Issue 10: Apr - Association of Muslim Professionals

NEW FRONTIERS, NEW CHALLENGESDear ReadersThis issue of AMPlified highlights two significant milestones for AMP – the opening of AMP’s youth hub in Jurong Point,and Young AMP’s first ever regional creative arts showcase – in conjunction with AMP’s 20th anniversary celebrations.You can read about the opening of AMP’s first branch office, AMP @ Jurong Point, which acts as a youth hub for thoseliving in the West, on Page 1. Apart from providing youth-centric services such as academic and personal developmentenrichment programmes and youth counselling services, AMP @ Jurong Point also offers an alternative space foryouths to participate in structured activities with each other and the youth officers. The opening of AMP @ JurongPoint marks AMP’s commitment to harness the potential of the community’s youths.Just a week before the opening of AMP @ Jurong Point, Young AMP organised a vibrant arts event that will godown in AMP’s history books as the most creative event yet. The event, co-organised by the World Islamic EconomicFoundation (WIEF) Young Leaders Network, brought together arts enthusiasts and artistes from the region. This isAMP’s first foray into the field of arts, in an effort to tap on the accelerated growth in the local and global creative artsindustries. In addition to the burst of creativity witnessed at the event, participants also saw how arts facilitate culturaland religious understanding and foster integration. You can read all about it on Page 2.The importance of integration in ensuring harmony between communities was recently highlighted in the media,focusing on the Malay/Muslim community’s efforts to integrate with other communities. This had highlighted the needfor a more in-depth look into the issue of integration to ensure inter-racial and inter-religious ties remain strong andintact, and this issue is addressed in a special commentary by our Chairman, Mr Mohd Nizam Ismail, on Page 8.This issue of AMPlified also features the Community in Review forum organised by our research arm, Centre forResearch on Islamic and Malay Affairs (RIMA), on demographic trends, in particular, the influx of foreign talent andhow this affects the Malay/Muslim community. The forum explored an area that had not been substantially discussedby the Malay/Muslim community, despite it potentially having a negative impact on the community. Four experts andpractitioners were invited to give their insights, which are highlighted on Page 3.We hope this issue of AMPlified provides you with interesting reads on a variety of topics that are relevant to you andthe community. Happy reading.Mohd Anuar YusopExecutive Director, AMPWHAT’S in STOREA Dedicated Hub for Youths 1A Creative Feast! 2The Future of the Community 3Quashing the Belief in the Supernatural 4Building a Strong Business Foundation 4Charting a Strategic Path 5Bonding through Friendly Futsal 5Our New Look! 5Islam and its Adaptation to Secular Societies 6Live Your Potential! 6Having Fun for a Good Cause 7Pick up the Phone 7Hard Truths About Integration 8Unbowed 9Marketplace 10Highlights 10For advertising enquiries, please email winda@amp.org.sg.We welcome feedback, comments and suggestions on the articlesthat appear in AMPlified. Please address your correspondence towinda@amp.org.sg.EDITORIAL LINE-UPSupervising EditorMohd Anuar YusopEditorWinda GuntorSubeditorRuzaidah RasidContributorsAbdul Shariff Aboo KassimAzean Juliawaty Abdul AzizFauziah RahmanHameet Khanee J HMohd Alfian Mohd IsmailMohd Nizam IsmailMuhd Hafiz Syahiddin JoharMuhd Haikal Mohd HarunNorsiah RejabNuramalina Abdul GhaniNur Liyana YunosRuzaidah RasidSaiful Nizam JemainPhotographyMuhd Fadhil Abdul LatifPicture URuzaidah RasidSarah YasinSmart Mat MediaEC 2009© Association of Muslim Professionals. Permission is required for reproduction.