Twenty-eight percent of trips taken by Muslim women last year were taken solo, indicative of a growing younger demographic willing to experience the world alone, according to a new report released by Mastercard and CrescentRating.
An estimated 63 million Muslim women travellers spent over US$80 billion on their journeys last year. This number is expected to grow.
“Despite the increasingly ubiquitous Muslim women travel market, to date little research has been done to better understand this fast-emerging segment and their specific challenges. This study provides the industry with a clear lens to understand their intrinsic and extrinsic travel motivations. This includes their unique travel behaviour driven by triple 'E's – explore, energise and empathise.
"Together with interviews with multiple Muslim women travellers of diverse backgrounds and profiles, we trust the report will enable industry stakeholders to better cater to this segment,” said Raudha Zaini, Head of Marketing of CrescentRating & HalalTrip.
Two-thirds of Muslim women travellers are 40 years of age or younger, and over half of them use
some form of social media to scope out accommodation, logistics and
dining. Most of the segment set off on trips two to three times per year.
Leisure takes precedence (90%), followed by religious travel (21%) and business (11%). The study confirms that they exert considerable influence in trip planning regardless of who they travel with. That said, seven in 10 (71%) travel with their families, and therefore prefer family-friendly destinations.
Female travellers constitute one the fastest-growing segments within the global travel market and their main needs, such as safety and security, are mirrored within the Muslim women demographic. However, Muslim women travellers also look to integrate religious amenities into their trips with 94% of survey respondents reporting halal dining as a travel priority.
Accessible religious facilities with female-only prayer rooms (86%) and single-gender spas and beauty salons (79%) also factor highly into their itineraries. Social justice, an important part of their faith, also influences their journeys, with 73% seeking ecofriendly travel options abroad.
“Muslim women travellers are ready to see the world. This young and driven demographic is ready to engage travel industry providers who welcome them and curate experiences that keep their values and community in the forefront. Mastercard and CrescentRating’s newest report aims to inform industry stakeholders as they tailor their products and services to this up-and-coming demographic,” said Aisha Islam, VP, Market Product Management, Mastercard.
Details:
Download the report
Showing posts with label Muslim. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Muslim. Show all posts
Sunday, 20 October 2019
Wednesday, 10 April 2019
Indonesia and Malaysia lead in Muslim travel market
- Indonesia shares the top spot with Malaysia on the Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2019.
- Singapore retained its premier position as the top Muslim-friendly non-OIC destination for Muslim travellers.
- In 2018, there were an estimated 140 million Muslim visitors worldwide - up from 131 million in 2017 - representing 10% of the global travel industry.
For the first time, Indonesia shares the top spot with Malaysia in the Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2019. The report includes 130 destinations globally, within and outside the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)*. Singapore continues to be the top Muslim-friendly travel destination among non-OIC destinations, followed by Thailand, the UK, Japan and Taiwan.
The GMTI tracks the health and growth of Muslim-friendly travel destinations in four strategic areas – access, communications, environment and services. The index is now the leading study providing insights and data to help countries, the travel industry and investors gauge the development of travel sectors while benchmarking a country’s progress in catering to Muslim travellers.
The Muslim travel market is one of the fastest growing tourism sectors in the world, but despite its huge potential, remains relatively untapped. By 2026, the halal travel sector’s contribution to the global economy is expected to jump 35% to US$300 billion, up from US$220 billion in 2020. By that time, Muslim visitors globally are forecast to grow to 230 million visitors, to represent more than 10% of tourists worldwide.
Indonesia has reached the top spot on the Index through the sustained efforts of the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism. Indonesia is investing in its tourism and travel industry, and developing Muslim-tourist friendly infrastructure. Climbing up from No. 2, Indonesia now shares the top spot with Malaysia, with a score of 78 on the Index.
Other OIC countries including Turkey, KSA, Morocco, Oman and Brunei continue to be popular with Muslim tourists. These destinations can continue to reap the benefits of their inherently Muslim-friendly environment by leveraging new technologies to strategically build services that better engage young, Millennial Muslim travellers.
Among non-OIC countries, Singapore, Thailand, the UK, Japan and Taiwan have retained their positions in the top five and have further improved their scores on the Index. South Korea and the Philippines have entered the top 10 non-OIC destinations list for the first time, displacing Germany and Australia.
In an effort to attract more Muslim tourists, non-OIC destinations have been much more active, as compared with some OIC destinations, in developing their capacity and capability to attract Muslim travellers. For example, destinations such as Spain, South Korea and the Philippines have developed useful resources and travel guides that cater to Muslim preferences by listing best halal restaurants and nearby prayer facilities.
The Halal travel market has undergone significant changes in recent years. At the start of this decade, businesses, hotels and tour operators provided functional services that catered to the needs of Muslim tourists – Halal Travel 1.0. These offerings included halal food options, wudhu'-friendly** washrooms, and prayer facilities.
Driven by the rapid pace of digital and technological transformation, a new phase of Muslim travel is emerging, one that is defined by experience and connectivity – what CrescentRating calls Halal Travel 2.0. Halal Travel 2.0 leverages technologies such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality and virtual reality, to better engage Muslim travellers in the digital age.
This year, CrescentRating has defined five categories that can help further develop the halal travel sector. The Halal Travel Development Goals provide an overarching framework that serves as a blueprint for the travel industry that guides their growth strategies in the halal travel sector.
The five Halal Travel Development Goals are:
1. Integration, diversity and faith: Enable Muslims to be active citizens of the global community while remaining spiritual.
2. Heritage, culture and connection: Connect Muslim travellers to one another, to the local community, and to the heritage and history of their chosen destination.
3. Education, insights and capabilities: Enhance understanding among communities. Increase academic and industry knowledge that can improve the capabilities of stakeholders.
4. Industry, innovation and trade: Create new opportunities to increase commerce through tourism and drive growth across multiple sectors.
5. Well-being and sustainable tourism: Recognizse the responsibilities of stakeholders in the travel sector and the social impact on travellers, the wider community and the environment.
“As the Muslim travel market continues to grow and evolve, we believe, this report along with the Halal Travel Frontier 2019 report released earlier this year, sets the stage for the next phase of development in this unique travel segment - Halal Travel 2.0. The report also presents the five Halal Travel Development Goals as well as the updated Muslim Faith Based Services Needs to help all stakeholders develop clear plans to grow the market,” said Fazal Bahardeen, CEO of CrescentRating & HalalTrip.
“Mastercard is committed to working with partners to expand this dynamic travel segment. As more Muslim travellers explore the globe, they will need trusted, safe, and secure digital payments solutions. Mastercard is pleased to collaborate with CrescentRating to empower all stakeholders with actionable insights, and to develop specially curated offerings that meet the religious and cultural needs of Muslim travellers,” said Safdar Khan, Division President Indonesia, Malaysia & Brunei, Mastercard.
Explore:
Read the report
Hashtag: #GMTI2019
*The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation is an international organisation founded in 1969, consisting of 57 member states.
**Wudhu' (الوضوء) refers to a purification ritual that is carried out before prayers and which involves water.
- Singapore retained its premier position as the top Muslim-friendly non-OIC destination for Muslim travellers.
- In 2018, there were an estimated 140 million Muslim visitors worldwide - up from 131 million in 2017 - representing 10% of the global travel industry.
For the first time, Indonesia shares the top spot with Malaysia in the Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2019. The report includes 130 destinations globally, within and outside the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)*. Singapore continues to be the top Muslim-friendly travel destination among non-OIC destinations, followed by Thailand, the UK, Japan and Taiwan.
The GMTI tracks the health and growth of Muslim-friendly travel destinations in four strategic areas – access, communications, environment and services. The index is now the leading study providing insights and data to help countries, the travel industry and investors gauge the development of travel sectors while benchmarking a country’s progress in catering to Muslim travellers.
The Muslim travel market is one of the fastest growing tourism sectors in the world, but despite its huge potential, remains relatively untapped. By 2026, the halal travel sector’s contribution to the global economy is expected to jump 35% to US$300 billion, up from US$220 billion in 2020. By that time, Muslim visitors globally are forecast to grow to 230 million visitors, to represent more than 10% of tourists worldwide.
Indonesia has reached the top spot on the Index through the sustained efforts of the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism. Indonesia is investing in its tourism and travel industry, and developing Muslim-tourist friendly infrastructure. Climbing up from No. 2, Indonesia now shares the top spot with Malaysia, with a score of 78 on the Index.
Other OIC countries including Turkey, KSA, Morocco, Oman and Brunei continue to be popular with Muslim tourists. These destinations can continue to reap the benefits of their inherently Muslim-friendly environment by leveraging new technologies to strategically build services that better engage young, Millennial Muslim travellers.
Among non-OIC countries, Singapore, Thailand, the UK, Japan and Taiwan have retained their positions in the top five and have further improved their scores on the Index. South Korea and the Philippines have entered the top 10 non-OIC destinations list for the first time, displacing Germany and Australia.
In an effort to attract more Muslim tourists, non-OIC destinations have been much more active, as compared with some OIC destinations, in developing their capacity and capability to attract Muslim travellers. For example, destinations such as Spain, South Korea and the Philippines have developed useful resources and travel guides that cater to Muslim preferences by listing best halal restaurants and nearby prayer facilities.
The Halal travel market has undergone significant changes in recent years. At the start of this decade, businesses, hotels and tour operators provided functional services that catered to the needs of Muslim tourists – Halal Travel 1.0. These offerings included halal food options, wudhu'-friendly** washrooms, and prayer facilities.
Driven by the rapid pace of digital and technological transformation, a new phase of Muslim travel is emerging, one that is defined by experience and connectivity – what CrescentRating calls Halal Travel 2.0. Halal Travel 2.0 leverages technologies such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality and virtual reality, to better engage Muslim travellers in the digital age.
This year, CrescentRating has defined five categories that can help further develop the halal travel sector. The Halal Travel Development Goals provide an overarching framework that serves as a blueprint for the travel industry that guides their growth strategies in the halal travel sector.
The five Halal Travel Development Goals are:
1. Integration, diversity and faith: Enable Muslims to be active citizens of the global community while remaining spiritual.
2. Heritage, culture and connection: Connect Muslim travellers to one another, to the local community, and to the heritage and history of their chosen destination.
3. Education, insights and capabilities: Enhance understanding among communities. Increase academic and industry knowledge that can improve the capabilities of stakeholders.
4. Industry, innovation and trade: Create new opportunities to increase commerce through tourism and drive growth across multiple sectors.
5. Well-being and sustainable tourism: Recognizse the responsibilities of stakeholders in the travel sector and the social impact on travellers, the wider community and the environment.
“As the Muslim travel market continues to grow and evolve, we believe, this report along with the Halal Travel Frontier 2019 report released earlier this year, sets the stage for the next phase of development in this unique travel segment - Halal Travel 2.0. The report also presents the five Halal Travel Development Goals as well as the updated Muslim Faith Based Services Needs to help all stakeholders develop clear plans to grow the market,” said Fazal Bahardeen, CEO of CrescentRating & HalalTrip.
“Mastercard is committed to working with partners to expand this dynamic travel segment. As more Muslim travellers explore the globe, they will need trusted, safe, and secure digital payments solutions. Mastercard is pleased to collaborate with CrescentRating to empower all stakeholders with actionable insights, and to develop specially curated offerings that meet the religious and cultural needs of Muslim travellers,” said Safdar Khan, Division President Indonesia, Malaysia & Brunei, Mastercard.
Top 10 OIC destinations
OIC destinations Rank
|
GMTI 2019 rank
|
Destination
|
Score
|
1
|
1
|
Malaysia
|
78
|
1
|
1
|
Indonesia
|
78
|
3
|
3
|
Turkey
|
75
|
4
|
4
|
KSA
|
72
|
5
|
5
|
UAE
|
71
|
6
|
6
|
Qatar
|
68
|
7
|
7
|
Morocco
|
67
|
8
|
8
|
Bahrain
|
66
|
8
|
8
|
Oman
|
66
|
10
|
10
|
Brunei
|
65
|
Top 10 non-OIC destinations
Non-OIC destinations Rank
|
GMTI 2019 rank
|
Destination
|
Score
|
1
|
10
|
Singapore
|
65
|
2
|
18
|
Thailand
|
57
|
3
|
25
|
UK
|
53
|
3
|
25
|
Japan
|
53
|
3
|
25
|
Taiwan
|
53
|
6
|
29
|
South Africa
|
52
|
7
|
31
|
Hong Kong
|
51
|
8
|
34
|
South Korea
|
48
|
9
|
36
|
France
|
46
|
9
|
36
|
Spain
|
46
|
9
|
36
|
Philippines
|
46
|
Explore:
Read the report
Hashtag: #GMTI2019
*The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation is an international organisation founded in 1969, consisting of 57 member states.
**Wudhu' (الوضوء) refers to a purification ritual that is carried out before prayers and which involves water.
Thursday, 13 December 2018
First-ever Indonesia Muslim Travel Index names Lombok as key destination for halal tourism
- Indonesia launches travel index* to position as itself a leader in the US$220 billion Muslim travel marke
- The Mastercard-CrescentRating Indonesia Muslim Travel Index (IMTI) 2018 benchmarks 10 Indonesian provinces on their readiness to welcome Muslim tourists
- IMTI reveals that Lombok, Aceh, and Jakarta as key destinations for halal tourism
The Mastercard-CrescentRating Indonesia Muslim Travel Index (IMTI) 2018 has been launched in Jakarta by Pak Arief Yahya, Minister of Tourism, Indonesia, with the aim of-fast tracking the development of its provinces to welcome Muslim tourists. The country has a target of welcoming 5 million Muslim tourists in 2019.
The IMTI benchmarks Indonesian provinces in four strategic areas – access, communications, environment and services – and tracks the health and the growth of the travel segment across the country. The 10 provinces covered in this years’ index are Aceh, the Riau Islands, West Sumatra, Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, Yogyakarta, East Java, South Sulawesi and Lombok (West Nusa Tenggara). The IMTI is part of the Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) Series of reports.
The inaugural IMTI reveals that Lombok, Aceh, and Jakarta are new key destinations for halal tourism.
In 2016, a Halal Tourism Acceleration and Development Team was set up by the Ministry of Tourism in Indonesia to address the development and promotion of halal travel in the country amidst rising competition from other countries developing their own halal tourism initiatives. Indonesia has worked to develop infrastructure and services to attract the Muslim tourist and has consistently improved its global position in the GMTI, from 6th place in 2015 to 2nd place in 2018.
Best known for its pristine beaches and home to over a thousand mosques, Lombok has been at the forefront of developing the destination for halal tourism. The regional authorities have shown strong commitment to educate the stakeholders and promote the destination as a Muslim-friendly destination.
Indonesian Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said, “IMTI is an important milestone to achieve the halal tourism target by 2019, including becoming the No. 1 halal destination and attracting 5 million foreign Muslim travelers, 25% of the overall 2019 foreign visitor target.”
Global Muslim traveller expenditure is projected to reach US$220 billion in 2020 according to GMTI 2018. It is expected to grow a further US$80 billion to hit US$300 billion by 2026. In 2017, there were an estimated 131 million Muslim visitor arrivals globally - up from 121 million in 2016 - and this is forecast to grow to 156 million visitors by 2020, representing 10% of the global travel segment.
Halal tourism is key to Indonesia’s economic growth and it is prospected to be the country’s biggest foreign exchange source in the future. The travel index highlighted recommendations for innovation and growth in the Muslim travel segment in Indonesia. Recommendations included improving connectivity and infrastructure as well as building online content and resources to attract more international tourists, while improving the country’s overall global halal destination branding.
“Given its natural beauty and cultural richness, tourism offers a huge growth opportunity for Indonesia. With its standing as the world’s most populous Muslim country, Indonesia has the core infrastructure and environment in place to cater to the needs of Muslim travelers. IMTI 2018 insights will enable the regions within Indonesia to build on their strengths to better cater to the requirements of Muslim travelers," said Fazal Bahardeen, CEO of CrescentRating & HalalTrip.
“Mastercard and CrescentRating have collaborated since 2015 to create a suite of comprehensive research material offering invaluable insights on the halal travel sector. These in turn enable governments and the tourism industry to better cater to the needs of Muslim travelers. Indonesia has done a wonderful job in enhancing the country’s tourism landscape and infrastructure. The IMTI is an innovative partnership between the public and private sector which aims to empower provinces with the information they need to continuously improve their local travel industry,” said Safdar Khan, Division President Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, Mastercard.
- The Mastercard-CrescentRating Indonesia Muslim Travel Index (IMTI) 2018 benchmarks 10 Indonesian provinces on their readiness to welcome Muslim tourists
- IMTI reveals that Lombok, Aceh, and Jakarta as key destinations for halal tourism
 | |
| Source: Crescentrating website. IMTI 2018 report cover. |
The IMTI benchmarks Indonesian provinces in four strategic areas – access, communications, environment and services – and tracks the health and the growth of the travel segment across the country. The 10 provinces covered in this years’ index are Aceh, the Riau Islands, West Sumatra, Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, Yogyakarta, East Java, South Sulawesi and Lombok (West Nusa Tenggara). The IMTI is part of the Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) Series of reports.
The inaugural IMTI reveals that Lombok, Aceh, and Jakarta are new key destinations for halal tourism.
In 2016, a Halal Tourism Acceleration and Development Team was set up by the Ministry of Tourism in Indonesia to address the development and promotion of halal travel in the country amidst rising competition from other countries developing their own halal tourism initiatives. Indonesia has worked to develop infrastructure and services to attract the Muslim tourist and has consistently improved its global position in the GMTI, from 6th place in 2015 to 2nd place in 2018.
Best known for its pristine beaches and home to over a thousand mosques, Lombok has been at the forefront of developing the destination for halal tourism. The regional authorities have shown strong commitment to educate the stakeholders and promote the destination as a Muslim-friendly destination.
Indonesian Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said, “IMTI is an important milestone to achieve the halal tourism target by 2019, including becoming the No. 1 halal destination and attracting 5 million foreign Muslim travelers, 25% of the overall 2019 foreign visitor target.”
Global Muslim traveller expenditure is projected to reach US$220 billion in 2020 according to GMTI 2018. It is expected to grow a further US$80 billion to hit US$300 billion by 2026. In 2017, there were an estimated 131 million Muslim visitor arrivals globally - up from 121 million in 2016 - and this is forecast to grow to 156 million visitors by 2020, representing 10% of the global travel segment.
Halal tourism is key to Indonesia’s economic growth and it is prospected to be the country’s biggest foreign exchange source in the future. The travel index highlighted recommendations for innovation and growth in the Muslim travel segment in Indonesia. Recommendations included improving connectivity and infrastructure as well as building online content and resources to attract more international tourists, while improving the country’s overall global halal destination branding.
“Given its natural beauty and cultural richness, tourism offers a huge growth opportunity for Indonesia. With its standing as the world’s most populous Muslim country, Indonesia has the core infrastructure and environment in place to cater to the needs of Muslim travelers. IMTI 2018 insights will enable the regions within Indonesia to build on their strengths to better cater to the requirements of Muslim travelers," said Fazal Bahardeen, CEO of CrescentRating & HalalTrip.
“Mastercard and CrescentRating have collaborated since 2015 to create a suite of comprehensive research material offering invaluable insights on the halal travel sector. These in turn enable governments and the tourism industry to better cater to the needs of Muslim travelers. Indonesia has done a wonderful job in enhancing the country’s tourism landscape and infrastructure. The IMTI is an innovative partnership between the public and private sector which aims to empower provinces with the information they need to continuously improve their local travel industry,” said Safdar Khan, Division President Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei, Mastercard.
IMTI 2018 Rank
|
Province
|
Score
|
1
|
Lombok (West Nusa Tenggara)
|
58
|
2
|
Aceh
|
57
|
2
|
Jakarta
|
56
|
4
|
West Sumatra
|
55<
|
5
|
Yogyakarta
|
51
|
7
|
West Java
|
51
|
6
|
Riau Islands
|
50
|
8
|
East Java
|
48
|
9
|
Central Java
|
47
|
10
|
South Sulawesi
|
30
|
Details:
Read the report
Explore:
Read the Suroor Asia blog post about building a halal-friendly tourism industry in Indonesia
Hashtag: #IMTI2018
*Key metrics for IMTI 2018 include access, which comprises of infrastructure; communications, which looks at how destinations market themselves to the target audience; environment, one which is welcoming of Muslim visitors; and services. Each criterion is then weighted to make up the overall index score.
Read the report
Explore:
Read the Suroor Asia blog post about building a halal-friendly tourism industry in Indonesia
Hashtag: #IMTI2018
*Key metrics for IMTI 2018 include access, which comprises of infrastructure; communications, which looks at how destinations market themselves to the target audience; environment, one which is welcoming of Muslim visitors; and services. Each criterion is then weighted to make up the overall index score.
Monday, 5 November 2018
Shaza hits sweet spot for halal travel
 |
| Nader talks about Shaza's positioning. |
First off, there is currently high demand for halal-friendly services but a low supply of quality halal acommodation around the world, Nader said at the recent Halal-In-Travel Asia Summit.
"Investors are shy to invest in halal travel especially outside of OIC countries. The key focus is that Muslim travellers don't always travel in Muslim countries. This is where the investment opportunity is."
"When you Google 'halal hotel', 'dry hotels', 'shari'ah-compliant hotels' – the image of halal tourism that (you get is that) you're providing accommodation that looks like it is coming from the 1800s," he added.
Third, there are brands which are not built on values that are halal, but which provide token support such as Ramadhan timings, he continued.
 |
| Source: Shaza Hotels website. Bedroom at the Shaza Riyadh. |
"It takes a lot of education to design a (property) for our market," he commented. Among the considerations for halal travel are the ability to rent swimming pools for privacy, and separate pools for ladies. The pools tend to be situated on the rooftop so that they are impossible to see from the rooms, Nader said.
Nader disclosed that Shaza's loyalty programme has 11 million members. "Niche doesn't mean small. Niche means specialised," he said.
Details:
Shaza has two brands, Shaza for five-star accommodation, and Mysk which is more high-tech and fronts its four-star properties. Mysk offers 30 sq m rooms whereas Shaza rooms may be 45 to 50 sq m.
In 2018, Shaza opened the Shaza Makkah in KSA, complementing the Shaza Al Madina. The Shaza Riyadh and the Shaza Jeddah are expected online soon. New Shaza properties are coming online in Doha, Qatar and Salalah, Oman in 2019.
Mysk by Shaza, Al Mouj, can be found in Muscat, Oman, while Mysk Kuwait, opposite the Messilah beach district, opens early 2020 and Mysk the Palm in Jumeirah is to open before Expo 2020 in Dubai, UAE.
Other hotels are planned in Lombok, Indonesia; Colombo Sri Lanka, and Muscat, Oman.
Check out Shaza's promotions
Hashtags: #halalintravel, #itbasia2018
Wednesday, 31 October 2018
The changing face of travel
 |
| Bahardeen (left) and Rafat (right). |
Rafat noted that retail travel agents are "pretty much gone" in the US, with companies retreating into sectors where travel is complex, such as for cruises, or luxury travel. "Nobody buys an airline ticket through them any more, they buy experiences," he said.
"The mindset of 'I need choices, guide me to pick the right choices, let me figure out my own way', is cutting across a large swathe of (generations). Baby boomers are the fastest-growing part of people who do book AirBnBs, and the largest part of people who rent out their houses. It is changing quite a bit," he said.
He observed that Millennials are independent and prefer to bypass travel agents, but that the attitude is spilling over into other demographics. "The Millennial mindset is a mindset that is growing across diff generations. Don't get hung up on a single demographic - even Millennials aren't a single demographic.
 |
| KSA has projected that it can accept 15 million umrah pilgrims by 2020. |
He noted that when it comes to Hajj and umrah, a big proportion of people may be travelling for the first time. "None of the marketing for any travel brand ever talks about the first-time traveller," Rafat pointed out.
"The human touch is important," he said.
Asked if Skift will focus on Muslim travel, Rafat said no. The publication does cover CrescentRating reports, but he draws the line at "creating separate lanes". He explained that the editorial stance is global and that his personal philosophy is that Muslims should exist within the larger society.
"We should travel as normal human beings carrying our normal identities but we don't ask (for special treatment) – I can figure out my own way," he said.
"Let's integrate into the larger world and hence have a larger platform for what we can discuss in Muslim world."
Rafat also said that Muslims can adopt multiple 'skins'. "In a Muslim country we can turn on our ma sha Allah, in sha Allah, whatever. In a non-Muslim country a large part of us can do what they do for a large part," he said.
Hashtags: #halalintravel, #itbasia2018
Rafat also said that Muslims can adopt multiple 'skins'. "In a Muslim country we can turn on our ma sha Allah, in sha Allah, whatever. In a non-Muslim country a large part of us can do what they do for a large part," he said.
Hashtags: #halalintravel, #itbasia2018
Tuesday, 23 October 2018
Millennial and Gen Z Muslim travellers are driving a US$180 billion online travel market
 |
| Source: CrescentRating website. Cover for the Mastercard-CrescentRating Digital Muslim Travel Report 2018. |
In 2017, CrescentRating found that Muslim Millennials rely very heavily on social media and online reviews for travel; travel two to five times annually, and look for halal food and prayer tools online - behaviours condensed into the pillars accessibility, affordability and authenticity.
Unveiled at the Halal-In-Travel Asia Summit, the Mastercard-CrescentRating Digital Muslim Travel Report 2018 (DMTR2018) has revealed what shapes the growth of online purchases by the next generation of Muslim travellers. The research projects that online travel expenditure by Muslim travellers will exceed US$180 billion by 2026.
The DMTR2018 is the first comprehensive report looking at the online travel patterns and attitudes of Muslim travellers across different demographic groups. It extends the research on the digital Muslim traveller population, expanding beyond the Muslim Millennial traveller (MMT) segment which was studied last year in the Muslim Millennial Travel Report 2017, and also analyses travellers along the continuum of strictly practising, "less practising" and practising travellers.
Fazal Bahardeen, CEO of CrescentRating and HalalTrip, said “The DMTR2018 reveals important online behaviour and preferences of Muslim travellers. It will equip tourism destinations, tour operators, airlines and other tourism and hospitality stakeholders with insights of online platforms and social networking services to evaluate the potential within the Muslim market.
“With the rapid proliferation of enabling online technologies and payment methods and the rise of Muslim digital natives, as a major segment within the Muslim travel market, the outlook for the digital space is very positive. Destinations need to ensure that their messages reach Muslim travellers through online channels. This report gives the industry a practical and ready segmentation criterion to empathise with different demographics. Digital is real and transcends generations.”
Key takeaways from the DMTR2018 included:
- Digital is real and transcends generations
Different generations are using digital, though they behave differently, Zaini said.
- Content is key.
"You have to focus on all segments, and not just Muslim Millennial travellers," Zaini noted.
- A mix of online platforms are used per product or service journey
"The impact on business is that you need to be agile enough to appropriately display your content, be it desktop or mobile, and be smart enough to understand what users are looking for," she said.
"Mastercard works with likeminded partners to create tailored offerings for customers across a wide range of passion points. As consumers explore more countries and regions, Mastercard is also seeing an increase in the use of cashless and digital payments through prepaid and debit options as a safer, more convenient and reliable form of electronic payments for greater peace of mind when travelling.”
"We are collaborating with banks and others to create a safer experience across all touch points," he added.
 |
| Online travel purchases will be worth US$180 billion in 2026. |
 |
| Muslim Millennials go online to plan their trips, accounting for 40% of all Muslim traveller transactions, but Gen X and Gen Z as well as Baby Boomers (listed as Others) are also digital users. |
The Mastercard-CrescentRating Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI) 2018, released in April this year, confirmed that the Muslim travel market will continue its fast-paced growth to reach US$220 billion in 2020 and US$300 billion by 2026. In 2017, there was an estimated 131 million Muslim visitor arrivals globally. CrescentRating research indicates that more than 60% of Muslim travellers were either Millennials or Gen Z.
The GMTI 2018 found that 30 Muslim outbound markets** represent 90% of the overall Muslim visitor arrivals and should be the focus of the travel industry. This study looked at the “digitally enabled” environment of these markets to understand the potential of digital transactions. These destinations have been divided into distinctive clusters based on the market size and digital access.
Cluster
A
Large outbound markets with
a high level of digital enablement |
|
These are regions with large Muslim populations and high per-capita GDP, allowing a high percentage of travellers to travel internationally. The majority of the residents in these countries are digital-savvy and have the latest digital infrastructures. |
Cluster
B
High
level of digital enablement but smaller outbound markets
|
OIC
countries
Non-OIC
countries
|
These
are countries with residents who are digital-savvy and have the
latest digital landscapes but their populations are smaller in
comparison to those in Cluster A.
|
Cluster
C
Good level of digital
enablement but smaller outbound markets
|
|
They have good digital infrastructures but the population of Muslim travellers travelling internationally is still small. |
Cluster
D
Emerging growth markets with
fast-growing levels of digital enablement
|
|
These are majority Muslim countries with a growing outbound travel market. Even though they may not have widespread digital infrastructures yet, businesses can look at these markets for medium-to-long term prospects. |
Bahardeen noted that while the markets are diverse, the travellers share values of a common faith and identify as Muslims. That said, they come from different locations, speak multiple languages and dialects, and have differences in cultural lifestyle, plus varying degrees of halal consciousness.
"It is not a homogeneous market. You really have to get an understanding of each of those markets," he said, adding that someone from a more secular country who goes to a strict Muslim country may become stricter during a trip, and vice versa, so there cannot be hard and fast rules on hospitality.
"We have to look at different ways of catering to them," he said.
Explore:
Read the Mastercard-CrescentRating Digital Muslim Travel Report 2018 report
Hashtags: #halalintravel, #itbasia2018
*According to CrescentRating, baby boomers are classed as those born between 1946 and 1964; Generation or Gen Xers were born between 1965 and 1980; Millennials from 1981 to 1996, while Gen Zers were born from 1997 onwards.
**Outbound refers to people from one country going to travel overseas. Inbound refers to the opposite, people from other countries travelling to a particular country.
*According to CrescentRating, baby boomers are classed as those born between 1946 and 1964; Generation or Gen Xers were born between 1965 and 1980; Millennials from 1981 to 1996, while Gen Zers were born from 1997 onwards.
**Outbound refers to people from one country going to travel overseas. Inbound refers to the opposite, people from other countries travelling to a particular country.
Wednesday, 13 June 2018
Education and national economic success linked for young Muslim women
 |
| Source: Pew Research Fact Tank. Scatterplot on educational attainment of young Muslim women versus economic output. |
Pew Research suggests that the state of women's education in Muslim societies today boils down to economic success, and not religion in a new analysis of Pew Research Center data on educational attainment and religion.
The new study*, co-authored by Hackett, analyses the Center’s education data and appears in the Population and Development Review. The analysis shows that a country’s wealth is the most important factor determining how much education a woman receives.
For example, young Muslim women who are Saudi citizens, defined as those born between 1976 and 1985 in KSA have an average of 11.5 years of schooling, compared with 11.8 years for the country’s young men and two years of education for older Muslim women, defined as those born between 1935 and 1955.
"It’s true that, historically, Muslim women have received less schooling than females of other major religions (except Hindus); they also have lagged behind Muslim men in educational attainment, according to previous analysis by Pew Research Center. More recently, however, Muslim women have been catching up – not only with Muslim men but also with other women around the world," said Conrad Hackett, a Senior Demographer and Associate Director of research at Pew Research Center, and Dalia Fahmy, Senior Writer/Editor at Pew Research Center, in a Fact Tank article.
The new study*, co-authored by Hackett, analyses the Center’s education data and appears in the Population and Development Review. The analysis shows that a country’s wealth is the most important factor determining how much education a woman receives.
For example, young Muslim women who are Saudi citizens, defined as those born between 1976 and 1985 in KSA have an average of 11.5 years of schooling, compared with 11.8 years for the country’s young men and two years of education for older Muslim women, defined as those born between 1935 and 1955.
Researchers also examined factors in Muslim communities that might play a role in influencing education for women, such as the degree of gender discrimination in a country’s family laws, the percentage of its population that is Muslim and the share of Muslims who reported that religion is very important to them. "The study finds that none of these elements had a significant impact on the results," said Hackett.
*The study was by David McClendon, Hackett, Michaela Potančoková, Marcin Stonawski and Vegard Skirbekk. McClendon is a former Research Associate at the Center.
Thursday, 26 April 2018
Meembar makes it easier to locate halal venues when travelling
 |
| Source: Meembar websie. Screen capture of the app. |
From DagangAsia Net, it is designed to show halal venues which are nearby in an unfamiliar environment, including venues like dining places, mosques and prayer areas, as well as accommodation.
The app includes venues with verified halal certification status from global halal certification bodies including JAKIM. Users may suggest new halal venues, review existing venues, and share information on social media platforms.
Details:
Download the app
Tuesday, 24 April 2018
Singapore announces change to head of Muslim Affairs in Cabinet
Singapore's government will see a change to the head of Muslim Affairs as incumbent Dr Yaacob Ibrahim retires from the Cabinet, effective May 1.
The Singapore Prime Minister's Office has announced that Masagos Zulkifli will be in charge of Muslim Affairs, taking over from Dr Yaacob.
Dr Yaacob will continue as a Member of Parliament.
The Singapore Prime Minister's Office has announced that Masagos Zulkifli will be in charge of Muslim Affairs, taking over from Dr Yaacob.
Dr Yaacob will continue as a Member of Parliament.
Thursday, 8 March 2018
Singapore stands against Islamophobia
The Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Dr Yaacob Ibrahim said that the government is working to manage the challenges facing the Malay/Muslim community in Singapore. Speaking at the Singapore Committee of Supply debate on 8 March 2018, he said that the current generation faces challenges "no less trying than in the past".
"We are in the midst of another economic transformation, brought about by a digital revolution no less fundamental than the industrial revolution. We must prepare our industries and our workers for the future economy, and we must make sure that no one is left behind," he said.
"We must also face an ongoing threat to our faith. The spread of extremist ideologies abetted by social media and the acts of terror by ISIS have set Muslims against non-Muslims in many societies. Misguided religious preachers have spread insidious ideologies preaching segregation and a rejection of a modern life and the secular state. This is surely the road to alienation, marginalisation and ruin.
"In Singapore, we must stand united against such ideologues and ideologies, and against Islamophobia."
Three key strategies are to be employed. "First, we will continue our efforts to support our families and children, with an emphasis on early childhood education and helping the vulnerable. Second, we will enhance the socioreligious foundations of the community, by strengthening religious education and our key community institutions. And thirdly, we will build a future-ready community that embraces technology," he said.
Supporting families and children
Minister Yaacob said that parents are urged to send their children to quality preschool education, and shared that MENDAKI has, in recent years, focused more on supporting the development of children between ages of 0 to six.
"Last year, MENDAKI held its inaugural Education Symposium, supported by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) and the Learn SG seed fund. Over 250 participants benefited from discussions ranging from learning through play to preparing for primary school," he said.
He also shared that after the event, Irma Iryanti Juri, an adjunct lecturer at SEED Institute, which trains early childhood professionals, and Shaireen Selamat, a doctoral researcher from the University of Warwick, volunteered to lead the setup of a network of professionals and educators from the preschool sector to share best practices and learn from each other. The platform is now the MENDAKI Alliance of Preschool Professionals (MAPP), comprising about 30 professionals who actively support MENDAKI’s School-Ready programmes.
MENDAKI will also be organising a second run of the Education Symposium and a Playfest for Preschoolers in April, Minister Yaacob said. "Playfest aims to generate awareness about the benefits of play, and provide parents with ideas on setting up an age-appropriate stimulating learning environment at home.We want to help more low-income families enroll their children into full-day childcare, as this provides a conducive environment for the child’s development," he noted.
"The Back-to-Work Women programme is a key strategy in this effort, as it aims to help mothers to be gainfully employed. Besides enhancing the family’s income, they will be able to tap on more childcare subsidies, and quality preschool education will indeed be more affordable. MENDAKI will also work with ECDA and the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) on ways to study how we can assist low-income families enroll their children in quality childcare and preschool education."
Minister Yaacob noted that 20 years ago, less than half of all Malays entered post-secondary educational institutions. Today, almost all Malay students do so. "We are committed to help as many as we can, to ensure that our young have a brighter future, and can access more opportunities than before," he said.
"For primary and secondary school students, the MENDAKI Tuition Scheme, or MTS, offers highly subsidised tuition sessions for students from lower income families. For the past five years, MTS has been helping over 10,000 students every year, across 89 centres islandwide."
MENDAKI also provides a wide range of assistance schemes. For example, any Muslim student can apply to MENDAKI for interest-free study loans and a wide range of bursaries and scholarships, while the best students, who excel in both academic and non-academic areas, receive the Anugerah MENDAKI award. MENDAKI also administers the Education Trust Fund that supports the lower income.
"Since 2003, S$22.9 million from the fund has been disbursed to support 91,000 students from preschool all the way ITE," said the minister.
When it comes to the Malay/Muslim Community Development Fund, or MMCDF, the focus is on helping Malay/Muslim Organisations (MMOs) build their capabilities. "Between 2015 and 2017, S$10 million were disbursed, benefitting around 55 partners per year. Some of the initiatives that receive MMCDF funding include the Debt Advisory Centre by AMP, the Rising Star Project by PERTAPIS, and the Family Therapy Institute by PPIS," Minister Yaacob said.
MENDAKI has several platforms to encourage youth to contribute to community and society, Minister Yaacob added. "The CLF LABS allow youth-led organisations and groups to testbed innovative ideas with MENDAKI’s seed funding. The inaugural Socialthon, held last July, brought together close to 100 youths to develop solutions in areas such as startup culture, health and technology. These platforms will help our youth hone their ideas and leadership skills, with the community and Singapore at heart.Sir, strong families are critical to the well-being of children.
While the proportion of minor marriages has declined from 10% of Muslim marriages in 2007 to 3.6% in 2017, this group still needs support, Minister Yaacob said. Those under 18 years old are considered minors. "We amended the Administration of Muslim Law Act (AMLA) last year to make it compulsory for minor couples to complete marriage preparation programmes and to obtain consent from parents or guardians, prior to making an application for marriage. MSF is working with the Registry of Muslim Marriages (ROMM) and INSPIRASI Hubs. The hubs are centres dedicated to preparing minor and young couples for marriage, and to raise awareness of these new requirements and the importance of marriage preparation and parental support.
"MSF is also working with the hubs to enhance the marriage preparation curriculum. The new requirements will apply to minor marriage applications from 1st October this year. The programme will benefit about 200 minor couples every year."
To better support step-families, MSF will work closely with PPIS Vista Sakinah, the centre for remarriages and step-families, Minister Yaacob continued. "Vista Sakinah will collaborate with agencies serving low-income step-families and waive the remarriage preparation programme fees for their participation. They will provide step-family awareness talks at key touch points, such as our mosques and other community agencies, and leverage on social media and radio. Additionally, Vista Sakinah will enhance its programme effectiveness by strengthening its evidence-based content, building trainer capabilities, and enhancing its programme evaluation."
Laying strong foundations for our community
Minister Yaacob noted that Singapore's madrasahs (religious schools) play a dual role in nurturing future asatizah (religious teachers) for the community, and in preparing those who opt for careers in the non-religious sectors.
"Madrasah Wak Tanjong, founded by the late Ustaz Mohd Noor bin Taib, is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. Its students have a history of excelling in religious studies, and taking up religious leadership roles. One example is Ustazah Hilwani binte Mohammad Abdul Halim. She is the daughter of the late Ustaz Mohammad Abdul Halim, who was the Principal of Madrasah Wak Tanjong for five years. She does her late father proud by teaching Islamic jurisprudence and Arabic at Madrasah Wak Tanjong. Hilwani holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Islamic Jurisprudence from the University of Jordan, but she is determined to better herself as a teacher. She is now enrolled in a specialist diploma programme in Applied Learning and Teaching at Republic Polytechnic under MUIS’ sponsorship, and will graduate in August this year," he said.
Minister Yaacob noted that MUIS will be providing Madrasah Wak Tanjong with a Comprehensive Assistance Package that includes an extension of its lease at its current premises, and the provision of additional funding to strengthen its curriculum and professional development. "The strong support signals MUIS’ ongoing commitment to further professionalise and strengthen the madrasah sector as a whole," he said.
Minister Yaacob also presented the design of the new Madrasah Al-Arabiah Al-Islamiah campus to parliament members. "It has a sustainable and green design that is complemented with Islamic and nusantara architecture," he said, sharing that MUIS has committed S$10 million for this project. "So, I urge the community to support the madrasah’s fund-raising efforts, to ensure that the campus can be operational by 2020."
Madrasah Aljunied Al-Islamiah is also on track to offer a cohort of 27 students an International Baccalaureate curriculum in 2019. "School leaders, IB coordinators and teachers have been hard at work in equipping themselves with the necessary skills and qualifications," he added.
For curriculum development and teacher training, the government has introduced financial incentives for madrasah teachers in secular subjects which has benefited more than 170 teachers, while over 500 students have received Madrasah Student Awards in February for educational excellence. MUIS has also worked with madrasahs to strengthen the holistic development of students, so that they are exposed to areas such as youth volunteerism, service learning projects and outdoor education.
"..We want our students to go beyond the classroom, to interact with and contribute to the larger Singapore society," Minister Yaacob said.
He also gave updates on plans for an Islamic college in Singapore. "In recent months, officials from MUIS and myself visited institutions of higher learning in the Middle East such as in Egypt, Jordan and Turkey, as well as universities in multireligious, plural societies, such as the US and Canada, to study the different models of tertiary Islamic education," he said.
To keep the young from extremist and segregationist views, the Asatizah Youth Network, or AYN, was formed last year with 11 asatizah to offer support and guidance to youths on social media as well as act as the first touch point for those in doubt. "Ustaz Tarmizi Wahid belongs to this pioneer batch. He is the CEO and founder of Safinah Institute, a private Islamic learning centre with a strong digital media presence, especially on Instagram. Safinah also operates a digitally device-friendly platform called Soul Academy, where participants can virtually interact and discuss issues with trainers and peers," Minister Yaacob said.
Sir, MUIS is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. In fact, MUIS was formed on 1st of July 1968. MUIS has grown its scope of work in serving the socio-religious needs of the community. This includes increasing prayer spaces in mosques, distributing zakat and facilitating Hajj and qurban. In doing so, MUIS has endeavoured to maintain strong partnerships with stakeholders. September 11, the spectre of extremism and the emergence of charismatic Internet-age radical ideologues have made MUIS’ mission all the more difficult. But MUIS has stayed the course in nurturing a Singapore Muslim identity – one that honours the Islamic faith, the aspirations of our community, and the relationships and the identities that bind us to Singapore, our home.
"The theme Semarak Langkah, Berjiwa Rahmah or Striving with Confidence, Serving with Compassion is apt in portraying the spirit of MUIS’ service to the community."
MUIS will be holding a MUIS 50 Dinner and Awards Ceremony, where awards will be presented to individuals who have been instrumental to MUIS and Singapore and who inspire Singapore's youth. MUIS will also hold an International Religious Conference at the end of the year to rally the community on the important role of religious scholars and institutions in shaping a progressive religious life. MUIS is currently engaging the community through the ongoing MUIS50 conversations for ideas to strengthen MUIS for the future. More details will be shared at MUIS’ Work Plan Seminar in April.
Forging a future-ready community
MENDAKI has partnered the three ITE colleges for its Future First Programme (FFP). Benefitting about 240 ITE students currently, the FFP complements ITE’s education and career guidance and life skills curriculum.
"MENDAKI will be expanding the programme to even more ITE students, partnering polytechnics and the wider youth community. And this would include the launch of a Future-Ready Starter Kit in August 2018 on workplace expectations, and strategies to remain relevant in the future economy.With improving educational attainment by Malay students, we have seen a higher proportion of professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) in the Malay workforce. The proportion of PMETs has increased from one in four in 2007 to one in three in 2017, with a majority in education, health, social services and public administration. Of these, about two thirds are associate professionals and technicians," he said.
"We also see that Malays have a higher than proportional share of placements under the Adapt and Grow initiative, which includes the career centres run by Workforce Singapore and NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute."
The minister further shared that he has asked Senior Parliamentary Secretary Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim and Parliamentary Secretary Amrin Amin to lead a PMET Outreach Committee to create a support network for Malay/Muslim PMETs’ retraining and employability needs. "The Committee has leveraged on key platforms such as SENSE PMET Jobfair@Grassroots Club and the Secangkir Kopi bersama MENDAKI dialogue and networking sessions. The committee produced and distributed more than 3,000 copies of the Handy Guidebook for PMETs to raise awareness on support schemes. The Committee intends to do more engagements, with four JUMP! Career Fairs to offer assistance and raise awareness about growth sectors in Singapore," Minister Yaacob said.
Acknowledging that the Malay/Muslim community has to adapt to digitalisation, a key driver of growth in the future, MUIS and MENDAKI have started using digital tools to improve service delivery and accessibility. MUIS' Asatizah Recognition Scheme (ARS) procedures are online on the LicenceOne portal to make it easier for registration and to undertake data analytics on the asatizah, while MENDAKI’s Tuition Scheme Online Programme Registration System and Loan Management System have enhanced user convenience and organisational productivity, the minister said.
"And in fact, the data collected through the tuition registration enables the team to analyse the profiles of students and their families, and help MENDAKI to tailor programmes and outreach according to the students’ performance," he stated.
MENDAKI also has a Digital Transformation Department that will help facilitate the digital transformation of MMOs. PPIS, for example, has partnered MENDAKI on a data-analytics project to better understand the profiles and the needs of client families, so as to to attract more families with preschool-going children, Minister Yaacob said. PPIS is a non-profit social welfare organisation dedicated to working with women of all ages, and currently serves about 500 students across seven centres.
Minister Yaacob believes that more, if not all, Malay/Muslim small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) should take that first critical step towards going digital. "I had the opportunity to engage members of the Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, or SMCCI. It is heartening to see Malay/Muslim SMEs such as Frozi, an F&B establishment that serves frozen yogurt, and Spear Security Force, a security company, making good progress with their first use of digital solutions to increase revenue and improve productivity," he said.
"We have been working with SME Centre@SMCCI, supported by IMDA’s SME Digital Tech Hub, to organise workshops for members. With SMCCI taking the lead to help their members tap on IMDA’s SMEs Go Digital programme, I believe more Malay/Muslim SMEs will come on board."
IMDA is additionally working together with SMCCI, the One Kampong Gelam Association, and other partners to create Singapore’s first digitally-enabled retail neighbourhood. "For a start, we will guide Kampong Glam merchants on how they can digitalise to improve their business operations," he said.
"Today, there are already existing merchants doing so. Take for example, one of my favourite stores, Wardah Bookstore. Wardah sells a wide range of books from Islamic history to philosophy. It actively uses social media; it has also digitalised its processes so that data accounting is integrated between its physical and online stores. The presence of an online store not only directs traffic to the physical store, but boosts its reach to overseas customers in Malaysia and Brunei. So, digitalisation will be a key anchor for our economy’s future growth. And this is why I urge our workforce to be future-ready, our community organisations and SMEs to transform, so that we and our future generations can continue to achieve our hopes and aspirations."
Hashtags: #Budget2018, #SingaporeBudget, #SingaporeBudget2018, #SGBudget2018, #yaacobibrahim
"We are in the midst of another economic transformation, brought about by a digital revolution no less fundamental than the industrial revolution. We must prepare our industries and our workers for the future economy, and we must make sure that no one is left behind," he said.
"We must also face an ongoing threat to our faith. The spread of extremist ideologies abetted by social media and the acts of terror by ISIS have set Muslims against non-Muslims in many societies. Misguided religious preachers have spread insidious ideologies preaching segregation and a rejection of a modern life and the secular state. This is surely the road to alienation, marginalisation and ruin.
"In Singapore, we must stand united against such ideologues and ideologies, and against Islamophobia."
Three key strategies are to be employed. "First, we will continue our efforts to support our families and children, with an emphasis on early childhood education and helping the vulnerable. Second, we will enhance the socioreligious foundations of the community, by strengthening religious education and our key community institutions. And thirdly, we will build a future-ready community that embraces technology," he said.
Supporting families and children
Minister Yaacob said that parents are urged to send their children to quality preschool education, and shared that MENDAKI has, in recent years, focused more on supporting the development of children between ages of 0 to six.
"Last year, MENDAKI held its inaugural Education Symposium, supported by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) and the Learn SG seed fund. Over 250 participants benefited from discussions ranging from learning through play to preparing for primary school," he said.
He also shared that after the event, Irma Iryanti Juri, an adjunct lecturer at SEED Institute, which trains early childhood professionals, and Shaireen Selamat, a doctoral researcher from the University of Warwick, volunteered to lead the setup of a network of professionals and educators from the preschool sector to share best practices and learn from each other. The platform is now the MENDAKI Alliance of Preschool Professionals (MAPP), comprising about 30 professionals who actively support MENDAKI’s School-Ready programmes.
MENDAKI will also be organising a second run of the Education Symposium and a Playfest for Preschoolers in April, Minister Yaacob said. "Playfest aims to generate awareness about the benefits of play, and provide parents with ideas on setting up an age-appropriate stimulating learning environment at home.We want to help more low-income families enroll their children into full-day childcare, as this provides a conducive environment for the child’s development," he noted.
"The Back-to-Work Women programme is a key strategy in this effort, as it aims to help mothers to be gainfully employed. Besides enhancing the family’s income, they will be able to tap on more childcare subsidies, and quality preschool education will indeed be more affordable. MENDAKI will also work with ECDA and the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) on ways to study how we can assist low-income families enroll their children in quality childcare and preschool education."
Minister Yaacob noted that 20 years ago, less than half of all Malays entered post-secondary educational institutions. Today, almost all Malay students do so. "We are committed to help as many as we can, to ensure that our young have a brighter future, and can access more opportunities than before," he said.
"For primary and secondary school students, the MENDAKI Tuition Scheme, or MTS, offers highly subsidised tuition sessions for students from lower income families. For the past five years, MTS has been helping over 10,000 students every year, across 89 centres islandwide."
MENDAKI also provides a wide range of assistance schemes. For example, any Muslim student can apply to MENDAKI for interest-free study loans and a wide range of bursaries and scholarships, while the best students, who excel in both academic and non-academic areas, receive the Anugerah MENDAKI award. MENDAKI also administers the Education Trust Fund that supports the lower income.
"Since 2003, S$22.9 million from the fund has been disbursed to support 91,000 students from preschool all the way ITE," said the minister.
When it comes to the Malay/Muslim Community Development Fund, or MMCDF, the focus is on helping Malay/Muslim Organisations (MMOs) build their capabilities. "Between 2015 and 2017, S$10 million were disbursed, benefitting around 55 partners per year. Some of the initiatives that receive MMCDF funding include the Debt Advisory Centre by AMP, the Rising Star Project by PERTAPIS, and the Family Therapy Institute by PPIS," Minister Yaacob said.
MENDAKI has several platforms to encourage youth to contribute to community and society, Minister Yaacob added. "The CLF LABS allow youth-led organisations and groups to testbed innovative ideas with MENDAKI’s seed funding. The inaugural Socialthon, held last July, brought together close to 100 youths to develop solutions in areas such as startup culture, health and technology. These platforms will help our youth hone their ideas and leadership skills, with the community and Singapore at heart.Sir, strong families are critical to the well-being of children.
While the proportion of minor marriages has declined from 10% of Muslim marriages in 2007 to 3.6% in 2017, this group still needs support, Minister Yaacob said. Those under 18 years old are considered minors. "We amended the Administration of Muslim Law Act (AMLA) last year to make it compulsory for minor couples to complete marriage preparation programmes and to obtain consent from parents or guardians, prior to making an application for marriage. MSF is working with the Registry of Muslim Marriages (ROMM) and INSPIRASI Hubs. The hubs are centres dedicated to preparing minor and young couples for marriage, and to raise awareness of these new requirements and the importance of marriage preparation and parental support.
"MSF is also working with the hubs to enhance the marriage preparation curriculum. The new requirements will apply to minor marriage applications from 1st October this year. The programme will benefit about 200 minor couples every year."
To better support step-families, MSF will work closely with PPIS Vista Sakinah, the centre for remarriages and step-families, Minister Yaacob continued. "Vista Sakinah will collaborate with agencies serving low-income step-families and waive the remarriage preparation programme fees for their participation. They will provide step-family awareness talks at key touch points, such as our mosques and other community agencies, and leverage on social media and radio. Additionally, Vista Sakinah will enhance its programme effectiveness by strengthening its evidence-based content, building trainer capabilities, and enhancing its programme evaluation."
Laying strong foundations for our community
Minister Yaacob noted that Singapore's madrasahs (religious schools) play a dual role in nurturing future asatizah (religious teachers) for the community, and in preparing those who opt for careers in the non-religious sectors.
"Madrasah Wak Tanjong, founded by the late Ustaz Mohd Noor bin Taib, is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. Its students have a history of excelling in religious studies, and taking up religious leadership roles. One example is Ustazah Hilwani binte Mohammad Abdul Halim. She is the daughter of the late Ustaz Mohammad Abdul Halim, who was the Principal of Madrasah Wak Tanjong for five years. She does her late father proud by teaching Islamic jurisprudence and Arabic at Madrasah Wak Tanjong. Hilwani holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Islamic Jurisprudence from the University of Jordan, but she is determined to better herself as a teacher. She is now enrolled in a specialist diploma programme in Applied Learning and Teaching at Republic Polytechnic under MUIS’ sponsorship, and will graduate in August this year," he said.
Minister Yaacob noted that MUIS will be providing Madrasah Wak Tanjong with a Comprehensive Assistance Package that includes an extension of its lease at its current premises, and the provision of additional funding to strengthen its curriculum and professional development. "The strong support signals MUIS’ ongoing commitment to further professionalise and strengthen the madrasah sector as a whole," he said.
Minister Yaacob also presented the design of the new Madrasah Al-Arabiah Al-Islamiah campus to parliament members. "It has a sustainable and green design that is complemented with Islamic and nusantara architecture," he said, sharing that MUIS has committed S$10 million for this project. "So, I urge the community to support the madrasah’s fund-raising efforts, to ensure that the campus can be operational by 2020."
Madrasah Aljunied Al-Islamiah is also on track to offer a cohort of 27 students an International Baccalaureate curriculum in 2019. "School leaders, IB coordinators and teachers have been hard at work in equipping themselves with the necessary skills and qualifications," he added.
For curriculum development and teacher training, the government has introduced financial incentives for madrasah teachers in secular subjects which has benefited more than 170 teachers, while over 500 students have received Madrasah Student Awards in February for educational excellence. MUIS has also worked with madrasahs to strengthen the holistic development of students, so that they are exposed to areas such as youth volunteerism, service learning projects and outdoor education.
"..We want our students to go beyond the classroom, to interact with and contribute to the larger Singapore society," Minister Yaacob said.
He also gave updates on plans for an Islamic college in Singapore. "In recent months, officials from MUIS and myself visited institutions of higher learning in the Middle East such as in Egypt, Jordan and Turkey, as well as universities in multireligious, plural societies, such as the US and Canada, to study the different models of tertiary Islamic education," he said.
To keep the young from extremist and segregationist views, the Asatizah Youth Network, or AYN, was formed last year with 11 asatizah to offer support and guidance to youths on social media as well as act as the first touch point for those in doubt. "Ustaz Tarmizi Wahid belongs to this pioneer batch. He is the CEO and founder of Safinah Institute, a private Islamic learning centre with a strong digital media presence, especially on Instagram. Safinah also operates a digitally device-friendly platform called Soul Academy, where participants can virtually interact and discuss issues with trainers and peers," Minister Yaacob said.
Sir, MUIS is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. In fact, MUIS was formed on 1st of July 1968. MUIS has grown its scope of work in serving the socio-religious needs of the community. This includes increasing prayer spaces in mosques, distributing zakat and facilitating Hajj and qurban. In doing so, MUIS has endeavoured to maintain strong partnerships with stakeholders. September 11, the spectre of extremism and the emergence of charismatic Internet-age radical ideologues have made MUIS’ mission all the more difficult. But MUIS has stayed the course in nurturing a Singapore Muslim identity – one that honours the Islamic faith, the aspirations of our community, and the relationships and the identities that bind us to Singapore, our home.
"The theme Semarak Langkah, Berjiwa Rahmah or Striving with Confidence, Serving with Compassion is apt in portraying the spirit of MUIS’ service to the community."
MUIS will be holding a MUIS 50 Dinner and Awards Ceremony, where awards will be presented to individuals who have been instrumental to MUIS and Singapore and who inspire Singapore's youth. MUIS will also hold an International Religious Conference at the end of the year to rally the community on the important role of religious scholars and institutions in shaping a progressive religious life. MUIS is currently engaging the community through the ongoing MUIS50 conversations for ideas to strengthen MUIS for the future. More details will be shared at MUIS’ Work Plan Seminar in April.
Forging a future-ready community
MENDAKI has partnered the three ITE colleges for its Future First Programme (FFP). Benefitting about 240 ITE students currently, the FFP complements ITE’s education and career guidance and life skills curriculum.
"MENDAKI will be expanding the programme to even more ITE students, partnering polytechnics and the wider youth community. And this would include the launch of a Future-Ready Starter Kit in August 2018 on workplace expectations, and strategies to remain relevant in the future economy.With improving educational attainment by Malay students, we have seen a higher proportion of professionals, managers, executives and technicians (PMETs) in the Malay workforce. The proportion of PMETs has increased from one in four in 2007 to one in three in 2017, with a majority in education, health, social services and public administration. Of these, about two thirds are associate professionals and technicians," he said.
"We also see that Malays have a higher than proportional share of placements under the Adapt and Grow initiative, which includes the career centres run by Workforce Singapore and NTUC’s Employment and Employability Institute."
The minister further shared that he has asked Senior Parliamentary Secretary Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim and Parliamentary Secretary Amrin Amin to lead a PMET Outreach Committee to create a support network for Malay/Muslim PMETs’ retraining and employability needs. "The Committee has leveraged on key platforms such as SENSE PMET Jobfair@Grassroots Club and the Secangkir Kopi bersama MENDAKI dialogue and networking sessions. The committee produced and distributed more than 3,000 copies of the Handy Guidebook for PMETs to raise awareness on support schemes. The Committee intends to do more engagements, with four JUMP! Career Fairs to offer assistance and raise awareness about growth sectors in Singapore," Minister Yaacob said.
Acknowledging that the Malay/Muslim community has to adapt to digitalisation, a key driver of growth in the future, MUIS and MENDAKI have started using digital tools to improve service delivery and accessibility. MUIS' Asatizah Recognition Scheme (ARS) procedures are online on the LicenceOne portal to make it easier for registration and to undertake data analytics on the asatizah, while MENDAKI’s Tuition Scheme Online Programme Registration System and Loan Management System have enhanced user convenience and organisational productivity, the minister said.
"And in fact, the data collected through the tuition registration enables the team to analyse the profiles of students and their families, and help MENDAKI to tailor programmes and outreach according to the students’ performance," he stated.
MENDAKI also has a Digital Transformation Department that will help facilitate the digital transformation of MMOs. PPIS, for example, has partnered MENDAKI on a data-analytics project to better understand the profiles and the needs of client families, so as to to attract more families with preschool-going children, Minister Yaacob said. PPIS is a non-profit social welfare organisation dedicated to working with women of all ages, and currently serves about 500 students across seven centres.
Minister Yaacob believes that more, if not all, Malay/Muslim small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) should take that first critical step towards going digital. "I had the opportunity to engage members of the Singapore Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, or SMCCI. It is heartening to see Malay/Muslim SMEs such as Frozi, an F&B establishment that serves frozen yogurt, and Spear Security Force, a security company, making good progress with their first use of digital solutions to increase revenue and improve productivity," he said.
"We have been working with SME Centre@SMCCI, supported by IMDA’s SME Digital Tech Hub, to organise workshops for members. With SMCCI taking the lead to help their members tap on IMDA’s SMEs Go Digital programme, I believe more Malay/Muslim SMEs will come on board."
IMDA is additionally working together with SMCCI, the One Kampong Gelam Association, and other partners to create Singapore’s first digitally-enabled retail neighbourhood. "For a start, we will guide Kampong Glam merchants on how they can digitalise to improve their business operations," he said.
"Today, there are already existing merchants doing so. Take for example, one of my favourite stores, Wardah Bookstore. Wardah sells a wide range of books from Islamic history to philosophy. It actively uses social media; it has also digitalised its processes so that data accounting is integrated between its physical and online stores. The presence of an online store not only directs traffic to the physical store, but boosts its reach to overseas customers in Malaysia and Brunei. So, digitalisation will be a key anchor for our economy’s future growth. And this is why I urge our workforce to be future-ready, our community organisations and SMEs to transform, so that we and our future generations can continue to achieve our hopes and aspirations."
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