Malay/Muslim community is better off now than 25 years ago: PM Lee
By May Wong, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 02 September 2007 2240 hrs

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SINGAPORE: The Malay/Muslim community in Singapore is much better off today compared to 25 years ago, said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

A comprehensive report detailing the Malay/Muslim community's progress over the last 25 years was given out on Sunday at the Mendaki's 25th anniversary celebrations.

More Malay students are pursuing post-secondary education and more in the community are also holding better-paying jobs.

Mr Lee gave an example - more than 80 per cent of Malay students now make it to post-secondary education such as ITEs and polytechnics.

From just 1.3 per cent 25 years ago, now 34 per cent of Malay students make it to tertiary institutions.

Mr Lee said: "Success in education has fed through and raised the socio-economic status of the Malay/Muslim community. There is a growing middle-class with increasing purchasing power.

"More Malay/Muslim households have upgraded to better housing too. The vast majority own their own homes – 93 per cent, that's about the same as the national average. Collectively, these indicators reflect a community enjoying higher living standards and better quality of life."

Although the community has shown progress, Mr Lee said it still has to tackle some pressing issues such as the problems of dysfunctional families.

Though such problems are not common, Mr Lee said they could affect the educational performance of the Malay/Muslim community.

Despite the high overall enrolment, he noted that some 300 Malay students still drop out from secondary schools every year.

So Mr Lee called on self-help group Mendaki to mobilise efforts for new programmes to tackle the challenges, to attract more young people to volunteer in programmes to help develop the community further.

"Beyond the statistics in the report, there is a new mood and self-confidence in the community. It is willing to seize opportunities and move ahead and just as ready to recognise the problems and tackle them openly and objectively, even when they are sensitive and difficult. That is why the community has made progress and is in a strong and confident position today."

Mr Lee added that because of globalisation, the Malay/Muslim community must understand they are not just competing against other Singaporeans, but people around the world as well.

He called on the community to seize the opportunities all over Asia, especially in the Middle East and China. He also insisted it is crucial to upgrade their skills and stay ahead. - CNA/ac