PAP MP Zaqy Mohamad (Chua Chu Kang GRC) today asked for the Government's assurance that the status and role of Malay men in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) would continue to improve as the population expands with newcomers.

He was the latest Malay MP of several this week to touch on how the Malay-Muslim community will be affected as the population heads towards a projected 6.9 million in 2030.

They have expressed concern during the Parliamentary debate on the Population White Paper that a disproportionately small number of immigrants are Muslim or from Malaysia and Indonesia.

Mr Zaqy noted that the Ministry of Defence has stated in the past that it is evolving its policy on Malays in top positions in the SAF and "is in sync and aware of where the community wants to head."

But with four out of ten marriages already between Singaporeans and foreigners, Mr Zaqy wanted to know "what will be the position of our Malay sons of Singapore next to those of families with foreign spouses and new citizens?"

When the sons from local-foreign marriages reach the age to enter National Service, he said that he hoped that "our national security narrative pertaining to the Malays serving in the defence sector would have also evolved, and that all sons of Singapore get equal footing in all opportunities, including that in our national security services."