If we refer to the historical background of Muslim in Singapore, what we can view is that Muslim in Singapore is governs under Administration of Muslim Law Act (1968). Most of the Muslim in Singapore are Malay and there are also comprising other that Malays such as India and Arab and they identified themselves like Malays. From the civil society perspectives, they are not allowed any organization to use the religious name. Meaning to say it is not accepted in political party but it is accepted in ethnic communal (NGO’S) and this is only way to received government funding. In the case of Singapore, the government funding for Muslim is called Mendaki which is the council for development of Singapore Muslim Community. For Muslim in Singapore, YAYASAN Mendaki is relevant organization to take care the welfare of the Muslim society in Singapore. But it so happen that in 1991, Muslim in Singapore have founded one alternative besides Mendaki and they establish self- help organization called Association of Muslim Profesional (AMP) which setup by the young Muslim Professional as they view that Mendaki had not been sufficiently proactive in take care of the community problem. This establishment is direct result of the national Convention of Singapore and Malay Muslim Commission.
In this case, what basically we can analyze that even though Muslim community in Singapore is minority, but still they have some mechanism how they can develop themselves in line with other community in Singapore especially Chinese. All group had common agendas with their respective community support for national agendas of promoting the condition for marked oriented. Thus, they start to setup their community goal in order to maintain the degree of successful in their Organization and also performing their actual task for Muslim Community. Their main goal is to integrate vertically within vertically rather than horizontal integrated, meaning to say that they want to focus to the relationship among the community rather than only focusing in the religion matters which is the relationship with Allah itself. AMP struggle long term achievement in order to supervise the next generation which have comprehensively excellent in both worldly matters and hereafter. Therefore AMP plan a short term mission which is focusing on firstly, educationally excellent, secondly, economically dynamic, next, socially progressive, culturally vibrant and lastly politically influential. Here, what we can see is that the AMP mission is clear to improve the condition of Muslim community in Singapore. The question now, how they achieved their goals in order to make the system running smoothly. In term of educational system, they achieved through Meritocracy system means that they enhance the educational system to ensure that Malay Muslim student perform in part of other ethnic group. This is because they perceive the education is the key to knock job opportunities and get higher income. Not only that, they view that the social problem is link with the poverty as well as low education. In term of economic development, since AMP is a company, it is portrays as institution of public character and also register under charitable organization. Why it is so? it is because it will give an implication of taxation and lead to fund raising.
Basically, in AMP, there have four sector of division which is Research Division, Education & Training division, Corporate Service and Hijrah Division. This is how they strategize the organization to maintain stable in State like Singapore. Each of every division plays a big role in developing the generation of Muslim Community in Singapore. For example in Corporate Services, there have sub division like finance, admin, human resource that organize management development program for Muslim community as well as they also supervise Muslim Community to develop their own standard programmed. For Hijrah division, there is counseling session for Muslim Community who has difficulties and they also organize youth enrichment programmed and marriage guidance courses. All of these activities had been plan and organized just simply because of the development and to achieve successful in living in minority number in Singapore. That how we can conclude that, the successful of Muslim Community in Singapore as a self- improvement community already proven technically when it come to the strategic plan by AMP, but there can be failed if Muslim Community there doesn’t want changes and improvement toward themselves as well as community in facing the reality situation in Singapore not only in term of technology advancement but also the culture that being dominate there. Therefore, they still have to maintain the successful and able to produce a good Muslim generation that is balance between worldly and hereafter and also able to create unity of the Muslim Ummah in Singapore.
.......WaALLAHualam..
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