2024 marked a pivotal year for Singapore as Mr Lawrence Wong delivered his first National Day message as the nation’s fourth Prime Minister. Following his ascension to office in May, PM Wong’s speech introduced “bold but necessary”[1] policies designed to fortify Singapore’s social compact in an increasingly uncertain global landscape. His speeches, delivered in English, Malay, and Mandarin, each touched on different aspects of this vision for Singapore’s future, though some elements stood out more strongly in certain languages.
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The Orang Laut in Singapore: Preserving an Intangible Maritime Heritage
Singapore’s economy has undeniably flourished, with its economic development and rapid industrialisation. Since gaining independence in 1965, Singapore’s GDP growth has averaged about 7%, with an impressive peak of 9.2% in the first 25 years1. This success can be attributed to a combination of strategic economic policies, a robust financial sector, a commitment to innovation and education and many more. Although known for its rapid development, one aspect that is often overlooked would be the rich intangible culture that Singapore has to offer.
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State of Malay Television in Singapore
If you grew up in a typical Malay Singaporean household, chances are you grew up with Suria TV channel as a daily staple, playing in the background of your home. In the early 2000s when Suria was steadily burgeoning, drama series such as Gelora, Cinta Bollywood, Anak Metropolitan, Erlin Montel, or Jeritan Sepi were household programme names. Twenty years on, Suria boasts about 258,000 Malay viewers in Singapore, and lauds itself to be “the choice of Malay viewers in Singapore [that] offers wholesome family entertainment with both local and regional […]
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Sustainable Investing: What’s the difference between ESG, SRI and Islamic Investing?
Returns are no longer the only factor to consider when investing. Investors increasingly want companies that are as committed to making the world a better place as they are to making money. The concept of values-based investing is not new, but it has grown significantly in the past few years. Specifically, research shows that SRI, ESG, and impact investment assets have grown from US$3 trillion to US$12 trillion from 2010 to 2018[1]. Other research shows that 95% of all millennials today are willing to participate in socially conscious investing trends […]
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Book Review: The Malay Community’s Post-Independence Experience in Suratman Markasan’s Penghulu
The perception of literature has always been diverse in society. While some perceive it as a medium of entertainment and a form of escapism, there are others who view it as a tool. A tool to bring social change and social reform. A tool to plant seeds of empathy, conscience, and humanity. These perceptions influence how people read and study literature differently. Amidst these differences, it is important that we hold on to a pluralistic view of literature so that we are able to extract diverse benefits from it as […]
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Challenges Faced by Transnational Couples in Singapore
Transnational couples, defined as partnerships involving individuals from different nationalities, have become increasingly common in our globalised world. Singapore, a vibrant and multicultural society, has witnessed a rising number of transnational couples in recent years. However, despite the advantages of cultural diversity and personal growth that these relationships bring, they also come with a host of challenges. This article explores the challenges that transnational couples face in Singapore, including nationality, employment, adjustment, language barriers, and housing stability. NATIONALITY Nationality plays a multifaceted and pivotal role in shaping the challenges that […]
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Distilling the Aspirations of Singapore’s Muslim Women
Singapore’s Malay/Muslim women have made marked progress in many fields including education, work and politics, yet there remain social, cultural, and structural challenges impeding our women from reaching their utmost aspirations. The local Malay/Muslim women continue to find themselves subjected to socio-cultural preconceptions of gender roles and norms; a prevalent one being that of women as the primary caregiver which only serves to restrict and hold back women’s potential and growth. Such societal expectations persist despite evolving socio-economic conditions where dual-earner arrangements are the norm, resulting from women’s rising educational […]
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Bridging the Cultural Divide and Promoting Intra-Faith Unity Between Muslim Ethnicities
Islam has witnessed an ever-growing plurality in ethnicity and culture since its beginnings. History has taught us that wherever there are differences present, a dark doorway to divide is conjured. In Singapore, we have allowed the cultural differences present between Muslim ethnicities to play a primary role in the prevalence of intrafaith division between Muslims, and hostility towards one another is slowly being etched deep within the veins of our Muslim community. The primary question that requires addressing is: “How do we close this doorway and walk in the pathway […]
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Prophet Muhammad and Emotional Intelligence: Lessons for Interfaith Relations
Goodwill and cooperation between different faith communities are hallmarks of successful plural societies. Towards this end, strong leadership plays a crucial role in directing and guiding communities towards building bridges of mutual trust and respect for others. In a world of rapid change and unpredictability, interpersonal skills as embodied by emotional intelligence are a cornerstone of robust interfaith relations. This article highlights the importance of emotional intelligence in interfaith relations. It discusses the value of emotional intelligence as exemplified by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) through his interactions with […]
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Getting to Know the Late Ustaz Ahmad Sonhadji Via His Sermons
This article seeks to provide brief insights into the late Ustaz Sonhadji’s religious thinking and personality through the compilation of his Friday sermons published in a three-volume publication by Pergas in March 2023, titled Meninjau Pemikiran Ustaz Ahmad Sondhaji Mohamad Milatu: Daripada Khutbah-Khutbah Karangannya. This author is one of the three editors who worked on the project[1]. 112 handwritten manuscripts of sermons of different topics dated from 1971 to 1980 are among the many intellectual legacies left behind by Ustaz Sonhadji. They were donated by his family to the National […]
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