamaan

Kita juga perlu mendanai keperluan jangka panjang sektor keagamaan kita. Inilah sebab adanya rancangan untuk menggalak budaya wakaf di kalangan masyarakat kita, seperti yang ditanyakan Encik Zhulkarnain dan Dr Shahira. Sejak pelancaran Wakaf Masyarakat Singapura, sebuah Panel Penasihat telah ditubuhkan untuk mendapat maklum balas daripada pihak-pihak berkepentingan dan memberikan saranan untuk menggembleng sokongan masyarakat, serta melaksanakan wakaf ini.

Tahun ini, Muis telah membentuk kumpulan-kumpulan kerja, yang terdiri daripada pegawai Muis dan pakar industri, untuk melaksanakan pelan tindakan terperinci bagi Wakaf Masyarakat Singapura. Ia akan mengambil kira saranan daripada Laporan Panel Penasihat yang telah dikemukakan tahun lalu. Ini termasuk rancangan seperti:

a. Melibatkan institusi masyarakat seperti wakaf dan masjid-masjid untuk menghimpunkan aset-aset, dan melaburkan rizab yang ada untuk mengembangkan dana korpus; dan

b. Menggalak penyertaan masyarakat dengan meningkatkan kesedaran mengenai wakaf, khususnya berkenaan perancangan harta dan pusaka.

Tuan Pengerusi, dalam Bahasa Inggeris.

To further support the development of our young asatizah, Muis is dedicating a campus for the PCICS programme, to be housed within the Wakaf Bencoolen complex. This new campus will include various learning facilities, including its own library, and is expected to be completed by end of this year.

Initiatives such as the RLTD, PCICS and the International Conference on Communities of Success are key enablers to propel the asatizah sector forward, and we will need the community’s support to achieve its desired outcomes. The Singapore Community Wakaf will thus be crucial in catering for the long-term needs of the Muslim community.

Conclusion

Chairman, my colleagues and I have spoken on three strategies to strengthen our competencies as a Community of Success. Underpinning these strategies are strong and resilient families, who provide a conducive environment for children to grow and achieve their fullest potential. Here, our community partners and institutions play an important role. Our Naib Kadis, for example, are key partners in supporting the work of building strong and resilient Muslim families, especially through the Bersamamu programme. In this regard, the M³ agencies will also partner MSF to commemorate the Year of Celebrating SG Families this year.

Through these efforts, we will keep social mobility alive in Singapore, so that every Singaporean has a fair chance to succeed in life, and contribute back to the society. In this regard, we will journey with our community every step of the way to propel them towards success.

Thank you.

English Translation

Introduction

Our asatizah in Singapore are well-regarded for their important role within the Singapore Muslim community. In fact, there had been prominent religious scholars in Singapore, such as Ustaz Syed Ahmad Semait, Ustaz Syed Abdillah al-Jufri, and Ustaz Ahmad Sonhadji. They had made significant contributions to the Islamic religious discourse in Singapore. The religious texts they produced are still read and used as reference today. Many of my peers grew up with Ustaz Ahmad Sonhadji’s foundation text – Mari Sembahyang, or ‘Let’s Pray’.

We are fortunate to have our own local madrasahs that ensure a steady pipeline of asatizah talents. They are also familiar with Singapore’s context. Since the curriculum review implemented over 20 years ago, madrasah students now are capable of pursuing either Islamic Studies at the higher education level, or take up secular education.

Mr Abdul Samad asked about the retention rate of students in the madrasah system. Every year, the madrasahs collectively enrol about 380 students at the primary one level. Within each cohort, about 50 students leave to enter the national schools, either within the six years of primary school education, or after the PSLE. Among those who remain, about half will pursue post-secondary education in secular institutions. Today, about one in every four students who started in the madrasah graduate from the religious track and become asatizah. This is almost sufficient based on the Asatizah Manpower Planning Study that had been conducted. We should be proud that our madrasah students have no problems to switch to secular education. However, it should be emphasised here that the main goal of madrasah education here is to produce new asatizah who can guide the Singapore Muslim community, and widen our asatizah sector, in addition to contributing to broader sectors should they wish to do so.

For students who eventually becomes asatizah, they need to be able to provide sound religious advice. They need to understand the lived realities of the community here, and be sensitive to the cultural nuances to guide the Muslim community navigate new and complex challenges. In line with this year’s focus on competence, we will support the asatizah sector to also acquire impactful competencies. This will be done through three strategies:

a. First, we want to develop critical bodies of knowledge for the asatizah, so that they can be exposed to broader perspectives and worldviews.

b. Second, we will enhance the career pathways for the religious sector, to ensure that the asatizah profession remains to be appealing and relevant.

c. Third, we want to mobilise community resources to sustain the development of our religious sector.

Developing critical bodies of knowledge for the Muslim community

The COVID-19 pandemic has illustrated the need for our asatizah to be prepared to confront complex issues in a contemporary society and unprecedented global challenges, like the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to acquiring deep knowledge of our religious traditions and having a strong character, our asatizah must possess the competency to contextualise the religious teachings to Singapore. This requires the asatizah to form a strong connection with our multicultural community, in order to better understand our experiences living in a diverse country. This is especially so as our experience as a Muslim-minority community is different from those of Muslim-majority societies.

Therefore, I agree with Dr Wan Rizal that we need to develop bodies of knowledge that can guide the Muslim-minority communities in multicultural societies to navigate contemporary socio-religious issues more confidently, while enabling them to practise their faith with ease. On this front, we have rolled out several initiatives like the ISEAS-MUIS Masters Scholarship, the Research Programme in the Study of Muslim Communities of Success, as well as the Postgraduate Certificate in Islam in Contemporary Societies (PCICS).

Mr Abdul Samad asked about efforts to help returning Islamic Studies graduates contextualise their knowledge for the local community. This is the aim of the PCICS, which provides returning students with the framework to apply their knowledge to the local context. One of the graduates who benefitted from the PCICS programme is Ustazah Sarah El Rani. She found the programme useful in deepening her understanding of Islamic traditions, such as the use of Maqasid Shariah in Islamic Jurisprudence to address new challenges faced by societies. This allowed her to better understand its application in the Singapore context, such as the adjustments made to religious practices as part of COVID-19 preventive measures.

To address Dr Shahira’s query on support given to returning students with Islamic Studies degrees, our key focus is to ensure that our returning graduates contribute back to the Muslim religious sector in Singapore. The PCICS equips them with the knowledge to provide progressive religious guidance, while exposing them to critical skills and competencies that can also be applied in relevant non-religious sectors.

Muis will be organising the International Conference on Communities of Success later this year. Mdm Rahayu Mahzam asked about the key objectives of this conference, and how it will benefit the Singapore Muslim community. Building on the two pre-conference seminars held last year, the upcoming conference will bring together religious scholars to develop critical bodies of knowledge that can guide Muslim-minority communities in multicultural societies. With the theme ‘Contributing Citizens, Dynamic Institutions’, it will focus on how enlightened and contextualised religious guidance, coupled with institutional support, can empower Muslims to live as dignified and contributing citizens. Delegates from various nations will be invited to share and learn from one another.

Enhancing the career pathways for the religious sector

For those who have done well in the madrasahs, I hope more of you will go into the religious sector, and see the asatizah profession not merely as an employment opportunity, but as a meaningful and attractive calling. This is my hope for students who had done well in the ‘A’ Levels, the IB Diploma, as well as the Aliyah programmes. They are excellent candidates for the next generation of our future asatizah. We will continue to support these students in the education, including providing prestigious scholarships for talented ones to further their studies. This is how we can ensure a strong leadership renewal in our religious institutions.

For those that show potential, Muis offers the Religious Leadership and Talent Development Programme, or RLTD. Around 120 asatizah have benefited from existing programmes within the RLTD. These include fireside chats and mentoring programmes. Most participants found the programmes useful as part of their career development in the religious sector. This addresses the questions from Dr Wan Rizal and Mr Fahmi about plans to develop and groom asatizah leadership in Singapore.

Under the RLTD as well, Muis is introducing the Leadership Milestone Programme which provides formal training for potential asatizah. The objective is to further develop and groom them for future leadership roles. This comprises two key tracks:

a. First is the general leadership track. Asatizah will benefit from a wide range of courses offered by various public and private institutions, to hone asatizah’s competencies before they lead an organisation. This includes courses in financial management, strategy formulation and human capital management.

b. Second is the religious leadership track. This seeks to deepen the asatizah’s knowledge and appreciation of our religious traditions and its application in the Singapore context. Under this track, the Leadership Executive Programme will facilitate discussions on the religious life of the Singapore Muslim community and provide a deeper understanding of policy issues.

These initiatives will offer exposure to a wide range of issues, to help nurture their leadership potential and hone their critical thinking, especially on religious issues impacting our Muslim community. Ultimately, our aim is to prepare the younger generation of asatizah to be ready to serve when called to higher office, including helming our key religious institutions, such as the Mufti, President of the Syariah Court, and the Kadi at ROMM.

Therefore, we need to structure clear and meaningful career pathways for the asatizah. This includes remuneration for the asatizah, as asked by Mr Abdul Samad and Dr Shahira. Muis is reviewing the salary guidelines for the religious sector, especially for those working in the formal religious sector like mosques and madrasahs. We will need to ensure the sector is just as attractive as competing sectors. Details will be provided when the review is completed.

We will need to fund the long-term needs of our religious sector. Which is why there are plans to encourage the wakaf culture within our community, as asked by Mr Zhulkarnain and Dr Shahira. Since the launch of Singapore Community Wakaf, an Advisory Panel was formed to engage key stakeholders and put forth recommendations on how to galvanise community support and implement the wakaf.

This year, Muis formed working groups, comprising Muis officers and industry experts, to implement detailed action plans for the Singapore Community Wakaf, taking into consideration the recommendations from the Advisory Panel Report that was submitted last year. This includes plans like:

a. Engaging our institutions like the wakaf and mosques to pool our assets together and invest their reserves to grow the corpus fund; as well as

b. Encouraging the community’s participation through public education initiatives on wakaf, particularly on wealth and legacy planning.

Chairman, in English, please.