DPM Heng Swee Keat at Iftar With PERTAPIS 2025

Mr Mohamed Shaharin Mohamed Nordin, President of PERTAPIS,
Mr Danial Fadzlon, Vice-President of PERTAPIS,
Mr Firdaus D’Cruz, Chief Executive Officer of PERTAPIS,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Saudara-saudari sekalian,

Selamat petang!

I am very happy to join PERTAPIS, your partners, and fellow Singaporeans this evening to buka puasa. 

It brings back fond memories from 10 years ago in 2014, when I joined PERTAPIS to buka puasa at your Halfway House.

In Singapore, it has become a tradition for my Cabinet and Parliamentary colleagues, across races and religions, to join our Malay/Muslim community to buka puasa during Ramadan.
 
In fact, just two days ago, I joined my residents at an East Coast buka puasa. 

And I will be doing so with a few more groups in the next two weeks leading to Hari Raya.

In the Muslim faith, fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam.
 
This practice gets followers to experience thirst and hunger to build empathy for communities that may be less advantaged, and to develop discipline and gratitude for what we have.
 
It teaches us not to take for granted what we have today.

Sharing this experience with fellow Singaporeans during this holy month gives us an opportunity to appreciate how each community builds deep values, and to learn what we have in common – values such as kindness, charity and compassion.
 
Here in multicultural and multireligious Singapore, these shared experiences have been, and continue to be, fundamental to our nation-building – to our journey of becoming “one united people”.

Caring for one another, building empathy for those from different backgrounds, and giving back to the community – these are all critical ingredients in building a cohesive, inclusive and resilient society.

As we celebrate SG60 in 2025, Ramadan this year is also an opportunity to reflect on the journey of our Malay/Muslim community through six decades of Singapore’s independence. 

Today, the Malay/Muslim community in Singapore, as Minister Masagos emphasises, stands as a “Community of Success”, or Masyarakat Gemilang.

As a community, Malay/Muslims in Singapore have shown remarkable achievements over the years, exemplified by the 3 ‘Cs’ – character, competency and citizenry. 

Now, what traits does Masyarakat Gemilang, a “Community of Success”, demonstrate?

Let me briefly mention two points.

One, Masyarakat Gemilang is one that comes together to support one another and uplift those in need.

In the early days after Singapore’s independence, many of our people lived in kampungs.

Within each kampung, the community would come together to help support families in need. We called this the spirit of “gotong royong”, or mutual support.

60 years on, with the help of organisations like PERTAPIS, we have not only kept this spirit of gotong royong going but have in fact deepened it.

Starting as a self-help organisation in 1970, PERTAPIS has been actively serving the community for more than five decades.

Over the decades, PERTAPIS has cared for more than 1,200 children.

Today, PERTAPIS supports more than 3,000 families through your comprehensive welfare services, including welfare homes that provide a safe and nurturing environment for children, women, the incarcerated and the elderly.

You also extend support to 500 low-income families monthly by providing food rations and alms.

So, let me also commend PERTAPIS for developing more upstream programmes in recent years.

For example, you provide beneficiaries with access to health awareness programmes, bursaries and tuition support.

Since last year, PERTAPIS volunteers have also carried out health check-ups at mosques and Wisma Geylang Serai during Ramadan. I understand that PERTAPIS aims to expand its services in the coming years to better meet the community’s evolving needs.

The community’s support and engagement has been a critical enabler of PERTAPIS’ successful efforts.

Today, families will each receive S$300 in alms. This total of $150,000 draws from the community’s zakat contributions.

More broadly, I am glad that the Malay/Muslim community has stepped forward to actively support one another over the years.

For example, more than 850 volunteers have given their time, energy and ideas to serving the community through 11 M3 @ Towns across Singapore, since the initiative was first launched by Minister Masagos in 2019.

A second trait of Masyarakat Gemilang, a “Community of Success”, is one that works together with others more widely to contribute to a more resilient, cohesive society.

It is Singapore’s good fortune that our Malay/Muslim community celebrates Ramadan and Hari Raya in a peaceful and harmonious environment, joined by friends from different races, religions and cultures.

Today, in other parts of the world, we see forces of division and polarisation.
 
We must never take our inter-racial and inter-religious harmony for granted.

I am encouraged to see the different communities in Singapore, including the Malay/Muslim community, recognise the importance of protecting our social cohesion and harmony and not allowing external events to divide our society.

For example, the ongoing tensions in the Middle East.

18 months into the conflict in Gaza, it is heartening that we have not allowed the situation there to erode the trust and goodwill shared among the different communities here in Singapore.

Instead, Singaporeans of all races and faiths have come together to contribute with big hearts towards the provision of critical humanitarian assistance to Gaza.

The Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation or RLAF has raised over S$13 million and counting and is working with the M3 @ Towns on an “Aid for Gaza” campaign during Ramadan to raise $600,000 more.

These efforts reflect a recognition of our common humanity across racial and religious lines.

A common Malay saying sums this up well: “Bersatu Kita Teguh, Becerai Kita Roboh”’ - “United we are Strong, separated we collapse”.

Now, allow me to say a few words in Malay.

Bulan Ramadan mulia ini adalah peluang baik untuk keluarga berkumpul, dan untuk masyarakat eratkan jalinan hubungan dan memupuk semangat bermurah hati.

Ini juga masa yang baik merenung kembali usaha untuk menjadi sebuah “Masyarakat Gemilang” – masyarakat yang mempertingkatkan taraf kehidupan keluarga dan menyumbang kepada kemajuan sosial yang lebih menyeluruh.

Kejayaan masyarakat Melayu/Islam Singapura adalah contoh bagi masyarakat minoriti Islam lain di seluruh dunia.

Kejayaan berterusan masyarakat Melayu/Islam terletak pada kekuatan bersama anda, dan melalui usaha memupuk kepercayaan dengan masyarakat lain dan Pemerintah.

Pemerintah PAP akan terus menyokong masyarakat Melayu/Islam untuk mencapai cita-cita bersama anda – antaranya memberi nafas baharu kepada Kampong Gelam dan Geylang Serai, dan membangunkan Kolej Pengajian Islam Singapura yang akan ditubuhkan pada 2028.

Saya gembira melihat anggota masyarakat yang telah meraih kejayaan menyumbang kembali kepada mereka yang lebih memerlukan – bukan sahaja pada bulan Ramadan tapi sepanjang tahun.

Saya ingin mengalakkan anda untuk terus tampil dan tidak putus menyumbang, termasuk menyokong Wakaf Masyarakat Singapura yang baharu.

Anda juga boleh menyumbang dengan sukarela untuk membantu anggota masyarakat lain kekal aktif dan sihat, belajar kemahiran dan ilmu baharu, atau membimbing mereka apabila mereka memulakan kerjaya mereka.

Membina masyarakat yang berjaya dan stabil bermula di rumah.

Keluarga kukuh adalah penting untuk membantu individu mencapai potensi mereka sepenuhnya.

Memperkukuh keluarga kita pada hari ini akan membentuk asas yang teguh bagi generasi akan datang.

Tahun ini, kita menyambut ulang tahun kemerdekaan Singapura yang ke-60. Marilah kita mengenang kerja keras para perintis untuk membina Singapura yang aman dan stabil yang kita kenali hari ini.

Sedang anda mengeratkan hubungan dalam kalangan masyarakat, saya menggalakkan anda untuk beramah mesra dengan rakan dan jiran anda untuk mengukuhkan persefahaman antara masyarakat berbilang kaum di Singapura.

Now, let me once again commend PERTAPIS for your dedicated efforts to support those in need, both through financial support and your many meaningful programmes.

Your good work, and the impact it has made on the community over the years, has been made possible by the support of donors, partners and volunteers – including those from outside the community.

I am glad to see some of them joining us this evening, including Food Bank Singapore, KING Living, POPWOW Gems, and Maybank Singapore.

Thank you all for stepping forward and doing your part to uplift and improve the lives of others. You set a good example for others to follow.

As we write the next chapters of the Singapore Story, let me encourage the team at PERTAPIS, your network of partners, and the wider community, to keep up your contributions and to continue shaping a better, brighter future for all Singaporeans. 

Kepada semua umat Islam, Selamat Menyambut Bulan Ramadan dan Selamat Berpuasa! Terima Kasih!

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