Using IT to promote community synergy
1999 had been a milestone year for the Information Systems Department in the r
ealisation of strategic initiatives, among them the overcoming of the Y2K threat.
The MUIS network infrastructure (MuisNet) has also expanded. It has become a Wide
Area Network (WAN) equivalent to the IT set-up of smaller multinational corporations.
It now ser ves and connects mosques, madrasahs and Wisma Indah to the Islamic Centre
of Singapore. It embraces the Internet and has linkages to the Singapore Government
Network.
MUIS’ presence in cyberspace has been acknowledged with an average monthly hit of
about 400,000. Launched on the Internet, ‘Kosovo Aid’ appeal greatly benefited from
this project; the collected amount for the appeal was more than doubled that of any
previous collection.
The Internet community has also been kept up-to-date with MUIS headlines via the
on-line versions of the Warita Kita, MUIS annual report and on-line khutbahs. To
date, 20 mosques have set up their own mosque homepages on the Internet.
Fifty-five mosques and four full-time madrasahs have also been connected to the
Internet via MuisNet. This translates to about 207 e-mail accounts to mosques and
their staff and another 200 e-mail accounts for the madrasah community.
Another notable achievement was the setting up of a fully equipped Local Area Network
(LAN) connecting six mosques to the Internet via MuisNet, thanks to the efforts of
Volunteer Information Systems Officers who helped to set up the mosques’ IT
infrastructure.
MUIS has shown that it is ready to face present and future challenges. As a dynamic
organisation, MUIS has always kept abreast of the latest changes in technology.
Looking ahead, it will continue to harness IT for the good of the Muslim community.
