MUIS Awards 2020 honours 12 outstanding individuals

Spirit of compassion stands strong in the community

1. Twelve outstanding individuals were conferred MUIS’ highest awards for their significant contributions towards the socio-religious life of the Singapore Muslim community at the MUIS Awards ceremony. The recipients of the MUIS Awards were honoured in a simple ceremony that was held at the Istana with President Halimah Yacob as the guest-of-honour earlier this evening.

2. MUIS Chief Executive Esa Masood, in his opening address, was pleased to note that the community’s spirit of rahmah or compassion stood strong despite the challenges faced during this trying year. He added that this spirit of compassion was also embodied by the award recipients shown through their Character, Competence and Citizenry, exemplifying values reflective of a Community of Success.

3. This year, the highest accolade of the Jasa Cemerlang Award was presented to Hj Shafawi Ahmad for his key contributions to the community in various capacities across several institutions including MUIS, madrasah and mosques. As a well-respected community leader, he was in the MUIS Council from 1986 to 2019, thus making him its longest-serving member. He also played a pivotal role in ensuring that the academic standards of the madrasahs are comparable to that of the national benchmark, which he described as one of his most significant contributions.

4. Recounting his years of service, Hj Shafawi shared that he has never given thought about the amount of time he dedicated in his work.

“I am a firm believer that you must fully commit yourself and give your best in everything that you do. Therefore, to me, volunteering is not about doing work voluntarily – instead, all of your efforts should be driven by the sense of purpose to help achieve success. I am thankful to receive this award, and that my contributions are seen to be beneficial for the community. I am glad that I am able to contribute as much as I did.”

5. Eleven individuals were also honoured with the Jasa Bakti Award for their exemplary long service. Ustaz Abdul Rapol Haron and Ustazah Kalthom Muhammad Isa are among this year’s recipients, whose contributions are in various areas of work and diverse segments of the community.

6. Ustaz Abdul Rapol has served 26 years as a religious counsellor working with inmates. Through his immense dedication, he has left a lasting impact on them, some of whom he still continues to engage with.

“After their release, some of them would come up to me to continue learning, and they would even be frequent visitors of the mosque.”

7. As a counsellor for the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG), Ustazah Kalthom’s key contribution helped to reintegrate the family members of those who have been influenced by radical teachings.

“I was not expecting any nomination, but I am thankful to receive this award, and will continue to work harder. I hope this also serves as an inspiration for others to contribute in any way they can.”

Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura