The Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP) is a community self-help group that was established on 10 October 1991. Its vision is to be a model Muslim minority community with the aim of helping the Muslim community in Singapore. AMP is an affiliate of the National Council of Social Service (NCSS).
The idea for the association came about when a national convention planned by Malay/Muslim professionals to brainstorm the issues and challenges facing the Malay/Muslim community was organised in October 1990. Membership to AMP is open to all regardless of race, language or religion. There are two types of membership: ordinary membership, which is open to all Malay/Muslim professionals, and associate membership, which is open to all.
As a self-help group, AMP organises many programmes for children, youths, students, families and workers. Its core activities are in social action, education, training and research. AMP's activities are targeted at the disadvantaged. Strengthening the family unit is one of the main objectives in many of the programmes it organizes. AMP also works closely with mosques in Singapore to identify and provides training in counselling to help families who need assistance.
AMP has two wholly-owned subsidiaries, the Centre for Research on Islamic and Malay Affairs (RIMA) and MERCU Learning Point. The Centre for Research on Islamic and Malay Affairs (RIMA) is the research centre of the AMP. Registered as a company with an authorised capital of S$500,000, the think-tank's initial head was sociologist Dr Sharon Siddique and included Islamic experts such as Professor John L. Esposito and German sociologist Hans Dieter Evers. It undertakes research programmes and activities on Islam and the Malay community. RIMA also publishes the Occasional Paper Series (OPS), research articles and research briefs. Besides research, RIMA organises seminars and closed-door discussions called the Karyawan Roundtable Discussion Series. RIMA has a resource centre that contains a library, a media watch unit and an opinion polls/survey unit and a consultancy service.
Mercu Learning Point, incorporated in 1999, is the education and training arm of AMP. It runs a child day-care and development centres, pre-schools, playgroups and organises courses on parenting for parents. For older students in primary and secondary schools, MERCU organises tuition classes and enrichment programmes. Training courses for adults are designed to upgrade the skills and the educational level of adult workers.
Some of the programmes organised by AMP are open to non-Muslims. Its Adopt-A-Family Scheme was launched on 7 December 1999 where sponsors sponsor a disadvantaged family for S$250 a year. Ten percent of the families under this scheme have been opened to non-Malay/Muslim families.
Author
Dahlia Shamsuddin
References
Association of Muslim Professionals. [199-]. Annual Report. Singapore: Author.
(Call no.: RSING 305.697105957 AMPSAR -[AR])
Malays/Muslims in 21st century Singapore: Prospects, challenges & directions: National Convention of Singapore Malay/Muslim Professionals, 6-7 October 1990, NPB Auditorium, Singapore. (1990). Singapore: Organising Committee, National Convention of Singapore Malay/Muslim Professionals.
(Call no.: RSING 305.899205957 NAT)
Vision 2010: Setting the Community Agenda in 21st Century. Singapore: 2nd National Convention of Singapore Malay/Muslim Professionals, 4-5 November 2000, Singapore Expo Conference Hall. (2000). Singapore: Steering Committee, National Convention of Singapore Malay/Muslim Professionals.
(Call no.: RSING 305.899205957 NAT)
AMP to set up research body. (1998, June 23). The Straits Times, p. 27.
The Association of Muslim Professionals. (2001). Welcome to AMP. Retrieved November 1, 2001, from www.amp.org.sg/
The information in this article is valid as at 2001 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.
