Singapore will reserve the position of the country's president for the Malay community in the presidential contest due next year.

This was announced by Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong as part of reforms to the country's presidential system.

"That means if a qualified Malay candidate steps up to run, Singapore will have a Malay president again... this would be our first after more than 46 years, since our first president Encik Yusof Ishak," he was quoted as saying by Singapore's Straits Times.