From 13 January to 14 February, the Adopt a Family and Youth Scheme (AFYS) Radio Campaign returned to the airwaves

through MediaCorp radio station, WARNA 94.2FM, to raise funds for disadvantaged families under the scheme. The daily

interviews and weekly two-hour 'live' talk shows highlighted the challenges faced by the AFYS families as well as the

assistance rendered to boost their efforts in achieving self-reliance. With the combined efforts of the WARNA deejays and

big-hearted individuals who pledged their support through the telepoll lines, AMP raised more than $125,000 in total during

the five-week campaign.

AMP would like to thank everyone who has supported our efforts in uplifting the lives of underprivileged families. You can

still lend your support by calling the telepoll lines at:

1900 112 4020 for a $20 donation1900 112 4050 for a $50 donation

The telepoll lines will be open until 29 June 2014.

You can also donate through our free Donorbox app available for download at the AppStore and Google Play.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat retired as President of Young AMP in January 2014 after serving ten years as a

member of its Board of Management. Succeeding him is Mr Muhd Shamir Abdul Rahim, who previously served as

Vice-President of Young AMP for three years. Mr Saktiandi’s resignation follows the amendment made to Young AMP’s Constitution

in 2011, which limits the maximum term of presidency to three years, to allow for leadership renewal.

In recent years, Young AMP has focused its activities on project collaborations and career development programmes for youths and young professionals. Under the new leadership, it will explore several new strategies to engage this group further, including the formation of ‘cloud’ interest groups, where volunteers can come together to contribute to the community through loosely-structured interest groups, which will give them greater flexibility in contributing their time.

Some of the key activities planned for the year include the relaunch of the Muslim Youth Intelligentsia Series, the expansion of Windows on Work (WoW), and partnerships with The College of Alice & Peter Tan (University Town, National University of Singapore) and Central Singapore Community Development Council, among others. Young AMP also welcomes student societies in all educational institutes that are keen to collaborate on select projects and initiatives.

YOUNG AMP BOARD OF MANAGEMENT(AS OF JANUARY 2014)

PRESIDENTMr Muhd Shamir Abdul RahimManaging DirectorSypher Labs Pte Ltd

VICE PRESIDENTMr Hazni ArisSales ManagerZurich Insurance Singapore

MEMBERSMr Fauzulkabir DarkeAssistant Associate DirectorOrangeTee.com Pte Ltd

Mr Muhd Syakir HashimUndergraduateNational University of Singapore

Mr Ridwan AbbasDeputy Editor (ASEAN)Asia Insurance Review

Ms Sofiah Su’aad JamilPhD CandidateAustralian National University

NEW APPOINTMENTSMr Aminur RasidExecutive, Madrasah Policy & Planning Strategic UnitIslamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS)

Ms Fezhah MaznanAcademic StaffRepublic Polytechnic

Mr Shafiee RazaliYouth WorkerYouthReach

ENGAGING THE YOUTHSThe new Young AMP President, Mr Muhd Shamir Abdul Rahim (left). Mr Saktiandi Supaat (far left) retired after serving three years as President of Young AMP.

EV

EN

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by Muhammad Sirajuddin Jamat

© Association of Muslim Professionals. Permission is required for reproduction.

A P RJ U N2014

• Kidz Meadow Childcare @ Buangkok Blk 979C• Kidz Meadow Childcare @ Buangkok Blk 986C• Kidz Meadow Childcare @ Woodlands• Kidz Meadow Childcare @ Yishun• Kidz Meadow Kindergarten @ Pasir Ris• East Spring Secondary School• Hong Kah Secondary School• Lianhua Primary School• Jurongville Secondary School• West View Primary School

HIGHEST COLLECTORS Nabil Wafi Bin Mohd Nasral Kidz Meadow Childcare @ Buangkok Blk 986C Najmi Hafi Bin Mohd Nasral Kidz Meadow Childcare @ Buangkok Blk 986C2ND HIGHEST COLLECTORS Mohamed Firaz Bin Mohamed Fadzli Kidz Meadow Kindergarten Cedric Tan Kidz Meadow Childcare @ Buangkok Blk 979C3RD HIGHEST COLLECTOR Anaqy Syabiel Kidz Meadow Childcare @ Woodlands

In the latest pledge card drive organised by AMP, students from ten different schools raised more than $25,200 towards its Ready for School Fund (RFS).

The Fund aims to assist disadvantaged school-going children in their educational pursuit.

The schools involved in the RFS Pledge Card Drive 2013 were:

Good financial planning is essential to prevent you from going into debt by overspending or overestimating how far you can stretch your income. Here are some tips to ensure how you can effectively manage your finances:

Little Big Hearts

AMP would also like to commend the efforts of our top collectors:

AMP hopes that the young pledge collectors will continue their charitable efforts and be empathetic towards the plight of their peers from underprivileged backgrounds.

Track your monthly spendingSave your receipts, record your cash

purchases and credit card deductions each month to give you an idea of how much of your income is being spent on what. If you own a smart phone, there are free apps which you can download to help you do the tracking.

Develop a personal or

household budgetDevelop a budget which states how much you intend to spend on different items at the beginning of every month. At the end of the month, compare your actual spending against the budget. This allows you to make necessary adjustments to your spending habits to ensure that you spend within your means.

Start a savings or emergency fund

Save for a rainy day. Put aside 10% of your monthly income

towards your savings or emergency fund so that you will be financially prepared should any unforeseen circumstances arise.

Pay your monthly bills

on time to avoid late charges

Take note of when your bills are due and pay them as soon

as you receive them. This way you can avoid any late or penalty fees.

If you know anyone who needs advice on debt issues, please call the AMP Helpline at 6416

3960 on weekdays from 10am to 5pm.

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From left: Brothers, Nabil Wafi and Najmi Hafi, from Kidz Meadow Childcare @ Buangkok Blk 986C came out as the highest collectors for the pledge drive. Mohd Firaz Mohd Fadzli from Kidz Meadow Kindergarten and Cedric Tan from Kidz Meadow Childcare @ Buangkok Blk 979C, were the second highest collectors for the pledge drive. Anaqy Syabiel from Kidz Meadow Childcare @ Woodlands was the third highest collector for the pledge drive.

pg05·06

by Nuramalina Abdul Ghani

by Saiful Nizam Jemain

M A N A G I N G Y O U R

F I NA NCE S

© Association of Muslim Professionals. Permission is required for reproduction.

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The initiative aims to raise $500,000 through various charity

activities by the end of this year. At the time of writing, over

$130,000 has been raised through ASRIT’s various fund-

raising activities. Proceeds from the fund will be channelled

towards KYM to strive towards their mission of ensuring

the refugees’ protection from starvation, recuperation

from severe injuries and the children’s

education and survival. To find out more

about how you can contribute towards the fund,

do visit www.asrit.sg.

Muhammad Timuzi Adnan @ Tim Alden sits on the Board of Management of the Muslim Expatriates Network (MEX). The opinions expressed in the article are his own.

education, until they can regain their independence. At the

same time, the mission visited two schools, supported by a

Turkish aid agency, Kimse Yok Mu (KYM), in Kilis. The team

also went to a daily food distribution centre where warm

food is served to about 1,000 refugees every day. They then

spent the following day distributing basic food essentials

and blankets to ten families oppressed

by these circumstances.

During their mission there, the team visited the

outskirts of a refugee camp called “The Container

City” at the Syrian border with Turkey, where some

20,000 Syrians were accommodated. At the same

border, there is a four-kilometre long queue of

trucks waiting to get into Syria to unload their

On 5 November 2013, a mission from Singapore

departed for Istanbul – Gazientep – Kilis, which lies

on the Turkish-Syrian border, to reach out to the

displaced Syrian refugees in Turkey. The team was told

that the official number of displaced Syrians in Turkey is

reported to be at least 600,000, while the unofficial count

may reach over a million. Many Syrians

have fled their country, leaving their prized

possessions behind, either because the bombs

have destroyed their homes, or it has become too

unsafe to stay put.

The mission sought to initiate a call to action to

provide these refugees with their basic needs,

which include food, clothes, shelter and

AID NEEDED

by Muhammad Timuzi Adnan

goods for sale. The team was told that it takes about four days

for the trucks to cross the border due to the closure of other

border crossings, thus badly impacting the Syrian economy.

To extend humanitarian aid to these refugees, the Muslim

Expatriates Network (MEX), a member of the AMP Group,

together with SimplyIslam.sg, has jointly

embarked on a fund raising initiative known

as the Aid to Syrian Refugees in Turkey (ASRIT).

The writer (centre, wearing a cap) with the Syrian children at a school supported by Turkish aid agency, Kimse Yok Mu.

© Association of Muslim Professionals. Permission is required for reproduction.

The initiative aims to raise $500,000 through various charity

activities by the end of this year. At the time of writing, over

$130,000 has been raised through ASRIT’s various fund-

raising activities. Proceeds from the fund will be channelled

towards KYM to strive towards their mission of ensuring

the refugees’ protection from starvation, recuperation

from severe injuries and the children’s

education and survival. To find out more

about how you can contribute towards the fund,

do visit www.asrit.sg.

Muhammad Timuzi Adnan @ Tim Alden sits on the Board of Management of the Muslim Expatriates Network (MEX). The opinions expressed in the article are his own.

education, until they can regain their independence. At the

same time, the mission visited two schools, supported by a

Turkish aid agency, Kimse Yok Mu (KYM), in Kilis. The team

also went to a daily food distribution centre where warm

food is served to about 1,000 refugees every day. They then

spent the following day distributing basic food essentials

and blankets to ten families oppressed

by these circumstances.

During their mission there, the team visited the

outskirts of a refugee camp called “The Container

City” at the Syrian border with Turkey, where some

20,000 Syrians were accommodated. At the same

border, there is a four-kilometre long queue of

trucks waiting to get into Syria to unload their

On 5 November 2013, a mission from Singapore

departed for Istanbul – Gazientep – Kilis, which lies

on the Turkish-Syrian border, to reach out to the

displaced Syrian refugees in Turkey. The team was told

that the official number of displaced Syrians in Turkey is

reported to be at least 600,000, while the unofficial count

may reach over a million. Many Syrians

have fled their country, leaving their prized

possessions behind, either because the bombs

have destroyed their homes, or it has become too

unsafe to stay put.

The mission sought to initiate a call to action to

provide these refugees with their basic needs,

which include food, clothes, shelter and

goods for sale. The team was told that it takes about four days

for the trucks to cross the border due to the closure of other

border crossings, thus badly impacting the Syrian economy.

To extend humanitarian aid to these refugees, the Muslim

Expatriates Network (MEX), a member of the AMP Group,

together with SimplyIslam.sg, has jointly

embarked on a fund raising initiative known

as the Aid to Syrian Refugees in Turkey (ASRIT).

The mission visited some of the families affected by the Syrian civil war to distribute basic food essentials and blankets.

© Association of Muslim Professionals. Permission is required for reproduction.

A P RJ U N2014

pg07·08

Building A Better Future

AMP

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As the old adage goes, life has its ups and downs. For Mdm Noraffizah Othman, 43, her

family went through one of the darkest moments in their lives about two years ago when

Mdm Noraffizah's husband turned to moneylenders to pay for some of their household

expenses. With her husband as the sole breadwinner for their family of seven, they were

struggling to manage their finances. Out of desperation, he borrowed from both licensed

and unlicensed moneylenders, which resulted in their family being continuously harassed

when their repayments fell short, affecting them psychologically and emotionally.

A large portion of their monthly household income had been used to settle their outstanding

loans, leaving little for their children as well as their household expenses. Things gradually

took a turn for the better when Mdm Noraffizah decided to approach AMP for assistance,

especially for her children’s socio-educational needs.

by Suhailah SapuanSP

OT

LIG

HT

© Association of Muslim Professionals. Permission is required for reproduction.

A P RJ U N2014

AMP wishes

Mdm Noraffiz

ah

and her

family

continued

success

in their

endeavours

for a

better

future.

AMPlified caught up with Mdm Noraffizah recently, and she reflected on the challenges her

family faced and how they had managed to overcome the trying period.

AMPlified: How did your family cope with the challenges you faced then?

It was a very challenging period for my family. With the constant threats we

received, we were very fearful to even step out of our home. On top of that, our

financial situation was worsening. There was a time when our food stock was so

low that I had to ration the food so that it would last for the rest of the week. My

children’s educational needs were my biggest concern. I was really worried when

my children were not performing well in school. I then decided to provide a

home-based babysitting service and take simple food orders. In addition, my

husband works as a taxi driver on weekends for supplementary income.

AMPlified: Why did you seek assistance from AMP?

I approached AMP as I was concerned about my children’s

socio-educational needs. Under AMP’s Adopt a Family and Youth Scheme (AFYS), we were given a comprehensive range of

assistance which exceeded my expectations. My children

truly benefited from the tuition assistance provided, and

their grades improved tremendously. My eldest child has

also gone on to pursue a diploma and will be graduating

from the polytechnic soon. I hope that she will be able to

secure a job upon graduation and help contribute to our

household income as well as have a better future for herself.

Being in AFYS, the best times we have had as a family was

during the family events held every quarter, which gave us the

opportunity to explore new places and activities, spend time together

and consequently strengthen our bond – something we do not often do.

We also acquired many useful, lifelong skills that have made an impact on our

lives and this is something I will treasure for the rest of my life. Apart from AFYS,

my husband and I also receive moral and emotional support through AMP’s Debt

Advisory Centre (DAC). We are now better able to manage our finances and pay our

outstanding loans more efficiently.

AMPlified: How do you plan to improve your FAMILY’S FINANCIAL SITUATION?

Currently, we are renting out a room in our home as an additional source of

income for our family. Our financial situation is slowly improving. The challenges

and struggles we went through have made us realise the importance of financial

management and education. I am more than grateful for the assistance rendered

by AMP.

pg1 1 · 1 2

© Association of Muslim Professionals. Permission is required for reproduction.