Malays to play more active role in integrating new citizens
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Malay community to look at playing a more active part in integrating new citizens
By Saifulbahri Ismail, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 16 February 2010 1830 hrsSINGAPORE: With many new citizens coming from China and India, the local Chinese and Indian communities have been busy trying to integrate these new citizens.
Malay dance and silat are items put up at community events by members of the People's Association Malay Activity Executive Committee Co-ordinating Council or MESRA.
They are part of efforts to promote social cohesion in Singapore's multi-racial society.
However, with the arrival of more new citizens, MESRA wants to be more pro-active in reaching out to them.
Mustaffa Abu Bakar, chairman, MESRA, said: "I think in a way, we have taken things for granted. We have been quiet and maybe we have to partake in the integration exercise by sending our tarian, our silat. But I think more needs to be done."
To help organisations create more opportunities for interaction between Singaporeans and new citizens, the government launched a Community Integration Fund last year.
One of the beneficiaries is Hum Theatre which received S$16,000 to organise a play called Rafta Rafta.
Daisy Irani, co-founder, Hum Theatre, said: "What we want to do is do plays in English. The reason to do that is so that the audience can comprise the locals, new citizens even a wider base - people who want to just enjoy and understand the sensibilities and sensitivities of the Indians."
The Malay community is also looking into how it can better understand the new citizens and what they can offer to the community.
Yang Razali Kassim, chairman, AMP Convention Steering Committee, said: "We see the Muslim foreign expatriates as having skills, talents and expertise that our Malay community can benefit from. I see them like a new engine for the growth of the Malay community."
Malay organisations said efforts must also be made to reach out to the larger groups of new citizens.
If not, the repercussions could be damaging.
Zulkifli Mohammed, president, Majlis Pusat, said: "Well I guess we don't want to be perceived as a community that is at the fringe. So if we don't come in and participate in this kind of national project, then people will have a distorted view of the Malay community, that they keep to themselves and they are isolationists."
Mr Zulkifli added that the Malays being the largest minority group also has an important role to play in helping the new citizens sink their roots in Singapore. - CNA/vm -
Citizens will gradually know their bawu
hahahaha, see by that time they cry or laugh
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Originally posted by Fantagf:
Citizens will gradually know their bawu
hahahaha, see by that time they cry or laugh
Doesn't take long for them to realise.
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Originally posted by Chew Bakar:
Doesn't take long for them to realise.
Some are here working and are aware of the bawu already, that is why many don't want to become citizens.I chatted with a bangladesh doing cleaning about becoming citizen, he said he not interested he will work and contract ends he goes back.