Madam Zuraidah Abdullah, 57, who was the chief executive officer of self-help group Mendaki more than 10 years ago, is returning to lead it from April.

Madam Zuraidah - currently a senior assistant commissioner in the Singapore Police Force - will be appointed the chief executivedesignate on March 1, before assuming the top post on April 1, when current CEO Rahayu Buang, 49, returns to the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), Mendaki said yesterday. Madam Zuraidah first held the top post from 2007 to 2009.

Mendaki also paid tribute to Madam Rahayu, who was seconded from MSF to lead it on Jan 3, 2017.

During her three-year term, she established Mendaki as a key institution in the M³ initiative, which aims to get three Malay/Muslim organisations to collaborate with one another and other government agencies to improve support for the community, it said.

The three are Mendaki, Muis (Islamic Religious Council of Singapore) and Mesra (People's Association Malay Activity Executive Committees Council).

Mendaki said that among other things, the M³ initiative resulted in the Kelas MateMatika programme, designed to help Malay/Muslim families with young children bond by working with them on developing the children's educational needs.

Madam Rahayu also started an annual education symposium in 2017.

She described her three years in Mendaki as an "enriching and humbling experience".

"I am sure Mendaki will continue to increase its outreach and deepen its impact in education under the new leadership," Madam Rahayu said.