Institute of Policy Studies

Synopsis
The consensus among research practitioners from the various research units sited within Malay-Muslim Organisations is that there is a need for more interaction and exchange of ideas pertaining to the work that they do. The Research Network on Malay/Muslim Issues was established bringing together researchers and advocates from within the local Malay-Muslim community (MMC) as well as individuals from outside the community who delve deeply into Malay/Muslim issues. 

The Network has two key objectives:

  1. To bring together practitioners, policy makers, academics and community leaders who are interested in raising the status and general well-being of the Singaporean Malay-Muslim community through actionable practices. 
  2. To bridge the gaps between research and practice by translating research findings to actionable insights with implications for policy and practice. As such, beyond just sharing of best practices, the Research Network would take the additional step of ensuring that research evidence and learning reaches relevant agencies so that the findings can be used to support decision-making and formulate action plans.


Significance
Attempts at creating networks for the purpose of sharing and collaborating are not new among organisations catering to the MMC. However, a main obstacle that hinders the success of such networks is the divergent interests that arise from different beliefs, philosophy, approaches and stakeholder demands.

One way to overcome these divergences is to foster more positive relations between members of research entities within the MMC. This can be achieved by way of establishing transparent, neutral and non-partisan platforms where interactions can take place. IPS, being a recognised non-partisan institution among members of the ethnic group, will undertake a ”bridge-building” role where it brings together stakeholders from different sectors. A deliverable for this project will be a Working Paper on Best Practices describing positive outcomes that had taken place under the auspices of the Research Network. 

Activities which come under the purview of the Network comprise the following: 

  1. Workshops 
  2. Closed Door Discussions 
  3. Interest Groups
  4. Action Group


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