Malay Muslim leaders rethink future

Malay Muslim leaders rethink future

SINGAPORE (AFP): Malay members of the Singapore parliament have unveiled the blueprint of a 10-year plan which they say will fit the Muslim community into the city-state's high-tech drive into the new economy.

But while the aim is to keep pace with the rest of Singapore and the world, it would not be at the expense of "our faith and ethnicity," Muslim Affairs Minister Abdullah Tarmugi said.

Malay Muslims, who account for about 14 percent of Singapore's population, have publicly argued in the past year over issues such as how compulsory education will affect Islamic schools, and whether they should have a greater say in the political leadership.

Tarmugi, who released details of the 10-year plan at a gathering of Malays on Friday night, said the community had to reflect on the type of Muslim society they wanted, their contribution to Singapore, and how they wanted to be perceived.