Address by Acting Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs and Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Defence, Mr Zaqy Mohamad at Madrasah Al-Ma'arif Al-Islamiah's 90th Anniversary Dinner

Mr Ma’mun Suheimi, Chairman, Madrasah Al-Ma’arif Al-Islamiah Management Committee,
Mr Kadir Maideen, Chief Executive, MUIS,
Members of the Madrasah Al-Ma’arif Al-Islamiah Management Committee,
Principals, asatizah, educators, staff, students, past and present
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh, dan Salam Sejahtera.

1. Alhamdulillah, malam ini kita dapat bersama-sama meraikan ulang tahun Madrasah Al-Ma’arif Al-Islamiah yang ke-90.

2. Sembilan puluh tahun bukan waktu yang singkat.

   • Sejak 1936, Ma'arif telah mendidik dan membentuk generasi demi generasi Muslimah.

   • Ramai antara mereka kemudian berbakti kepada keluarga, masyarakat dan kepada Singapura.

3. Semua ini tidak mungkin tercapai tanpa mereka yang telah membina dan menyokong Ma'arif  — para pemimpin, pengetua, asatizah, guru dan kakitangannya;

   • ibu bapa yang memberikan kepercayaan kepada Madrasah;

   • serta para alumni, penderma, sukarelawan dan rakan kongsi yang percaya kepada misinya.

4. Malam ini, sambil kita meraikan apa yang telah dibina Ma’arif sepanjang 90 tahun, saya rasa ada satu soalan yang penting untuk kita fikirkan bersama:

   • Apakah yang akan kita wariskan kepada generasi seterusnya?

A Vision That Endures

5. Ma’arif was founded on a belief that was important then, and which remains important today: that Muslim women should have the opportunity to learn, to grow and to contribute.

   • At a time when opportunities for girls were far more limited, As-Syeikh Muhammad Fadhlullah Suhaimi understood the importance of education.

   • And not simply education for examinations.

   • It’s about giving them the knowledge and confidence to find their place in the world, while remaining firmly anchored in their faith.

   • Ninety years later, this remains relevant.

6. The world our young people are entering now is very different from 1936.

   • But some things have not changed.

   • Strong foundations.

   • People who believe in them.

   • And values that guide them wherever life takes them.

   • That is what Ma’arif has sought to give generations of young women — confidence in their faith and identity, and the knowledge and skills to contribute to society.

A Legacy Seen in People

7. And perhaps the best way to understand Ma’arif’s legacy is through its people. Its graduates have become asatizah and educators.

   • They have entered healthcare, research, technology, public service and community work.

   • Many have also become mothers who pass on the same faith and values to another generation.

   • We see this in alumnae such as Ustazah Dr. Sukarti Asmoin, Ustazah Amalina Abdul Nasir, Dr. Dinah Aziz, Musfirah Albakri and Muslihah Albakri — and in many more Ma’arif women across generations.

8. Their journey reminds us of something important.

   • When we educate a child, the impact does not end with her.

   • What she learns, the values she carries and the confidence she develops will benefit her family, our community and, insya-Allah, the generations that follow.

What We Preserve and Pass On

9. Tonight, we also see another part of this legacy being passed on.

   • Ma’arif will launch the English translation of its founder As-Syeikh Muhammad Fadhlullah Suhaimi’s Muhammad: Pahlawan Merdeka, titled Muhammad: Icon of Liberation.

   • Making this work available in English allows a new generation to engage with the ideas and scholarship of Ma’arif’s founder.

   • I would also like to acknowledge Ustaz Ubaidillah Md Khair and Ustaz Muhamad Syafiq Mardi for undertaking this important work.

A Legacy of Giving

10. Ma’arif has reached 90 years because generation after generation stepped forward to support it.

    • Some taught.

    • Some volunteered.

    • Some contributed financially.

    • Others gave their time, ideas and encouragement.

    • Each contributed in their own way.

    • That spirit of gotong-royong is an important part of Ma’arif’s story.

11. We see this in the late Mdm Rithwana Abdullah, whose contribution continues to benefit Ma’arif today.

    • I am glad that members of her family are with us this evening.

12. May Allah SWT accept her contribution as amal jariah and continue to reward her for every life that benefits from her generosity.

13. The Ma’arif Legacy Programme being introduced tonight carries forward this same spirit — giving those who wish to contribute another way to support Islamic education for generations to come.

    • Because ultimately, a legacy is not only what we inherit.

    • It is also an amanah — what we choose to leave behind for others.

For the Next Generation

14. This brings me back to the question I asked earlier: What will we pass on?

15. To the students of Ma’arif who are here tonight, I want to leave you with this.

    • The people who built this school 90 years ago did not know your names.

    • They could not have imagined what your lives would look like today. But they built Ma’arif for you anyway.

    • They believed that the next generation was worth investing in.

16. Today, you are that next generation.

    • So honour their legacy not only by remembering what they did, but through what you do with the education and opportunities you have received.

    • And ask yourself :  What will I do for those who come after me?

17. As Ma’arif begins its journey towards its centenary, I hope it will continue to nurture generations of Muslim women who are steadfast in their faith (Iman), abundant in knowledge (Ilmu), confident with their identity, grounded in their character (ihsan), and ready to contribute to the community and Singapore.

    • To everyone who has carried Ma’arif through these 90 years — the Management Committee, school leaders, asatizah, teachers and staff, parents, alumni, donors, volunteers and partners — thank you.

18. Allow me to end with pantun:
    
    Pohon jati berakar di tanah,
    Daunnya rendang menaungi ramai;
    Warisan Ma'arif satu amanah,
    Turun-temurun, tak pernah lerai.
    
    Bunga melur mekar di taman,
    Harum mewangi menawan hati;
    Amanah kekal sepanjang zaman,
    Dipikul generasi kini dan nanti.

19. Semoga Allah SWT terus merahmati Ma’arif, murid-muridnya, tenaga pengajar dan semua pihak yang telah menyokong dan menyumbang dalam perjalanan ini.

20. Tahniah kepada Madrasah Al-Ma’arif Al-Islamiah atas ulang tahunnya yang ke-90.

    • Semoga Ma’arif terus maju dan memberi manfaat kepada generasi-generasi yang akan datang.

Terima kasih, Wassalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.