AMPlified Issue 29 — January 2016 by AMP_Singapore

JANUARY 2016

CONTENT

W H AT ’ S IN STORE

EDITORIAL LINE-UP

Journey to Success

Chronicling the Community’s Success

Rewarding Excellence

A Retreat with A Cause

Empowering Women

Celebrating A Milestone

Building Strong Marriages

Enhancing Employability

Subeditor Ruzaidah Md Rasid

New Leadership in AMP

The Pursuit of Knowledge

Run for A Reason

Looking Beyond Academic Scores

Contributors Abdul Shariff Aboo Kassim Atikah Syarah Ismail Fadhliyah Abdul Latiff Fadlun Kemat Mariam Mustaffa Mohd Firdaus Kamaluddin Dr Nuraliah Norasid Ruzaidah Md Rasid Shazana Sharif Shiffa Khumaira Abdul Khaliq Yassemin Md Said Winda Guntor

Racing against the Odds

Marketplace & Highlight

Supervising Editor Mohd Anuar Yusop Editor Winda Guntor

For advertising enquiries, please email winda@amp.org.sg. We welcome feedback, comments and suggestions on the articles that appear in AMPlified. Please address your correspondence to winda@amp.org.sg.

Photography Amalina Sujak Fadlun Kemat MERCU Learning Point Mohd Alfian Mohd Ismail Shiffa Khumaira Abdul Khaliq

EDITOR’S NOTE

Dear Readers As we welcome the new year, it is timely for us to reflect on the progress we have made at both the community and national levels. On the education front, it is heartening to have more than 98% of our madrasah students qualifying for secondary education. In her commentary on Pages 13 and 14, our Research Associate from the Centre for Research on Islamic and Malay Affairs (RIMA), Dr Nuraliah Norasid, discusses the need to look beyond the academic scores of a student. AMP remains resolute in its commitment to help our Malay/Muslim students achieve their educational aspirations. Our subsidiary, MERCU Learning Point, together with Singapore Management University, established a $1.2 million endowment fund to assist Malay students in SMU through the MERCU-SMU Excellence Scholarship (Page 4). It is AMP’s hope that the scholarship will assist these students in their pursuit of education and encourage them to give back to the community once they have graduated. In the last quarter of 2015, the AMP Group launched two books aimed at inspiring the community to pursue its dreams and contribute to the ever-growing list of successes of the community. The first is a book jointly published by RIMA and Lembaga Biasiswa Kenangan Maulud (LBKM) titled The Pursuit of Knowledge: Stories that Inspire and Empower (Page 11), which is a collection of eight stories written by different individuals about their struggles in fulfilling their academic aspirations. The second book, titled 50 Defining Moments for the Malay/Muslim Community (1965-2015), documents the community’s achievements and successes since the nation’s independence. We hope that the two publications will provide a good reference point for our community and propel us to continue striving for excellence. A new year often comes with new aspirations and hopes for progress. 2016 carries a special meaning for AMP as it marks our 25th year of serving the community. We look forward to sharing more significant and memorable moments with the community this year.

MOHD ANUAR YUSOP Executive Director

EVENT

JANUARY 2016

Chronicling the Community’s Success BY

n conjunction with the SG50 celebrations, AMP and Berita Harian jointly launched a book titled 50 Defining Moments for the Malay/Muslim Community (1965-2015) on 7 December 2015 at the Malay Heritage Centre Auditorium. The book documented the achievements and successes of the Malay/Muslim community in Singapore since 1965. It was launched by Guest of Honour, Mdm Halimah Yacob, Speaker of Parliament, together with Mr Azmoon Ahmad, Chairman of AMP Group, and Mr Mohd Saat Abdul Rahman, Editor of Berita Harian/Berita Minggu. In attendance were notable individuals who were featured in the book, such as famed potter Mr Iskandar Jalil, Singapore’s legendary footballer Mr Fandi Ahmad, and madrasah students who have left a mark in the community through their achievements, Ms Amalina Ridzuan and Ms Dinah Aziz. In his speech, Mr Azmoon mentioned that the book will serve as a reference point for the younger generation while building on the national identity as Singaporeans living harmoniously in a multiracial country. The event was also a poignant moment for Mr Azmoon as it marked his final public event before retiring as Chairman of AMP Group.

ABOVE

Mr Mohd Saat Abdul Rahman (left) and Mr Azmoon Ahmad (right) launching the commemorative book with Guest of Honour, Mdm Halimah Yacob.

RUZAIDAH MD RASID

Following his speech, Ms Amalina Ridzuan, who was featured in the book for being one of the first madrasah students who successfully secured a place in the highly competitive Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine of the National University of Singapore, also delivered an inspiring speech on her educational journey. She also shared her aspirations for both the community and Singapore in the years to come. It is the hope of AMP and BH that the book serve as an important reminder to the community of its achievements thus far, and as a source of inspiration for it to continue striving towards more successes for itself and Singapore. Members of the public can get a complimentary copy of the book, while stock lasts, from the AMP office at Pasir Ris during opening hours.

FADHLIYAH ABDUL LATIFF

REWARDING

EXCELLENCE MP’s subsidiary, MERCU Learning Point, marked another milestone with the launch of a joint scholarship with the Singapore Management University (SMU) on 12 November 2015 named the MERCU-SMU Excellence Scholarship. The $1.2 million endowment fund was established through both corporate and individual donations, as well as a government matching grant. The fund will yield returns worth $36,000 each year that will be disbursed through three scholarships worth $12,000 each. These scholarships will be presented to Malay Singaporean SMU undergraduates with outstanding academic results and commendable involvement in community service. Special consideration will also be given to those from less privileged households.

The launch was graced by Guest of Honour, Associate Professor Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for Communications and Information, Minister-in-charge of Cyber Security and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs. Three SMU students became the inaugural recipients of the scholarship at the event – Nur Amalina Saparin, final year student at the SMU School of Law; Khairul Ashraf Khairul Anwar, third year student at the SMU School of Law; and Muhd Hafiz Kasman, third year student at the SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business. MERCU hopes that this small contribution will be an inspiration for the recipients to pay it forward to the community in the years to come.

ABOVE

A group shot of AMP, MERCU and SMU representatives with the three scholarship recipients.

JANUARY 2016

EVENT

SHAZANA SHARIF

A Retreat with A Cause MP’s Youth department organised its annual Youth Overseas Retreat for 72 youth participants and volunteers from 23 to 25 November 2015. Held in Batam, Indonesia, the retreat aimed to promote a deeper appreciation for the act of giving, inculcate a greater sense of self in overcoming challenges, as well as to discover their leadership potential. On the first day, the youth participants broke up into groups to compete against each other in a scavenger hunt. After the hunt, the youths were then separated into two large teams based on their age groups: 12 to 16 year olds, and 17 to 19 year olds. The older youths were engaged in leadership-focused activities while the younger ones participated in activities relating to self-awareness, teamwork, motivation and effective communication. To conclude the workshop series, the

participants gathered in their original groups to brainstorm ideas for their final task on the second day, which was to apply all of the skills and knowledge acquired from previous activities towards a mock business venture. The highlight of the retreat was a visit to the Darul Islah Orphanage on the second day, where participants interacted with the residents while painting the orphanage’s classrooms. The youths also partook in lively musical performances in the form of percussion and acapella performances, skits and educational presentations. The retreat truly created many fond and lasting memories, while fostering new friendships amongst the participants.

BELOW

A group shot of the AMP youth participants, volunteers and officers with the residents of Darul Islah Orphanage in Batam.

EMPOWERING WOMEN BY

YASSEMIN MD SAID

MP’s Marriage Hub invited social entrepreneur and human rights advocate, Ms Saleemah Ismail, for its first inspirational talk, titled Empowering Women – A Life Journey, since the inception of its Counsellors’ High Tea series. Held on 6 November 2015, the talk was attended by more than 40 counsellors, as well as social and welfare officers from various social service agencies. The co-founder of non-profit groups Aidha and New Life Stories, Ms Saleemah shared her personal experiences of what it was like living in a troubled neighbourhood. She recalled witnessing episodes of suicide, domestic violence, gang fights and drug abuse from her kitchen window. The turning point was in 2000, when her close friend confided

in her that she had been sexually assaulted when she was a teen. Ms Saleemah’s upbringing and experiences had shaped her to become a strong advocate in helping women break away from the cycle of violence and poverty. Ms Saleemah now passionately works to empower such women through education and legislation. The talk proved to be eye-opening for the participants, especially in understanding more about advocacy work and the serious implications of human trafficking.

ABOVE

Guest speaker, Ms Saleemah Ismail, inspired some 40 helping professionals with her honest and candid sharing of her advocacy work and past experiences living in a troubled neighbourhood when she was young.

JANUARY 2016 THOUGHT

LOOKING BEYOND

ACADEMIC THE COMMUNITY’S PERFORMANCE IN PSLE 2015 BY

DR NURALIAH NORASID

he Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) results released on 25 November 2015 saw a record of 98.3% of students qualified to advance to secondary school, up by 0.7% from the previous year. However, it is worth noting that the percentage of students who are eligible for the Express stream has gone down by 0.2%. According to the Ministry of Education (MOE), 21.7% and 10.4% of the 2015’s candidates had qualified for the Normal (Academic) and Normal (Technical) courses respectively. This is in contrast with 2014’s 20% and 11.2%, meaning more candidates will make up the Normal (Academic) batch in 2016. Until MOE releases the annual 10-year trend of educational performance, it is hard to discern what these numbers will mean for the Malay/Muslim community in Singapore.

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ACHIEVERS’ HALL OF FAME Regardless, the community has proven itself more than capable of producing remarkable results, often in the face of odds and hurdles. Those who were unsuccessful in the first attempt, such as Eunos Primary School’s Noorhaziqah Hamlie, passed their second attempts. The spotlight also shone on her schoolmate, Sharifah Fatimatu Zahra Syed Khalid Alsagoff, who, despite her family’s financial situation, scored an aggregate of 244 for her PSLE. Balancing responsibilities as bowling team captain and prefect in Haig Girls’ School, Sarah Nahar Azmi also came through with As in English, Mother Tongue and Science, scoring an aggregate of 227. It is also a year of achievement for the madrasahs. 275 out of the 280 madrasah students who sat for the examinations qualified for

C SCORES: secondary school. The community’s eyes were on Madrasah Wak Tanjong Al-Islamiah’s Harun Abdullah Md Jufri, who achieved a 10-year record and highest PSLE score for his school with an aggregate of 260. He achieved A*s for English and Mathematics, and As for Mother Tongue and Science. Another high- achiever, Izzul Adhan Noor Amidin, hailed from Madrasah Irsyad Zuhri Al-Islamiah. With an aggregate of 268, he was also the best madrasah student for 2015. Along with the other two offering PSLE—Madrasah Alsagoff Al-Arabiah and Madrasah Al-Maarif Al-Islamiah—their madrasahs managed to clear the MOE benchmark, allowing for Primary 1 admissions into these four madrasahs from 2018 to 2020.

REFLECTIONS ON THE PSLE Praiseworthy performances of our Malay/Muslim students stand amidst news of continued reliance on a grade-based system of worth-evaluation, despite MOE’s recent de-emphasis on paper qualifications. It was reported that parents were still consulting unofficial performance leaderboards to measure their children against. Beyond the numerical, however, a more holistic picture has emerged. Perseverance and diligence were exemplified in those who, despite personal and financial struggles, still worked to achieve success. Focus was also given to the survivors of the Sabah earthquake, which took the lives of seven students and two teachers from Tanjong Katong Primary School earlier this year. One of the students, Emyr Uzayr Mohamed Sadri, scored an aggregate of 238,

despite living the traumatic aftermath. His plan to visit the site of the earthquake on the anniversary of the event to seek closure shows that his strength and bravery go beyond the examinations and into other aspects of his life. Our madrasahs face the added challenge of balancing their religious and secular curriculum on a limited number of daily school hours. In spite of this, they were able to clear the benchmark by a wide margin. The achievements of the madrasah students showed that religion is not in misalignment with the disciplines of science, mathematics, or the language arts. Rather, it can be seen as a throwback to an earlier period when Islamic scholars were also alchemists, botanists, astronomers, mathematicians, philosophers, and poets. There needs to be a greater eye for the softer diversities of our Malay/Muslim

students, and apart from putzing around more numbers, we can look into the concept of a holistic, intelligent community by inculcating greater love for the multitudinous knowledge of the world.

DR NURALIAH NORASID

is a Research Associate with the Centre for Research on Islamic and Malay Affairs (RIMA). She holds a Doctor of Philosophy, with a specialisation in Creative Writing and Contemporary Mythopoesis from Nanyang Technological University. The views expressed in the article are her own.

SPOTLIGHT

JANUARY 2016

Racing M against the Odds BY

ATIKAH SYARAH ISMAIL

ohamed (not his real name), was barely five years old when his father was incarcerated due to drug-related offences. The experience very much affected him as he was the closest to his father among his four siblings. Since his father’s incarceration in 2013, the family has been struggling to make ends meet due to the loss of their main source of income. On top of this, his eldest sister was a victim of bullying and had to withdraw from school due to overwhelming stress and suicidal ideation. She currently attends private tuition classes and will be sitting for her GCE ‘N’ Level examinations in 2016.

One of his younger brothers has also been diagnosed with literacy and language delay, and is attending regular therapy sessions. Meanwhile, his two other siblings, aged 2 and 3, still require their mother’s constant supervision. As the sole breadwinner of the family, his mother juggles between working part-time as a home-based masseuse while attending to the children’s regular visits to the hospital. As such, the family relies heavily on financial and social assistance. Regardless of the adversities his family is facing, Mohamed, now 7, remains optimistic and even took on the challenge as a young AMP representative in the Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore (SCMS) 2015 700 M Kids Dash on 5 December 2015 at the Singapore Sports Hub. Along with seven other beneficiaries, their run was dedicated towards raising funds for AMP’s Ready for School (RFS) Fund.

AMPlified recently got in touch with Mohamed who shared his experience running in SCMS 2015 for the first time.

AMPlified: How have you coped with your family situation? I was very affected by my father’s sudden absence as I was very close to him. I became withdrawn and did not want to participate in class. My mother then decided to sign me up for silat classes. She is always very encouraging and never gives up trying to lift my spirits. I will also be attending art classes soon as I love drawing and sketching. My mother’s efforts to keep me occupied has been a very good distraction for me. I look forward to these classes and will make sure I do my absolute best.

AMPlified: Do share your experience running in the SCMS 2015 for the first time. How did you feel having dedicated your run towards AMP’s cause? I was very excited prior to the race. In the days leading up to it, my brothers and I practised running under the void deck with the supervision of our eldest sister. I was asked to run with the opportunity to help many others like myself. Assistance from AMP and other national agencies has certainly helped my family in more ways than one. My mother now works part-time and sends my siblings to their respective appointments at the hospital without any worries. We participate in activities organised by these agencies and they put a smile on all of our faces. It would be a privilege if my participation in the SCMS 2015 could do the same for others.

AMPlified: What are your future hopes and aspirations for both yourself and your family? When my father is released, I would like for us all to live together like we did before. I wish for a comfortable life for my family. We have gone through many hardships and I want us to go through the good times together as well.

FINISH