Ministry Of Community Development, Youth And Sports: Collaborative efforts to uplift Malay/Muslim community producing positive outcomes

Efforts to strengthen the Malay/Muslim community are producing desired results. Divorce statistics in the Muslim community have seen a decline of 17% since 2006. This is a strong indication that efforts at identifying key vulnerable groups, and putting in place targeted intervention and assistance are showing results. 

INSPIRASI HUBS – MARRIAGE PREPARATION & ENRICHMENT FOR MINOR COUPLES

Minor couples (where at least 1 party is below 21 years of age) have unique needs that require customized intervention. The INSPIRASI hubs (INSPIRASI PPIS & INSPIRASI @ AMP) have been providing pre-marital counselling, marriage guidance courses, post-marriage enrichment and information and referral services for minor couples since 2007.

In 2010, there were 285 marriages and 403 divorces involving minor couples. This is a decline of 35% and 26%, respectively, since 2006. 

Pre-marital counseling enables minor couples and their families to make a more informed decision on whether to pursue or delay the marriage. In 2010, more than 40% of the couples who attended premarital counseling decided to either cancel their nikah or delay it. With the number of minor marriages coming down, the focus now is to strengthen existing minor marriages.

The early years of a marriage are sometimes the most vulnerable. Club INSPIRASI handholds minor couples in their first 5 years of marriage through regular enrichment and mentoring programmes. This ensures that minor couples can receive assistance early from a strong network of social workers, mentors and alumni when necessary. The number of married minor couples seeking marriage counseling at the Hubs has seen a decrease of 5% from 142 in 2009 to 135 in 2010.

In 2010, Club INSPIRASI reached out to 447 minor couples, their families and mentors. Other than centre-driven programmes, the minor couples also participated in casual mentor-led activities such as family barbeques and community service activities. 

VISTA SAKINAH – CENTRE FOR RECONSTITUTED FAMILIES

Another key vulnerable group is reconstituted families. PPIS Vista Sakinah, set up as an interim centre in 2009 with support from the Community Leaders’ Forum (CLF) and MCYS, is now a full-fledged centre providing holistic assistance to reconstituted families.

In the interim centre’s one year of operation, 247 remarrying couples attended Program Memupuk Kasih (PMK – Nurturing Love), a specialized marriage preparation course to handle the multi-faceted stressors in a remarriage. Vista Sakinah reached out to 680 families through services such as casework and counseling, and information and referral in 2010. A unique feature is the centre’s programme for children of remarrying couples to facilitate their transition into their new families. Vista Sakinah targets to bring on board 600 families for PMK by 2013.

BERSAMA MU MARRIAGE PREPARATION COURSE & MARRIAGE ENRICHMENT INITIATIVES

The above targeted efforts to help vulnerable families are complemented by the Bersama Mu Marriage Preparation Course (MPC) for mainstream adult marriages. Supported by theRegistry of Muslim Marriages (ROMM), the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) and the People’s Association (PA), Bersama Mu MPC is available in Malay, English and Tamil and is delivered by 25 operators including mosques, community clubs and private providers.

In 2010, more than 2,000 participants attended Bersama Mu with more than 90% agreeing that the course had met their expectations.

To further strengthen the first 10 years of mainstream Muslim marriages, a series of customized marriage enrichment programmes focusing on relationship and familial issues were rolled out in 2010, as an extension to Bersama Mu. 

Provided by private trainers such as APKIM resources, Family Life Associates, SP Management Consultant and PROWISE Consultancy, customised marriage enrichment programmes such as In Motion, Melangkah Ke Hadapan (Focus on Managing Family Finances), Vitamin Cinta and Cinta Nan Satu (One and Only Love), empowered couples to strengthen their marriage and to seek help early should they encounter challenges. More than 150 couples attended the programmes with more than 90% agreeing that the programmes had enhanced their understanding of their spouses.

In May 2010, MCYS undertook media efforts to promote the community's awareness of the importance of preparation before marriage. A 2-episode drama followed by a telemovie sequel entitled “Mr Pakar” (Mr Expert) was co-produced with the Media Development Authority (MDA). The series received rave reviews and viewership. With young couples readily accessing online content through smartphones, social networking tools were engaged for couples to share their views and explore marital and parenting issues. 5 online movie clips, i.e. webisodes featuring Mr Pakar and his young family were produced to creatively explore familial issues, e.g. conflict resolution, household management and effective communication. The webisodes were uploaded on Facebook in December 2010 and have since generated nearly 800 fans.