RPD Bites is a monthly scan covering issues and trends surfaced in various local mainstream media sources that would be of relevance to the Malay/Muslim community. It is compiled by the Research and Planning Department (RPD) of Yayasan MENDAKI. The key highlights for this month are:  The new PSLE scoring system sees more pupils qualifying to take secondary school subjects at higher level as more pupils qualify for Express course and 98.4% progress to secondary school.  13,000 disadvantaged students to get more help to stay in school through after-school support and customised holiday programmes.  More organisations have beefed up mental health support such as organizing self-care activities, training ‘mental health first aiders’, creating portals to provide online mental health resources, and partnering with counselling organisations to provide employee assistance.

1. November 2021

2. What is RPD Bites?
RPD Bites is a monthly scan covering issues and trends surfaced in various local mainstream media sources that would
be of relevance to the Malay/Muslim community. It is produced by the Research and Planning Department (RPD) of Yayasan
MENDAKI.
RPD Bites begins with an article count across different media sources which are categorised into these main areas:
education, economy, employment and employability, social and community, and Malay/Muslim affairs. Other salient areas for
the month are also highlighted. It then delves into emerging themes and trends observed.
We hope you find this month’s RPD Bites insightful and useful for your needs. We look forward to your continued
partnership and support, and welcome any suggestions you might have. You can reach us at RPD@mendaki.org.sg to feedback.
RESEARCH &
PLANNING
DEPARTMENT
2

3. Overall Coverage
• With a total of 526 articles, Health (121), Community (141) and Economy (77) news were widely reported in November 2021. This
reflects Singapore’s growing healthcare developments to curb rising COVID-19 cases and concerns over social and economical
issues arising from COVID-19.
3
98
62
43
10
28
18
99
1
43
15 17 18 14 9
22 29
141
77
60
28
42
27
121
30
Community Economy Education Employment Environment Governance Health MMA
No. of Articles
ST BH Total

4. Emerging Themes & Trends
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5. Education
Ministry of Education (MOE) & Early Childhood Education
• New PSLE scoring system sees more pupils qualifying to take secondary school subjects at higher level
(ST, 24 Nov)
• Bilingualism helps Singapore build bridges in a fragmented world: Chan Chun Sing (ST, 24 Nov)
• 98.8% of madrasah students who took PSLE qualify for secondary school (ST, 24 Nov)
• Removal of T-score may help, but parents still hold key to reducing PSLE stress (ST, 24 Nov)
• More pupils qualify for Express course under new PSLE scoring system, 98.4% progress to secondary
school (ST, 24 Nov)
• Singapore's first free, teacher-less computer science programme to be launched by 2022 (ST, 23 Nov)
• Some parents keep kids at home, but overall pre-school attendance remains high (ST, 22 Nov)
• Expose girls to science and tech early: Panel (ST, 17 Nov)
• Teach children hand signals to seek help if they face abuse as Covid-19 curbs limit social interactions (ST,
11 Nov)
• Couples are now more confident in guiding children with KidSTART (BH, 11 Nov)
• Robo-teacher takes learning to new level at Hougang Primary (ST, 9 Nov)
• MOE, IHL strengthen support for teachers facing multiple workloads (BH, 3 Nov)
Source: ST
Source: ST
5

6. Education
Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs)
• NUS graduates ranked ninth most employable in global survey (ST, 24 Nov)
• New augmented reality centre to help mechanical engineering students at ITE East
train for future (ST, 24 Nov)
• New home and nine new partnerships for NUS digital institute (ST, 22 Nov)
• SIA, NUHS among 8 firms in deals with Institute for Adult Learning to improve
workplace learning (ST, 19 Nov)
• Temasek Polytechnic opens malware analysis centre staffed entirely by students
(ST, 17 Nov)
• NUS students win top international James Dyson award with glaucoma screening
device (ST, 17 Nov)
• Siblings, both in their 50s, take robotics course at ITE (ST, 16 Nov)
Source: ST
Source: ST
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7. Social
Social Assistances
• Broad-based schemes in place to help families in Singapore hit by pandemic: MSF (ST, 28 Nov)
• Ngee Ann Kongsi donates $1m to support needy ITE students with their daily necessities (ST, 24
Nov)
• NTU employees donate over $13 million worth of unused leave (ST, 23 Nov)
• Pre-schools step up to help families during Covid-19 pandemic (ST, 22 Nov)
• SingapoRediscovers vouchers valid till March 2022, but bookings must be made by December
(ST, 22 Nov)
• Caregivers of people with special needs can now connect in new support group (ST, 20 Nov)
• New handbooks launched to ease children's transition into foster families (ST, 20 Nov)
• Family Service Centres see record high of 20,000 active cases per quarter amid pandemic (ST, 16
Nov)
• Bukit Merah's Covid-19 guides - Residents, volunteers check in on seniors living in area, helping
them navigate rules (ST, 11 Nov)
• 13,000 disadvantaged students to get more help to stay in school through after-school support
and customised holiday programmes. (ST, 10 Nov)
• 600,000 public transport vouchers will be provided (BH, 4 Nov)
Source: ST
Source: ST
7

8. Social
Community
• Social workers who help cancer patients, ex-offenders among those lauded at annual awards ceremony (23
Nov)
• New mentoring platform for youth to connect with mentors from public and private sectors (ST, 23 Nov)
• New Singapore Boys' Home provides more and better opportunities for youth rehabilitation: Masagos (ST, 22
Nov)
• Singapore addresses United Nations committee on efforts to eliminate racism (ST, 19 Nov)
• Asia needs to look at long-term collective interest to help those left behind in its rapid growth: IPS lecture (ST,
17 Nov)
• 82 prison inmates receive National Youth Achievement Awards (ST, 17 Nov)
• Summit participants discuss how partnerships can better tackle issues like climate, education gap (ST, 16 Nov)
• Singapore law students create guide for donors to know charities better (ST, 7 Nov)
Arts, Culture & Heritage
• Charity art exhibition raises $350,000 for Singapore children with cancer (ST, 21 Nov)
• Singapore running event in support of those with special needs goes virtual amid Covid-19 (ST, 21 Nov)
• Tiong Bahru community garden's produce all go to estate residents in first of its kind (ST, 8 Nov)
Source: ST
Source: ST
8

9. Health
COVID-19 Updates
• Singapore tracking Omicron Covid-19 variant closely, may be forced to take steps back: PM Lee (ST,
29 Nov)
• Novavax applies for approval to use its Covid-19 vaccine in Singapore (ST, 25 Nov)
• Unvaccinated people cannot enter public libraries from 2022, even with negative Covid-19
test (ST, 23 Nov)
• Temasek Foundation to give free masks in vending machines from Jan 10-23 next year (ST, 23
Nov)
• Children under 12 not allowed to visit patients at several hospitals despite relaxed Covid-19
rules (ST, 22 Nov)
• Only those vaccinated can visit libraries, join some community centre events from Dec 1 (ST,
20 Nov)
• Trend of kids in Singapore getting Covid-19, vaccines should be available from January (ST, 20
Nov)
• People can get Covid-19 booster shots 5 months after second dose from Nov 24 (ST, 20 Nov)
• Up to 5 vaccinated people from different households can dine out from Nov 22; gathering
size raised to 5 for all (ST, 20 Nov)
• Up to 21,000 migrant workers per week allowed to visit public places from Dec 3 (ST, 16
Nov)
• Govt to review when 'fully vaccinated' Covid-19 status expires for Singapore residents (ST, 12
Nov)
• Eligible freelancers, self-employed people infected with Covid-19 to get up to $200 from
NTUC (ST, 11 Nov)
Source: ST
Source: ST
9

10. Health
Developments in Healthcare
• Help available for Covid-19 patients with disabilities to recover at home: MOH (ST, 29 Nov)
• New app for dementia patients offers wellness activities, lets public help those lost to alert caregivers
(ST, 23 Nov)
• MOH in advanced talks with AstraZeneca on potential purchase of Covid-19 treatment drug (ST, 19 Nov)
• Pfizer or Moderna booster - which is more effective? An MOH study shows those who had taken a
Moderna booster shot after two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech saw a further reduction in infection risk by 72
per cent, while those who took a Pfizer booster shot after two jabs of the Pfizer vaccine saw a 62 per
cent reduction. (ST, 16 Nov)
• S'pore makes progress in war on diabetes but obesity, insufficient physical activity are still problems
among the population (ST, 14 Nov)
Mental Health
• Growing focus on mental health at workplace as Covid-19 pandemic takes toll on productivity. More
organisations have beefed up mental health support such as organizing self-care activities, training
‘mental health first aiders’, creating portals to provide online mental health resources, and partnering
with counselling organisations to provide employee assistance (ST, 15 Nov)
• Volunteers crucial to raise mental health awareness amid Covid-19 pandemic (ST, 13 Nov)
Source: ST
Source: ST
10

11. Economy
Economic Outlook & Government Support
• New platform launched to drive innovation and collaboration in the agri-food sector (ST, 24 Nov)
• Covid-19 drove unprecedented drop of 196,400 in Singapore employment; services hardest-hit: MTI
report (ST, 24 Nov)
• First fully automated large-scale production line for plant-based protein launched in Singapore (ST,
24 Nov)
• Singapore targeting 150 marine tech start-ups by 2025, up from previous goal of 100 (ST, 23 Nov)
• Call for feedback as Govt looks to better protect delivery gig workers, private-hire and taxi drivers
(ST, 16 Nov)
• 300 spots in conversion programme for mid-career switch in maritime sector (ST, 15 Nov)
• Singapore must do more to empower women to pursue Stem careers: Heng Swee Keat (ST, 11 Nov)
• Nursing students in Singapore tapped to supplement healthcare force (ST, 7 Nov)
• Digitalisation drive in Singapore gets $174m research boost (ST, 6 Nov)
• DBS Q3 profit rises 31% to $1.7 billion, beating forecasts (ST, 6 Nov)
• Public officers who choose not to take Covid-19 jabs may be put on no-pay leave (ST, 5 Nov)
• 5 changes to CPF rules: More flexibility for transfers, quicker disbursement of funds (ST, 2 Nov)
Source: ST
Source: ST
11

12. Economy
Housing
• Singapore property developers get incentive to meet higher standards in 3 proficiencies
(ST, 24 Nov)
• Mount Pleasant, Marina South MRT stations to open in tandem with housing
developments (ST, 23 Nov)
• Demand for BTO HDB flats jumped 70% in 2020, with 87,800 applications (ST, 21 Nov)
• New initiative to make CBD, HDB estates more accessible for those with disabilities (ST,
20 Nov)
• Only time will tell if tougher rules such as a 6% subsidy clawback clause, 10-yr minimum
occupation period on prime area HDB flats can curb ‘lottery effect’. (ST, 18 Nov)
Tourism
• Vaccinated travellers from Australia, Switzerland can enter Singapore without
quarantine from Nov 8 (ST, 26 Oct)
• Singapore-Malaysia land VTL to open on Nov 29, up to 2,880 travellers each day (ST, 24
Nov)
• Singapore-Malaysia land VTL capacity to be reviewed weekly, countries exploring
possibility of train journeys (ST, 24 Nov)
• S'pore's VTL with India to start on Nov 29 with 6 daily flights from Chennai, Delhi,
Mumbai (ST, 21 Nov)
Source: ST
Source: ST
12

13. Employment
Support for Workers
• Singapore to launch manufacturing training programmes in new fields like industrial
sustainability (ST, 24 Nov)
• More companies in Singapore training and hiring people with disabilities (ST, 20 Nov)
• The TeSA initiative equips more than 3,000 citizens with 5G skills (BH, 18 Nov)
• Online learning app with over 75,000 courses launched for workers to train, upskill
themselves (ST, 17 Nov)
• NTUC membership surpasses 1 million, growth spurred by changes in membership
model, training initiatives (ST, 17 Nov)
• Security officers to see annual wages rise by 6.6% on average from 2022 to 2028 under
Progressive Wage Model (ST, 12 Nov)
• Workplace safety officers to get government support as their role more critical now: Zaqy
(ST, 11 Nov)
• UOB launches flexi-work programme for retired staff to tap their skills, knowledge (ST, 6
Nov)
• 100,000 public healthcare workers involved in Covid-19 fight to get $4,000 each (ST, 6
Nov)
Source: ST
Source: ST
13

14. Environment
Environment
• Waste management firm fined $17,000 for illegal discharge into Tuas sewers (ST, 24 Nov)
• Multi-generational wellness garden in East Coast Park to be launched in end-2023 (ST, 24 Nov)
• Planned road alignment for Mt Pleasant housing estate changed following environmental study
(ST, 23 Nov)
• Reimagining Singapore's streets as destinations as urban planners and transit advocates looking to
reclaim road space to make busy precincts more liveable and vibrant. (ST, 22 Nov)
• Coffee shop toilets decorated to look more 'homely' to encourage cleanliness (ST, 19 Nov)
• New fleet of vehicles among PUB's measures to respond to flash floods faster (ST, 19 Nov)
• Ship pollutant emissions in Singapore increased by 123% during Covid-19 pandemic: NTU study
(ST, 17 Nov)
• NTU team finds way to convert waste residue into building materials (ST, 15 Nov)
• Transparent bins piloted at HDB blocks to encourage better recycling behaviour (ST, 15 Nov)
• Singapore joins 130 countries in signing pledge to end deforestation by 2030 (ST, 12 Nov)
• Singapore pledges to phase out unabated coal in electricity mix by 2050 (ST, 6 Nov)
• EMA can now own and operate power infrastructure under changes to law (ST, 3 Nov)
Source: ST
Source: ST
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15. Governance
Governance
• Fix empathy deficit, listen with respect to youth, says MP Nadia Ahmad Samdin at PAP
convention (ST, 29 Nov)
• 4G team will need a little longer to decide on leader, says PM Lee at PAP convention (ST, 28 Nov)
• PAP launches digital party newsletter to better explain decisions, policies to public (ST, 28 Nov)
• There will be no change for employers if they have been complying with fair employment
guidelines as a planned anti-discrimination law is not seeking to change standards of
fairness.(ST, 24 Nov)
• Need for groups in Singapore to listen, compromise as they engage with one another:
Lawrence Wong (ST, 23 Nov)
• New forms of tribalism can take root and affect politics in Singapore: Lawrence Wong.
Culture wars that began in the West may have already created new forms of identity politics
here, beyond the familiar divides of race and religion. (ST, 23 Nov)
• Flexi-work, fertility health part of holistic framework to encourage couples to have kids:
Indranee (ST, 21 Nov)
• Time to take action on solutions for women's development: President Halimah (ST, 19 Nov)
• $2.68 million collected in fines for personal data protection breaches to date (ST, 2 Nov)
Source: ST
15
Source: ST

16. Malay/Muslim Affairs
Malay/Muslim Community
• Malays/Muslims are now more open to helping prisoners return to community (BH, 22 Nov)
• Umrah pilgrims do not have to undergo SHN when returning to Singapore from Dec 6 (BH, 15
Nov)
• Cleaning activities of mosques increase as more prayer space opens up (BH, 13 Nov)
• $7m raised for mosque through Ourmasjid.sg (BH, 13 Nov)
• MUIS in preparation for mosques to receive more worshippers (BH, 13 Nov)
• Malay culture activists play essential role in Singapore's social cohesion: President Halimah
(ST, 13 Nov)
• Umrah bookings see growing demands, with bookings till Dec 2022 (BH, 12 Nov)
• Weekly booking for Friday prayer slots at mosques resumes (ST, 12 Nov)
• Importance of manners when voicing out issues close to the heart: Mufti (BH, 8 Nov)
• Government is concerned; racial harmony is key towards a united Singapore (BH, 7 Nov)
• Singapore can be case study for Muslim minority communities: Masagos (ST, 7 Nov)
• Imitate the nature of the Prophet in the face of today's challenges: Mufti (BH, 5 Nov)
• Donning of tudung for healthcare sector workers: MOH will continue to give support (BH, 2
Nov)
Source: BH
Source: BH
16

17. Malay/Muslim Affairs
Malay/Muslim Community Health
• Survey shows health level needs to be intensified, strengthened: MHPA (BH, 20 Nov)
• Mental health, role of religion discussed during exclusive FB Live session with BH and Andalus
(BH, 20 Nov
• More mosques encouraging congregants to lead healthier lifestyles (BH, 17 Nov)
Malay/Muslim Community Education
• The new building of Madrasah Al-Arabiah offers the latest facilities and infrastructure to
complement the STEM curriculum (BH, 28 Nov)
• MUIS launched a career guidance initiative for Madrasah students (BH, 28 Nov)
• 4 PM-ITE collaboration brings positive impact to students: Maliki (BH, 27 Nov)
• Special support and programs to help Madrasah students achieve better PSLE contributed to the
results of PSLE this year (BH, 26 Nov)
• Demand for Malay e-books up 500% (BH, 15 Nov)
• NLB undertakes a pioneering effort to publish children's books in the Mother Tongue (BH, 12
Nov)
• Draft to strengthen Islamic education discussed in dialogue (BH, 12 Nov)
• Need for sustained preservation of the Malay language: especially amongst the younger
generation (BH, 7 Nov)
Source: BH
Source: BH
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18. Malay/Muslim Affairs
MENDAKI/M3
• 4PM exploring new cooperation with M3 and other Malay organisations (BH, 20 Nov)
• Tuition teacher receives outstanding award from MENDAKI (BH, 14 Nov)
• MENDAKI tuition fees now only $10 per year (BH, 14 Nov)
• One-stop portal newly launched by MENDAKI gives easy access to users (BH, 9 Nov)
• Faishal: M3 continues to support efforts to develop Malay/Muslim families (BH, 9 Nov)
Source: BH
Source: BH
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19. Published by
MENDAKI Research and Design Department
(November 2021)
19