I want to applaud the Muslim community for taking the lead in efforts to strengthen marriages among the Malays (New programme aims to strengthen Muslim marriages, May 3).

It is not the first time it has done this. For instance, it took the lead in making it mandatory for couples to go through pre-marital counselling.

In the latest initiative for Muslims, a wedding solemniser, the naib kadi, will continue engaging a couple for two years following marriage, offering them support and advice to help them lay the foundations for a strong and stable marriage.

I'm even more encouraged to note that such initiatives have bolstered the overall health of their marriages.

The statistics are testament to the positive outcome of such initiatives - while Singapore sadly recorded its highest number of divorces (more than 7,000), the number of Muslim divorces fell to a five-year low in 2017.

As a pastor who has helped countless couples in marriage preparation courses and journeyed with them in building a strong and stable marriage, I'm a firm believer in the benefits of such initiatives that seek to strengthen marriages.

On that note, I would urge all religious leaders to follow the footsteps of our Muslim leaders in providing such helpful initiatives and requiring their adherents to participate.

And the Ministry of Social and Family Development could do likewise for couples with no religious affiliation.

Lim Boon Seng