For his 2019 National Day Rally, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong painted a picture of the Malay community's achievements and contributions to Singapore society.

PM Lee said the Malays in Singapore have forged their own unique identity in Southeast Asia, and added:

"Dari pertuturan sahaja, anda boleh kenal, ah, ini orang Melayu Singapura! (Just from your speech, one can tell, ah, this is a Singaporean Malay!)"

Quoting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, Masagos Zulkifli, PM Lee identified the three Ks (three Cs in English) which define the Malay identity:

1. Kewarganegaraan (Citizenry)
2. Kemahiran (Competency)
3. Keperibadian (Character)

He proceeded to elaborate upon two of those traits.

Competency through education

According to PM Lee, the Malay community has progressed because of its emphasis on education.

Each successive generation of Malays has been better educated and held better jobs than the previous one.

To illustrate his point, PM Lee cited the example of Mendaki Awards recipients who graduated with first class honours.

In 2007, there were only seven. But in 2017, it had increased ten-fold to 70.

PM Lee said that Malay students were achieving better results in post-secondary education, with more graduates attaining diplomas and degrees.

He also encouraged more Malay families to send their children to preschools to give them a good foundation,

PM Lee added that he will give more details in his English speech on how the government will make both preschool and tertiary education more affordable.

Character from practising religion in a multicultural society

Next, PM Lee touched upon Islam, and how it is practised in the spirit of "mutual respect, tolerance and inclusiveness" in Singapore society.

To nurture a progressive Muslim society, Singapore's asatizahs, or religious teachers, play an important role.

Senior Minister of State for Defence Maliki Osman currently leads a committee to improve their performance, building on MUIS's asatizah recognition scheme.

PM Lee highlighted MUIS' importance in the Malay-Muslim community, and mentioned its new scheme, the 2020 Postgraduate Certificate in Islam in Contemporary Societies (PCICS).

This is meant for religious teachers educated overseas to apply what they've learned in a local context.

Malay community can be proud of their achievements

Finishing up his speech, PM Lee said that the Malay-Muslim community in Singapore is well-regarded as a model for other Muslim and minority communities.

He said that Malays in Singapore can be "proud of their achievements", as "sons and daughters of Singapore", and is sure they can progress even further.

PM Lee said:

"Pemerintah akan terus bersama anda, mendukung aspirasi anda menjadi Masyarakat Gemilang. (The government will be with you every step of the way, and support your aspirations, so you can continue to be a successful community)."

Top image by Rachel Ng.