Singapore’s team of Malay/Muslim office-holders and MPs will continue to be renewed and strengthened, even as younger office-holders are stepping up, said Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said in his Malay speech during the 2026 National Day Rally on Aug 23.
Minister of State for Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim, 45, and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for National Development and Education Syed Harun Alhabsyi, 40 – who became office-holders after the 2025 General Election – bring experience from the private sector with them.
Mr Zhulkarnain, who joined politics in 2020, was a lawyer, while Mr Syed Harun was a psychiatrist. They joined Rahayu Mahzam, 46, who has held the position of Minister of State for Health and Digital Development and Information since 2024.
PM Wong added that the current team is working well and taking forward initiatives such as the Committee for Economic Resilience, which was announced in April to prepare Malay/Muslim workers and businesses to adapt to changes to the economy.
The committee is led by two MPs: labour MP Wan Rizal Wan Zakariah and Saktiandi Supaat, who chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee for Finance and Trade and Industry.
He added that many efforts under way by the team of Malay/Muslim office-holders and MPs led by newly appointed Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Zaqy Mohamad.
Mr Zaqy, who is also Senior Minister of State for Defence, took over the Muslim Affairs portfolio in July after his predecessor Faishal Ibrahim resigned from political office.
M3 expanded to bring more partners and resources on board
PM Wong noted that M3 – the tie-up between self-help group Mendaki, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore and the People’s Association Malay Activity Executive Committees Council – has been expanded to M3+, bringing more partners and resources on board.
The spirit of unity, which he described as a “key strength” of the community, can be seen in the Santunan Emas programme, which provides seniors and caregivers with religious guidance, social engagement and healthcare support.
It was started in 2024 as a joint effort by Al-Muttaqin Mosque, private religious education provider Ma:een and the Muhammadiyah Active Ageing Centre to support seniors in Ang Mo Kio.
The programme has engaged many there and has been able to tap expertise from across the community via the M3+ network, said PM Wong.
He announced that the initiative will be expanded to Yishun, Sembawang and Woodlands to allow more seniors to “live their golden years with dignity and purpose”, he said.
Partnerships are also being strengthened to create new opportunities, he said, giving the example of the collaboration between the Singapore Islamic Scholars and Religious Teachers Association and the Association of Small & Medium Enterprises (ASME) launched in May.
This allows enterprises led by Islamic religious teachers to utilise ASME’s advisory support, digital tools and business networks, while firms benefit from the community’s cultural and language expertise as they expand regionally, he said.
Such efforts are making a significant difference, PM Wong said, noting that more Malay/Muslim Singaporeans are making their mark across various sectors, serving with distinction in areas such as the public service, military, judiciary and business, among others. THE STRAITS TIMES
