The Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP) is a community self-help group established on 10 October 1991. It aims to be a “model organisation in community leadership”– one that collaborates with all parties to “bring about a dynamic Muslim community in the 21st century”.1
History
The decision to set up the association was made at a national convention organised by Malay/Muslim professionals in October 1990, during which issues and challenges faced by the Malay/Muslim community were raised and discussed.2 Membership to AMP is open to all regardless of race, language or religion. There are two types of membership: ordinary membership, which is open only to Malay/Muslim professionals, and associate membership, which is open to all.3
Description
AMP organises a range of educational, training, counselling and research programmes for families and youths. The majority of these programmes are targeted at the underprivileged.4 AMP also focuses on strengthening family units by providing a range of counselling services such as debt advisory,5 premarital6 and marriage counselling.7 The Young Couples Programme – conducted in partnership with the Registry of Muslim Marriages – is targeted at young Muslim couples, where either party is below 21 years old, and wish to wed.8
The Centre for Research on Islamic and Malay Affairs (RIMA) and MERCU Learning Point are two wholly-owned subsidiaries managed by AMP.9 RIMA, the research arm of the AMP, undertakes strategic research aimed at providing thought leadership in contemporary Malay and Muslim affairs.10 It was first registered in 1998 with an authorised capital of S$500,000. The think-tank's initial head was sociologist, Dr Sharon Siddique, and its international panel included Islamic experts such as Professor John L. Esposito and German sociologist Hans Dieter Evers.11 RIMA publishes the Occasional Paper Series,12 the Working Paper Series,13 books,14 reports15 and commentaries.16
Incorporated in 1999, MERCU Learning Point is the education and training arm of AMP. It offers variety of programmes and services for children aged 18 months to 12 years. Presently, MERCU manages a total of 18 centres comprising a kindergarten, five childcare centres and 12 student care centres.17
Some of the programmes organised by AMP are open to non-Muslims. Its Adopt-A-Family Scheme launched in 1999 allows donors to make an annual one-off donation of S$250 to help disadvantaged families. The scheme was expanded to include non-Muslim families in 2001.18 It has since been renamed the Adopt a Family & Youth Scheme in order to institute a “family-based approach in providing assistance to underprivileged families”.19
Author
Dahlia Shamsuddin
References
1. Association of Muslim Professionals. (2016). Corporate profile. Retrieved 2016, October 18 from Association of Muslim Professionals website: http://www.amp.org.sg/subindex.asp?id=A050_10
2. Association of Malay/Muslim professionals to be set up. (1991, January 7). The Straits Times, p. 17. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
3. Association of Muslim Professionals. (2016). Join us as a member. Retrieved 2016, October 18 from Association of Muslim Professionals website: http://www.amp.org.sg/subindex.asp?id=A058_11
4. Help for needy. (1999, October 20). The New Paper, p. 7; Siti Andrianie. (1999, October 10). Charity fund and AMP in training tie-up. The Straits Times, p. 34. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; Association of Muslim Professionals. (2016). About the scheme. Retrieved 2016, October 18 from Association of Muslim Professionals website: http://www.amp.org.sg/subindex.asp?id=A018_10
5. Association of Muslim Professionals. (2016). Debt Advisory Centre. Retrieved 2016, October 18 from Association of Muslim Professionals website: http://www.amp.org.sg/subindex.asp?id=A014_13
6. Association of Muslim Professionals. (2016). Premarital counselling. Retrieved 2016, October 18 from Association of Muslim Professionals website: http://www.amp.org.sg/subindex.asp?id=A039_10
7. Association of Muslim Professionals. (2016). Marriage Counselling Programme. Retrieved 2016, October 18 from Association of Muslim Professionals website: http://www.amp.org.sg/subindex.asp?id=A041_10
8. Association of Muslim Professionals. (2016). Young Couples Programme. Retrieved 2016, October 18 from Association of Muslim Professionals website: http://www.amp.org.sg/subindex.asp?id=A040_10
9. Association of Muslim Professionals. (2016). Subsidiaries. Retrieved 2016, October 18 from Association of Muslim Professionals website: http://www.amp.org.sg/subindex.asp?id=A073_10
10. Centre for Research on Islamic and Malay Affairs. (2016). About RIMA. Retrieved 2016, October 18 from Centre for Research on Islamic and Malay Affairs website: http://www.rima.sg/about/#.WE-kH8u7rIV
11. Zuraidah Ibrahim. (1998, June 23). AMP to set up research body. The Straits Times, p. 27. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
12. Centre for Research on Islamic and Malay Affairs. (2014). Occasional paper series. Retrieved 2016, October 18 from Centre for Research on Islamic and Malay Affairs website: http://www.rima.sg/category/papers/#.WE-k-8u7rIU
13. Centre for Research on Islamic and Malay Affairs. (2014). Working paper series. Retrieved 2016, October 18 from Centre for Research on Islamic and Malay Affairs website: http://www.rima.sg/category/working-paper-series/#
14. Centre for Research on Islamic and Malay Affairs. (2014). Books. Retrieved 2016, October 18 from Centre for Research on Islamic and Malay Affairs website: http://www.rima.sg/category/books/#.WFAntHYrLIU
15. Centre for Research on Islamic and Malay Affairs. (2014). Reports. Retrieved 2016, October 18 from Centre for Research on Islamic and Malay Affairs website: http://www.rima.sg/category/reports/#.WFAoCHYrLIU
16. Centre for Research on Islamic and Malay Affairs. (2014). Commentary. Retrieved 2016, October 18 from Centre for Research on Islamic and Malay Affairs website: http://www.rima.sg/category/commentary/#.WFAoiHYrLIU
17. MERCU Learning Point. (n.d). Welcoming message. Retrieved 2016, October 18 from MERCU Learning Point website: http://www.merculearning.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=98&Itemid=149
18. AMP to include other races in family scheme. (2001, May 25). The Straits Times, p. 10. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
19. Association of Muslim Professionals. (2016). About the scheme. Retrieved 2016, October 18 from Association of Muslim Professionals website: http://www.amp.org.sg/subindex.asp?id=A018_10
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