Transcript of Media Interview on National Development at the Intercontinental Online Chess Championship for Prisoners With Assoc Prof Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs & Ministry of National Development

Question: MOS, you've spoken to the inmates and you’ve seen what the programme can do. What are some of your thoughts on what you've seen?

MOS Faishal: I remember when Singapore Chess Federation (SCF) approached me to share about chess programme for inmates, I got very excited, because, to me, it's good to provide prosocial alternative activities or even hobbies for our inmates, so that they can pick up and then put their focus and attention on something that they grow to like. You never know, they may develop a passion for it and they can do well in this. As such, I'm very happy that since that time I spoke with SCF, till today, about 58 of the inmates have come onboard this program.

Some inmates, as you can see today, had really progressed to the competitive level. Some of them are participating in a such competition for the first time. To be able to achieve this, I think it means a lot to them. They really like it. One of them got very passionate and made a chessboard.

We provide the opportunity for them to grow to like something that they have not tried before. For the rest, not only they got introduced to the game. Quite a number of them had tried playing chess for the first time, and they realised that it's not only about learning the game. There is a community inside here which they're happy with, and they know that there's a community out there who are passionate about the game, and there is a federation taking care of this programme. The inmates are trained by the grandmaster himself.

So, this is a very good opportunity, and I'm happy that SPS facilitates this and provides the support. We find that chess provides that alternative hobby or activities that you can do, and it also comes along with values that will help them in the rehabilitation journey. This includes having to think and strategise. That is important, because when they are released, they will have all the different options available. Being able to think and what more in a game like chess, I think that will help them to figure out what will be the best move for them. And, this is coupled with patience. I think at the end of the day, they will be open to choices including those that are harmful for their lives, even though they can be attractive. If they can exercise what they have learnt and be patient, that will bring many benefits to them as part of their rehabilitation and reintegration journey. So, we will continue to support this effort, and we hope it will give us an opportunity to provide another alternative for our inmates in their rehabilitation and reintegration journey.

Question: Today, they are competing with other countries. Having seen how they started from not knowing so much about the game and moved on to represent Singapore and compete now, how do you feel watching them in this competition?

MOS Faishal: To me, the rehabilitation and reintegration of inmates is a tough journey. MHA and SPS, we cannot do it alone. We are very happy that we have partners and other stakeholders who not only have the expertise, but also want to contribute and give that beyond second chances to our inmates. To see how the inmates have not only developed a passion and expertise in this. I feel very proud. We never expected them to be able to compete within a short period of time. One of them I spoke to, he just started about one month plus, and he is able to make into the international competition. We are really proud and we hope that we can use this as a platform to attract more and also provide the opportunities for inmates and strengthen their rehabilitation and reintegration journey.

Question: Now, it's still limited to a certain group of inmates. Is there a possibility of this programme being introduced to more inmates, allowing more inmates to enjoy the game, given that you have stated all these benefits?

MOS Faishal: Yes, certainly. We want to explore how to expand it. We also want to learn from this programme so that when we present it to other inmates, we are certain about the kind of benefits and resources required. There may be other learning points from this initial phase. This is not new, looking at chess as part of rehabilitation, although it's the first time we are taking part in it in Singapore. We will also learn from our international experience. From there, we can see how we can provide this platform to many more inmates.