Speech by Second Minister for Education, Dr. Maliki Osman at the Launch Event of Singapore Indian Muslims Microsite

Mr Arun Mahizhnan, Chief Executive of the Centre for Singapore Tamil Culture

Mr. Raja Mohamad, President of IMPROF

Community Leaders, Heads of Organisations

Ladies & Gentlemen

1.I am happy to join you this evening as we witness the launch of the Singapore Indian Muslims Microsite.

2.The story of Indian Muslims in Singapore is one of resilience, cultural preservation, and contribution to our nation's multicultural identity. From as early as the 19th century, residents from Tamil Nadu and Kerala, as well as from northern India, arrived in Singapore for trade and employment opportunities. They brought with them their traditions, languages, and cuisine, enriching Singapore's multicultural tapestry. Many landmarks in Singapore today are the contributions of the Indian Muslim diaspora, such as Chulia Street, Kadayanallur Street, and Karikal Lane, among others. The Nagore Durgha Shrine, built in 1828, stands as one of the oldest Muslim religious sites and exemplifies the contributions of Indian Muslims to Singapore's religious landscape.

3.Today, we continue to see the impact of the Indian Muslim community in education. Our hosts for today, the Centre for Singapore Tamil Culture (CSTC) and the Indian Muslims Professionals (IMPROF), recognise the importance of education in the preservation of a culture's heritage.

1. The CSTC has developed digital resources promoting Tamil language and culture. For example, in commemoration of SG50, a collection of 350 Tamil literary works of Singapore from 1965 to 2015 was digitised and stored in NLB's BooksSG portal.
2. IMPROF members have received the Singapore Youth Awards in years past, and continue to contribute to organisations like SINDA and MENDAKI's Tunas Bersama M3 program.

4.This evening marks a significant milestone in the preservation of the Indian Muslim culture and community. Over the last two years, the CSTC and IMPROF have been working together on the Singapore Indian Muslims Microsite, which focuses on documenting the social history of the community, and aims to serve as a resource for researchers working on future publications or papers on the Singapore Tamil Muslim community. The microsite serves as a gateway into the insights of the Singaporean Indian Muslim community, documenting key developments and personalities that have contributed and impacted the heritage and identity of this community.

5.Beyond the compilation of stories, I hope the success of the microsite would pave the way for similar ground-up resources to be developed for other communities, and enrich Singapore's knowledge base on our diverse cultural and religious landscape. The Indian Muslim community may not be a large one, but it has preserved its cultural identity and heritage well. I encourage the younger generation to take up the mantle and keep it going.

6.My congratulations to IMPROF and CSTC on the launch of the Singapore Indian Muslims Microsite. I hope this microsite can serve as a reminder, not just for the Indian Muslim community, but also for the broader Singaporean audience on the importance of preserving and documenting our stories. They serve not only as a wealth of information, but a way to reinforce our cultural identities in the context of our society.

7.Thank you.

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