Masjid Bencoolen 200th Anniversary Celebration

Mr Mohamed Sa’at Abdul Rahman, President MUIS
Mr Kadir Maideen, Chief Executive MUIS
Hj Mohamed Rafeeq Mohamed Yusoof, Honorary Chairman Masjid Bencoolen
Parliamentary colleagues, Ms Denise Phua, Dr Wan Rizal and Dr Hamid Razak
Community leaders, Friends, Ladies and gentlemen

Assalamuailakum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.

Opening

1. Two hundred years is a remarkable milestone. There are only two other mosques who have hit 200 years, Masjid Sultan and Masjid Omar Kampong Melaka. Very few mosques have hit the 200-year mark and therefore, it is an honour and privilege for me to be here to celebrate the occasion with all of you. Generations have come and gone, and Singapore has changed beyond what our pioneers could have imagined. It’s far beyond what anyone could have imagined, how far we are today. Yet Masjid Bencoolen continues to stand as a place of faith, belonging and service.

2. As I reflect on this journey, one word comes to mind — “Amanah”. It means trust in Malay. The responsibility entrusted to each of us to care for what we have inherited, and to leave something meaningful for those who come after. 200 years have gone, Insya Allah hopefully 200 years to come.

3. It is this spirit of Amanah that has sustained Masjid Bencoolen for two centuries, and which must continue to guide its future.

A legacy that helped shaped our community 

4. Masjid Bencoolen was established by the Indian Muslim Community, made up of traders, labourers, and settlers who arrived on these shores with little more than their faith and determination. They built this mosque not as a place of worship but as an anchor for their community to find its footing in a new land. 

5. Through years of giving, service and philanthropy, the community sustained the mosque and ensured that it continued to serve the changing needs of its congregants. What our pioneers built was not only for themselves, but for future generations they would never meet.

6. The Indian Muslim Community’s contributions to Singapore’s social, cultural and economic fabric are deep and enduring. Masjid Bencoolen has been at the heart of that story, nurturing individuals who serve with their heart, and nurturing individuals who went to serve their families, community and their faith.

7. These contributions are not simply part of Indian Muslim history — they are an important part of the Singapore story, and of the rich and diverse heritage of our Muslim community here in Singapore.

8. Our Muslim community has always drawn strength from its diversity. Different traditions, languages and experiences, but a shared commitment to faith, family and service. As we look to the future, we must continue to build on these strengths, go ahead, plan, hopefully guide, and be there for the next 200 years to come too.

The amanah renewed for each generation

9. What makes a mosque stand tall for two hundred years, is not the bricks and mortar alone. Mr Rafeeq said it well but it’s really about all the volunteers, the people, the mosque boards, leaders - whose lives it has touched, who have made a difference, to make what the mosque is today.

10. One such individual is Hj Mohamed Abdul Jaleel. As a young boy, newly arrived from Chennai with his family, Masjid Bencoolen was one of the first places that felt like home. His family had little, his father ran a small convenience store, and young Abdul Jaleel assisted, taking on whatever work was needed to support the family. But at Masjid Bencoolen, he and his family found something just as important — a sense of community, belonging and faith, religion.

11. Decades later, after building Mini Environment Service (MES) from the ground up into a thriving enterprise, and after years of quiet philanthropy supporting students, ex-offenders, and the preservation of Tamil Cultural Heritage, Hj Jaleel did not forget where he came from. He stepped forward to serve as Chairman of the Masjid Bencoolen Management Board. 

12. What strikes me about Hj Jaleel’s journey is that the mosque which once gave him a sense of belonging became the very place he returned to serve.

13. This is the spirit of Amanah. We remember those who helped us along the way, and when we are able, we extend that same care and opportunity to others.

14. His journey reflects the values that have always defined this community — rooted in Iman, growing in Ilmu, serving with Ihsan, and confident in our Identity.

15. His story reminds us that the true legacy of Masjid Bencoolen lies in the lives it has touched, and the good that continues with them.

A special commemoration

16. Hj Jaleel story is just one of the many – many of you volunteers and many of you have served the boards – that make up Masjid Bencoolen’s rich history

17. To mark this extraordinary milestone, I am delighted to note the launch of a commemorative coffee table book documenting Masjid Bencoolen’s 200-year journey.  This publication is a labour of love, capturing the people, stories and moments that have defined Masjid Bencoolen across two centuries.

18. I hope this book will help keep these stories alive, so that future generations will not only know the history of Masjid Bencoolen but also understand the values and sacrifices of the many who came before them.

19. Allow me to continue in Malay. 

Meneruskan warisan untuk generasi akan datang

20. Kisah-kisah yang terkandung dalam buku ini mengingatkan kita bahawa dua ratus tahun bukan sekadar angka. Ia mengingatkan kita tentang pengorbanan generasi terdahulu yang telah membina dan memelihara Masjid Bencoolen selama dua abad.

21. Amanah kita kini bukan sekadar menjaga warisan ini, tetapi memastikan ia membawa manfaat kepada generasi akan datang. 

22. Dahulu, masjid ini menjadi tempat generasi perintis mencari ketenangan, membina persahabatan dan mencari sokongan ketika memulakan kehidupan di Singapura. Hari ini, saya berharap Masjid Bencoolen terus menjadi tempat yang dekat di hati masyarakat, khususnya anak-anak muda kita, walaupun zaman dan cabaran yang mereka hadapi telah berubah. 

23. Sebab itulah saya menggalakkan Masjid Bencoolen untuk terus memperkukuh kerjasama dengan pertubuhan India Islam, M³+ dan masyarakat Islam yang lebih luas.

24. Saya ingin melihat masjid kita bukan sahaja menjadi tempat mendalami ilmu agama, tetapi juga tempat anak-anak muda kita mendapat bimbingan daripada mereka yang berpengalaman, meluaskan rangkaian dan membuka peluang untuk melangkah lebih jauh dalam kehidupan.

25. Pada masa yang sama, kerjasama ini perlu berjalan dua hala.

26. Masyarakat India Islam telah memainkan peranan penting dalam pembangunan Singapura dan memperkayakan warisan masyarakat Islam kita. Saya yakin pengalaman, rangkaian dan kekuatan mereka akan terus memberi manfaat kepada rakyat Singapura. 

27. Saya berharap pertubuhan India Islam dan generasi mudanya juga akan terus tampil berkongsi pengalaman, menyumbang idea, dan bersama-sama memperkukuh masyarakat Islam di Singapura dengan perspektif dan kekuatan mereka tersendiri. 

Penutup

28. Sebagai penutup, saya ingin merakamkan setinggi-tinggi penghargaan kepada semua Lembaga Pentadbir Masjid, para sukarelawan dan setiap individu yang telah menyumbang dan melestarikan Masjid Bencoolen selama ini. Apa yang kita nikmati hari ini adalah hasil pengorbanan generasi terdahulu. 

29. Kini, amanah itu di tangan kita pula.

30. Tanggungjawab kita bukan sekadar menjaga apa yang telah dibina, tetapi lebih daripada itu, memastikan bahawa kebersamaan dan sikap saling membantu akan menjadi kekuatan Masjid Bencoolen, dan dapat terus hidup dalam masyarakat kita.

31. Kerana akhirnya, warisan yang paling bermakna, bukan sekadar apa yang kita terima daripada generasi terdahulu, tetapi kebaikan yang dapat kita teruskan kepada generasi akan datang.

32. Tahniah sekali lagi kepada seluruh warga Masjid Bencoolen atas sambutan ulang tahun ke-200 ini.

33. Semoga Allah swt memberkati segala usaha kita dan semoga masjid ini terus menjadi sumber kekuatan, kebersamaan, dan kebanggaan masyarakat kita. 

Wabillahi Taufik Wal Hidayah, Wassalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.