Transcript of Doorstop Interview by Assoc Prof Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Acting Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs and Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs, on MOU Signing Ceremony Between SIM People Development Fund and Yellow Ribbon

SMS Faishal: Today is a meaningful milestone for us where it is another plus of how we can continue to support the supervisees, as well as those who are going through the rehabilitation and reintegration journey. And it’s not only about providing that support, but also looking at the different areas of support. So we look at it as part of the throughcare approach, where within prison, and also the aftercare process also in place.

Among other areas is employment. Employment is one of the important factors that help in the rehabilitation and reintegration journey. And skills training is something that not only help them to prepare for employment upon their release and completing their rehab journey, but also how they can sustain the effort in this. Looking at the way we have been doing this from a local context, as well as from a global perspective, I think we have done well. It is very encouraging for an organisation, like SIMPDF, coming forward to see how they can play a part and provide that additional impetus – not only to give us the encouragement and motivate us to do more, but also, at the end of the day, it enhances this whole process of developing an inclusive community here in Singapore. And what is key is that the ex-offenders or supervisees feel supported in their rehab and reintegration journey.

So I am very elated and very happy to see this development, and I hope more employers will come forward to play a part, and other organisations that have that necessary resources, or additional resources, or resources that they think they can put into meaningful use. And I think these are areas where we can help to connect YRSG, while playing its role in providing the holistic support, but also will connect organisations who wants to be part of this journey.

Reporter: With the expansion into sectors like retail, beauty and wellness starting in April 2026, how is the Government working with the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) to ensure that the curriculum remains inclusive for supervisees? Is there any particular industry or sector which the programme is looking forward to expanding to?

SMS Faishal: If you look at the works of YRSG, we have actually journeyed through the different times and also making sure that whatever we do remain relevant to the supervisees, as well as the employers out there, and organisations. So we work together with, amongst others, will include the IHLs, as well as ATOs (Approved Training Organisations), the CETs (Continuing Education and Training), as well as trade associations to see how we not only can develop programmes jointly, or we work together with some of these centres – which already have programmes that will benefit our supervisees, but also to curate it in a way that especially those emerging areas where we can provide the opportunity for them not only to work, but opportunities to grow. At the end of the day, it’s about rebuilding back their lives. And what we always tell them – they need to go through phases, and it is a journey that will be supported. So as such, it is important for us to ensure that while we work with organisations, but also identify areas that are relevant or emerging to their needs. First, we want them not only to seek employment in the short term, but to see it as a journey for them to rebuild their lives and have that dignity in their lives, to contribute, to be able to feel that they are making progress in their rehabilitation and reintegration journey.

And one of the key factors is employment, and that is why we are looking at the existing platforms provided by the trade associations, ATOs, CETs, and IHLs. I think where it comes together, providing that training, providing the opportunities and the employers out there coming to work together with this organisation, who in turn translate that to something that is real. That is something that the supervisees will feel that, “Yeah, I’m doing this, and I can see the outcome, but it also requires me to play my part.” This is something that we always remind them, while the community comes forward together to help them, they have to play a part. And that is something I feel very encouraged, because they are seeing the support and they want to improve themselves.

Reporter: How do you foresee the success of this pilot programme influencing the wider employer landscape in Singapore, particularly in terms of their confidence in hiring and integrating ex-offenders?

SMS Faishal: I’ve seen many good examples of role models of supervisees, who although they have made a different, wrong choice in their lives, but they want to rebuild their lives. And seeing the support given by the community, they feel very motivated, and they have done well. And what is key is that they also feel happy that over the years, we see a lot more employers coming forward. So with this programme, I hope it will encourage more employers to come onboard to support; and seeing an organisation like SIMPDF coming forward to play its part, I think it will be very, I would say, apt, if the employers come and connect the dots together, so that while we do all these efforts upstream, I think at the end of the day, the outcome will translate what these supervisees hope for. And I think at the end of the day, there’s a lot of hope in this whole process, and how we can make that hope not only being able to achieve, but something that community does together.