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Tag: nadi Khidmat

  • Syariah Court Require Divorcing Couples with Kids To Discuss Co-Parenting at Counselling Stage

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    SINGAPORE — From early next year, the Syariah Court will require divorcing couples with children who are minors to discuss their co-parenting plans at the counselling stage, as part of efforts to better protect children during divorce proceedings.

    The move, announced by Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim at a seminar yesterday, will help ensure that parents consider the best interests of their children from the onset of the divorce process, he said.

    On average, more than 2,000 children below the age of 18 are involved in divorce proceedings every year, said the Syariah Court in a statement.

    In his speech yesterday, Dr Yaacob said divorce hurts the family even when it is amicable and that the impact on children can continue into adulthood.

    “Research has shown that those who experienced divorce as children face challenges breaking the cycle in adulthood,” he said. “The last thing we want is for the legacy of tragedy to be passed on from one generation to another.”

    To ensure a more child-centric divorce process, the Syariah Court said couples with children below the age of 18 will need to submit a post-divorce co-parenting and care arrangement plan for their children. The plan must be prepared at the marriage counselling stage before divorce proceedings commence in court.

    “This would make it compulsory for parents to consider their children’s welfare and the custody, care and control and access arrangements when making decisions that would inevitably affect their children,” said the Syariah Court.

    As part of the Syariah Court’s collaboration with Malay-Muslim self-help group Mendaki, a family social services initiative called Nadi Khidmat will be extended to the court’s clients, especially those with children who are minors, to help them access information and referral services to national agencies for other forms of assistance.

    In August, the Syariah Court’s marriage counsellors will undergo a skills-based workshop to enhance their knowledge of working with children. This will provide them with a better understanding of the complexities of helping divorcing couples who have children.

    Currently, existing administrative measures to safeguard the interests of children include pre-divorce briefings conducted by the PPIS As-Salaam Family Support Centre and the Muslim Law Practice Committee.

    The Syariah Court also refers cases of divorcing couples who have children to the Housing and Development Board, so they can receive guidance on housing after the separation.

    Social welfare reports are also prepared to help the court make informed decisions on cases that involve child custody disputes.

    Source: TODAY

  • MUIS aims to improve social service accessibility and religious education

    YaacoIbrahim

    SINGAPORE: Malay-Muslim families who receive social assistance from the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) will soon be able to get help under one roof.

    Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs Dr Yaacob Ibrahim said MUIS is working with community self-help group Mendaki and six mosques to launch a new initiative called “Nadi Khidmat” this year.

    The aim is to improve accessibility to social services for Malay-Muslim families through the mosques.

    In addition, families receiving help from MUIS will also be able to access Mendaki’s educational and employment help in the same place.

    Nadi Khidmat officers will also guide families to other national agencies for other forms of help.

    On to the topic of social tolerance, Dr Yaacob reiterated the importance of tolerance in the face of diversity.

    He warned against “extreme views”, and using labels with “pejorative undertones” to judge those with different views.

    He added that the accessibility and spread of misinformation on social media will continue to pose a threat.

    MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC Zainal Sapari wanted to know what can be done to encourage a conducive climate for discussions both online and offline.

    Dr Yaacob said that ethics and respect are important in any discourse and added that there is a role for community leaders to step forward and to establish norms.

    He said: “Looking at the recent experiences, I’m quite happy there are rational voices — especially online — that have stood up against those who have been rabid (and) irrational.

    “So we need more of such voices and I hope we can encourage such leaders to step forward to do so… because as far as we are concerned, differences are not the problem.

    “How we manage these differences and how we agree to disagree on those differences is really what matters and we can set the right tone. I think that’s the way going forward for our community.”

    To help the community strengthen religious knowledge, MUIS will roll out new initiatives to improve the accessibility of religious education, such as expanding the “aLIVE” religious programme — which is specifically catered to students — by 7,000 places by 2015.

    MUIS will also work more closely with private players in the religious education sector, particularly in training and accreditation.

    “We must remain united as a community that is committed to the principles of meritocracy and multiracialism. These principles have served us well,” said Dr Yaacob.

    He added: “Going forward, we must also lend our voices to the discussion of how these principles can serve a Singapore that is facing new and complex challenges.

    “We must remain true to our faith. We should guard against divisive forces taking root — to preserve racial and religious harmony within our own community and with other communities too.”

    On the issue of the haj, Dr Yaacob said uncertainties remain in the yearly haj quota for Malay-Muslims who wish to undertake their pilgrimage this year.

    This is due to massive redevelopment works in Mecca and Medina which have resulted in cuts to the quota to ensure the safety of all pilgrims.

    He said Singapore may not receive additional haj places this year.

    But authorities here will continue to appeal to their Saudi counterparts to increase Singapore’s official haj quota from 680 to 800 and to seek additional places once the redevelopment works are completed.

    Last year, Singapore’s official quota of 680 was initially cut by 20 per cent to 544 places in June, but it was restored late in September.

    As for the korban ritual carried out during the haj period, Dr Yaacob said MUIS continues to work with the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) to look for alternative sources of livestock — such as from countries like Canada, France and Ireland.

    Australia remains Singapore’s primary source of livestock, but a new regulatory framework set down by the Australian government last year resulted in a reduction in the supply of livestock from the country.

    On the issue of rising costs due to importing livestock from non-traditional sources, Dr Yaacob said MUIS “should not be subsidising the costs”.

    “While MUIS is mindful to keep fees as affordable as possible, there is a limit because these are driven in part by market forces and the costs ultimately should be borne by those who choose to perform these religious obligations,” he said.

    Source: ChannelNewsAsia