Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong just delivered his annual National Day Rally in Malay at the ITE College Central, Ang Mo Kio, on Aug. 19, 2018.

Wearing a turquoise shirt that blended in the darker blue background this year, he made three key points, or "3Ms", referring to Muis, Mendaki and Mesra, during his address to the Malay Muslim community.

Important institutions

PM Lee said that the "3Ms" are important institutions that have long strengthened the Malay Muslim community.

He is confident that they will be even more effective in fulfilling the needs and aspirations of Malays in future.

1. Mesra's role in organising events and activities for Malay community:

Mesra is the People Association’s (PA) Malay Activity Executive Committees Council.

Wisma Geylang Serai (WGS) will officially open in January next year and be a centre for Malay activities, an icon that the community can be proud of.

PM Lee has appointed Senior Minister of State Maliki Osman to lead this project.

2. Muis plays an important role in providing religious guidance:

Apart from overseeing the mosques, Muis helps to provide religious guidance, including inviting many eminent Muslim thinkers to visit Singapore and speak about Islam and its place in the world.

When PM Lee hosted the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar to dinner, the Grand Iman praised Singapore as a “role model” where Muslims can practise their faith and integrate with others.

3. Mendaki's role in uplifting the community:

Mendaki is Singapore's first ethnic-based self-help group and has uplifted the community through its education and social programmes, like tuition classes and education bursaries.

Most importantly, it has fostered a sense of pride in the community, a can-do spirit, of helping one another and making a difference.

In conclusion, PM Lee said that Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli, and the People's Action Party (PAP) Malay MPs, plan for the 3M to work closely together.

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He said that the three organisations will come together, combine their resources and volunteers, and collaborate with the government and other Malay Muslim organisations.

With such a collaboration, the government hopes to make more headway in tackling the challenges the community faces, such as getting more young children to attend pre-school, empowering and mentoring youth, and supporting those who are left behind because of drugs or social problems.