Historically, the Malay community has occupied the lower rungs of society in terms of their education and socio-economic standards. Following the release of the Census of Population 1980, the plight of the Malays became a concern for the Singapore government. Fast- forward a few decades, the community has managed to achieve measurable progress. Malay-Muslim community leaders have put forth various initiatives, ranging from financial disbursement to providing advice. Nonetheless, their rate of development is not on par with their counterparts from other ethnic groups. The 2020 Census of Population highlights worrying trends for the community, with issues related to education and home ownership.
In light of this, this event brings together political office holders, civil servants, academics, professional, community leaders, practitioners, and advocates to discuss: (1) key factors that hinder social and economic mobility among the Malay community; (2) current gaps in social safety nets in meeting the needs of the less privileged; and (3) challenges to implementing existing measures. The goal of this discussion is to identify interventions to increase the social and economic mobility of the Malays in Singapore.
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