Commissioner of Prisons, Yong Lee;
Deputy Director of Cnb, Chern Hong;
Community Partners;
Ladies and Gentlemen.
Introduction
1. A Very Good Morning to You. To My Muslim Colleagues and Friends, Assalamualaikum Warahmatullah Wabarakatuh.
2. Firstly, thank you for taking time off for this morning’s event. Very appreciative for you to attend this year’s Malay/Muslim Organisations Rehabilitation Network or “MMORN” event. Beyond attending this event, I must thank all of you for doing the work, for really thinking about contributing to this very meaningful work at the different fronts, and you have been very instrumental for this journey.
3. I am heartened to see all of you here today. The Forum is an annual gathering of community partners working closely with MHA to strengthen efforts to prevent offending and re-offending in our Malay/Muslim community. It is an important platform for us to strengthen connections and foster new partnerships to build a close-knitted ecosystem of support for our beneficiaries. We also take this opportunity to celebrate and affirm our collective good work, take stock of progress, and strengthen our commitment towards uplifting the community.
4. Today, there are many of you here and you are part of this whole network, which is part of a bigger ecosystem of rehabilitation and reintegration back into our national ecosystem. There are more than 80 Malay/Muslim Organisations, M³ agencies and mosques involved in the MMORN. This is a very significant milestone and progress. We have many new community partners including our desistor partners who are also attending the Forum for the first time this year. I thank you for your presence, the hard work, and some of you do it behind the scene.
5. Once, I was on my walkabout in Kembangan. At one of the coffee shop during the very same walkabout, I met two desistors talking to two to-be desistors, guiding them. That would not have happened if we have not built a system whereby there is social support – the support for one another, the role models, the mentors. I think that is something we hope to develop more so that the community becomes the second family and they are supported in the journey.
6. Therefore, for the MMORN to grow in strength, we need to have a wide range of community partners with different expertise, and collaborate together. This is so that we can sustain, scale up and deepen the impact of initiatives for beneficiaries as the landscape is tougher. Even though Singapore has a strong stance, this does not mean the syndicates will not come in, will give up. Their role is to get as many people as possible in their ecosystem. We want our people to get into our ecosystem, so we must continue to work hard.
Progress
7. The Malay/Muslim community can be proud of the role that it has played in supporting vulnerable individuals and families impacted by drug abuse and incarceration. When Minister Masagos launched the M³ initiative and the Focus Area 2 workstream in 2018 to strengthen support for vulnerable groups impacted by drug abuse and incarceration, it was with the intent to empower greater community action and build a Community of Success.
8. Since then, the number of MMOs and community partners involved in the upstream and rehabilitation landscape has grown significantly as I shared earlier. Earlier this year at the FITRAH Asatizah Appreciation and Assembly event held at Masjid Ar-Raudhah, I announced that the number of asatizah volunteering with FITRAH has more than doubled, from 54 in 2019 to about 120 today. They include the Mosque Religious Officers (MROs) from various partnering mosques.
9. This is a significant development, but it is more than just the numbers. Our asatizah volunteers serve as role models to the inmates under their care and provide religious guidance to strengthen the inmates’ rehabilitation and reintegration journey. The asatizahs also play a key role as community advocates, spreading the message of second chances and fostering a culture of acceptance for ex-offenders and families.
10. More mosques have also stepped forward, from just a handful in 2019 to 44 mosques today. Although all mosques have open their doors so that anyone in whatever circumstances can approach them, we see more and more mosques coming out with projects, engagement approach that caters to our friends. The mosque MROs volunteer not just for the programmes in prison, but also for programmes in the community including Dadah Itu Haram (“DIH”) events. This is a picture of the “Harapan Hasanah”. It is a cycling event, organised recently by Masjid Hasanah supported by MUIS and the West Mosque District. It was a wonderful event where participants, including ex-offenders or desistors, cycled to all 70 mosques in Singapore to spread the DIH message. Their slogan was inspiring, and I quote - “No shortcuts, no excuses, just pure commitment to echo loud and clear: Dadah Itu Haram”. I was so impressed, and the semangat spirit was so strong, so I think it is important for us to continue to proliferate our message. Each organisation and individual can do so in their own way, and help to develop a similar narrative.
11. This is just one example of how our mosques and MHA co-deliver meaningful ground-up initiatives that galvanise other stakeholders and connect with the community. I would like to thank FITRAH and MUIS for your steadfast efforts in galvanising and supporting the mosques and asatizah community. The changes that we make with regards to the fund provided by CNB has really helped us a lot. Yesterday, I was at Masjid Al-Mukminin for Dadah Itu Haram engagement, and the mosque community shared with me that they found the funding mechanism very useful. These are things that we do to make the partnering and working together easier. A big thank you also to all our mosque leaders, staff and volunteers for your support and dedication. I am very happy to see this development.
12. The number of MMOs and M³ agencies contributing to prevention and rehabilitation efforts have grown as well, from 15 in 2018 to more than 25 today. I am glad that we see many more collaborations among partners. This strong and growing partnership was evident during the annual MMORN Korban Distribution Event, held in June this year. Together with MUIS and Masjid An-Nur, 12 MMOs and three M³@Towns came together to spread festive cheer and distributed Korban meat, goodies and vouchers, to families impacted by drug abuse and incarceration. Several MMOs participated in the event for the first time, and it was the MMORN’s biggest Korban event to date in terms of partners involved.
13. While each agency does good work, coming together for activities such as the MMORN Korban can create a bigger impact. I share with you a text message from one of the families who benefited from the event. We had clearly made the family’s day and I am certain that we had given them hope for a brighter tomorrow. I am also happy that several MMO leaders said they would like to be more involved in next year’s event, exemplifying the spirit of gotong royong. I am deeply appreciative of the strong support from our MMOs and our community leaders. On behalf of the beneficiaries, thank you once again to all of you.
Going Forward Together
14. The Malay/Muslim community has made good progress. The 2-year recidivism rate for the latest Malay offender release cohort in 2022 was 26.7%. This means about one in four will go back to prison within two years of their release. Ten years ago, this was about one in three. The 5-year recidivism rate has been steadily improving over the years, and this is a good sign. This is an indication of the strong community support and the effectiveness of interventions to promote long-term desistance.
15. These Achievements should Spur Us on to do Even Better.
16. Our rehabilitation efforts should not just end at the prison gates when the inmates are released. Incare efforts are important, but it is equally, if not more important, that we sustain the support when offenders return to the community. Families need our support too, as they go through the desistance journey together with their loved ones. In addition, we must also step up efforts to strengthen the community’s resilience against drug abuse, especially our youth. Last year, Malays
made up 50% of drug abusers arrested. This is important given the worsening global drug situation and more liberal attitudes towards drugs, fuelled by misinformation on social media. So, we cannot rest, we must continue to work hard for the people.
17. With the strong foundation of mutual trust and confidence built over the years, the Malay/Muslim community is in a position of strength to address these challenges.
18. During last year’s Forum, I announced the formation of three ‘Next Lap’ Project Groups. This initiative is co-led by MHA and MMOs to garner deeper insights on three identified areas for improvement – One, support for vulnerable families; Two, support for offenders with poor family support, and; Three, upstream prevention to prevent offending amongst youths.
19. I am heartened that PPIS, New Life Stories, Pergas, 4PM and IMSSA, had responded to our invitation and stepped up to co-lead the three Project Groups together with MHA. I am grateful also to the other MMOs involved in contributing to the Project Groups. In fact, after the co-lead came forward, other MMOs also came forward to say “Can we chip in?”. I think that is a very nice spirit.
20. I would also like to express my deepest appreciation to all Project Group co-leads and members for putting in commendable effort over the past year. Later, the Groups will be sharing their findings, insights and their suggestions on the next steps. I hope these findings would be beneficial to deepen your understanding and how you and your agency can support these efforts. I would like to encourage everyone to contribute your views and suggestions. I also encourage you to be involved and co-create the recommendations with the Groups.
21. The Government remains committed to work closely with our community partners, and support impactful programmes and initiatives. One example is the CNB-MUIS grant framework that was rolled out in August last year, which I shared earlier. The grant provides funding support to mosques to organise ground-up DIH initiatives. Since the grant was launched, I am glad to note that 12 mosques have participated, and an estimated 4000 individuals and families have benefitted. We will also look at supporting our community partners in building their capacity and capability. For example, we are enhancing the competencies of volunteers, and my colleagues from SPS will share more about the IMPACT volunteer training framework later. We announced this at the COS. I am happy that we are already rolling out, and we want to see how we can work together to enhance the capabilities and competencies. Going forward, the Government will do more to support our MMOs and community partners.
22. If you look at the offending literature with regards to recidivism and desistance, you realise that it is not only about one effort or one factor, it is holistic and multifaceted. So, every effort we make at the different aspects or even different phases in the lives of people matter. Whatever role you play, they are very important. Every single touch point needs to be a positive one, and it is very important. So, never underestimate what you do, and I want to assure you, we sincerely appreciate whatever you are doing to help us in this effort.
Closing
23. In closing, let me share with you a photograph taken in August this year with a group of individuals who went for umrah. They were former drug abusers. As friends, they have been supporting and looking out for one another for many years, almost like a family. The extent to which they help one another in times of need is truly remarkable. And this umrah trip itself was a self-organised one, led by Anita. Anita had been to umrah last year and she had thought of her friends back home who never had the chance. Upon returning, Anita took the initiative, became a certified mutawwifah and organised the umrah trip for her friends. And now Anita has found a meaningful mission - to bring as many more peers and friends as possible to umrah in the future.
24. Anita did not start just like that. Anita got the support from many of us in the ecosystem. Anita is also part of the Nisa HOPE Network, and also other opportunities where Anita had helped her family. This is something nice that we should celebrate. Anita and her friends are doing well today thanks to the community’s support. And it is also due to the community’s support that they are doing well together with their families, and are actively giving back to our society. As individuals with lived experiences, they serve as powerful role models to those around them. I was very fortunate that morning to bid them farewell because I saw what I do not usually see in many of the Umrah's farewell occasions. I saw something extraordinary. I saw love, care, going through together, “I'm there for you”, “We'll think of you”, “We pray for you”. That is a beautiful realm of positivity, a celebration of being together. In the process of helping others, they are becoming better versions of themselves, in turn strengthening their own desistance journey. And this is the outcome that we should strive for, an environment that perpetuates a virtuous cycle of good, benefiting every single member of the community.
25. Moving ahead, let us work closer together to empower individuals and families to thrive and lead meaningful lives. We should find ways to support more desistors to step up and become role models to others. Many of you are here today and you have been role models, and I want you to continue to keep up. We should also look at innovative ways to support the growth of prosocial circles in the community led by desistors themselves.
26. Once again, I would like to express my gratitude to everyone for your support, trust, and friendship. I am confident that together, we are able to build a Malay/Muslim community of success, towards a better and brighter future for all of us doing this together in a shared journey.
27. On That Note, Wabillahitaufik Walhidayah Assalamualaikum Warahmatullah Wabarakatuh. Thank You.
