Mendaki better at meeting Malay/Muslim community’s needs thanks to 5-year plan: Zaqy

Senior Minister of State for Defence and Manpower Zaqy Mohamad (left, standing) gave a mid-point update of the five-year workplan that Mendaki developed in 2020.

SINGAPORE – Malay/Muslim self-help group Yayasan Mendaki has transformed itself over the past three years to better meet the community’s current and future needs, particularly in the area of education, Senior Minister of State for Defence and Manpower Zaqy Mohamad said on Saturday.

Speaking to reporters after Mendaki’s 34th annual general meeting, Mr Zaqy, who is the self-help group’s deputy chairman, gave a mid-point update on the five-year work plan that the group developed in 2020 to raise the community’s academic performance and capabilities, such as in lifelong learning.

Among the programmes it has scaled up is KelasMateMatika (KMM), which prepares pre-schoolers for Primary 1. In 2022, there were over 900 children and 800 parents in KMM, more than double the 400 children and 300 parents enrolled in 2020.

The number of students enrolled in the Mendaki Tuition Scheme has also risen. Close to 8,400 students benefited in 2022, an 11 per cent increase in three years. The scheme has also been enhanced, such as having one-to-one maths coaching for those who need more support.

Mendaki has built in-house capabilities in research and programme evaluation to measure the effectiveness and scalability of its schemes. In 2022, it released a three-year study that showed that KMM remained effective as it was being scaled up, and there was emphasis on maths across its programmes and activities.

The self-help group will soon add a new satellite centre at One Punggol to reach younger families. More details will be announced in July. It currently has five satellite centres and three YouthSpaces at the Institutes of Technical Education.

The need for the self-help group to stay relevant was a point that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong made in 2022.

At its 40th anniversary celebration then, PM Lee said Mendaki’s mission to uplift the community through education remains important, but that it has to interpret education more broadly in today’s context.

Minister for Social and Family Development and Mendaki chairman Masagos Zulkifli said Mendaki will continue to adapt and enhance its capabilities to meet its goal of enabling individuals and families to achieve stability, self-reliance and social mobility.

Mr Masagos, who is also Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, said: “We have helped many individuals achieve their fullest potential. Many have also returned to serve the community.”

Minister for Social and Family Development and Mendaki chairman Masagos Zulkifli (in green shirt) said the group will continue to adapt and enhance its capabilities.

Mendaki’s youth mentoring office, which was set up in 2019, has trained more than 1,300 mentors and more than 4,250 mentees as at end-2022. Youth and ITE students are mentored by undergraduates and young professionals to help them identify their aspirations and achieve their goals.

Mr Zaqy said Mendaki will organise at least one youth mentoring programme in each of the 11 M3 @ Towns. The M3 initiative is a tie-up between the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore, Mendaki and the People’s Association Malay Activity Executive Committees Council. The M3 @ Towns provide a platform for volunteers and professionals to work together to serve the needs of residents.

Mendaki is also forging more partnerships with firms to provide scholarships, employment initiatives and educational resources for the community, said Mr Zaqy.

For instance, it has professional networks with the IT, banking and finance, and life sciences sectors. This initiative started with 30 professionals in 2022, and the number has since grown to about 400 today. These professionals work with Mendaki to organise career talks and learning journeys for youth.

“Such partnerships are important, and uphold the gotong royong spirit (we’ve had) since our inception,” said Mr Zaqy, referring to the spirit of helping to improve the community.

Four new directors were elected to the Mendaki board on Saturday to replace those who are retiring after serving their term.

This article was originally published on The Straits Times. Its inclusion on this website is solely for education purposes.