Speech by Chief Executive of MUIS, Mr Kadir Maideen at District East Board appointment ceremony

Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs and Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs,

Assoc Prof Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim

Deputy Chief Executive, MUIS, Mr Khairul Anwar

Senior Director, One Mosque Sector, Mr Zalman Ali

Deputy Mufti, Ustaz Dr Izal Mustafa

District Superintendent of Mosques for District East (Covering), Mr Mohamed Rafii Abdul Hamed,

Respected Mosque Leaders, Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh

and a very good morning to all.

1. Alhamdulillah, we are gathered here to witness the appointment of 239 Mosque Management Board (MMB) members of 18 mosques in District East. Today's event makes an important milestone for our mosques in District East in the journey towards excellence with the re-generation of mosque leadership.

Re-generation and injection of new talent

2. I am heartened to see the transformation taking place within our mosque leadership. Like other districts, we are seeing more individuals from all walks of like with diverse talents - coming forward to serve in our mosques. This is testimony of how our mosques have progressed and can attract more people from the community to contribute. Among those who have joined our MMB include individuals with various expertise from various sectors. For example, we have lawyers, engineers, IT specialists, educators, business owners and many others. We are also seeing more asatizah joining the MMB. This powerful blend of professional and religious expertise within our MMB will be pivotal in enhancing the quality of leadership in our mosques.

3. More Muslimah and younger people are also appointed into the MMB this term. The average age of our mosque leadership has decreased significantly - with almost half or 40% of the MMB members are under 45 years old. These changes reflect the inclusive and open philosophy embraced by our mosques. This will ensure that our mosques remain relevant and responsive to contemporary and future challenges.

Honouring and recognising past leaders

4. As we welcome the new MMB members, we should also honour and recognise our MMB members who have served in the previous term and graciously made way for new leadership. I would like to mention two in particular, who have made immense contribution to the mosque for many years:

   • Haji Moiz Tyebally – the outgoing Chairman of Masjid Abdul Aleem Siddique, who served for 17 years, holding various positions in the MMB and served as chairman for the last two terms. Beyond the mosque, Haji Moiz’s contribution to the community had spanned many decades including in the MUIS Council, Madrasah and several MMOs.

   • Cikgu Maimunah Kemat – who served as MMB at Masjid Al-Ansar for 19 years. She held the Vice-Chairman II post for the last two terms before stepping down. She pioneered various programmes for Muslimah at Masjid Al-Ansar which were subsequently expanded to mosques in other districts. Through this effort, we are able to galvanise our Muslimah to support various district-level events - like the ‘Muhasabah Bersama Mufti’ event at Wisma Geylang Serai held in 2022. Her legacy continues to inspire us today.

5. I would also like to express our gratitude to District Superintendent of Mosques (DSM) Hj Abdul Rahman Bakar who has led District East for the last 7 years. Even though he has moved on to lead District West since 1 June 2025, we will always remember him for his dedication and leadership. Under his stewardship, the mosques in District East have flourished as centres of spiritual guidance and community development. I would also like to congratulate DSM Rahman for attaining the Commendation Medal at this year’s National Day Awards in recognition of his contribution to MUIS, the community and our nation.

6. Thank you to all our outgoing mosque leaders and may Allah s.w.t. reward you abundantly for your contributions and beneficial work for the mosque and community.

7. During the last term, we also witnessed several senior mosque leaders who departed and returned to Allah s.w.t. I would like to honour the memory of these esteemed senior mosque leaders who have left an indelible mark and significant contribution - not only to the mosque sector but also to the community and nation.

   • Almarhum Ustaz Ali Mohamed - former Chairman of Masjid Khadijah, who passed away on 17 March 2023. Almarhum Ustaz Ali led Masjid Khadijah for 30 years and was instrumental in transforming Masjid Khadijah particularly in supporting the work of the Religious Rehabilitation Group at the community and national levels.

   • Almarhum Hj Alla'udin Mohamed - who served over 30 years at Masjid Khalid. He played a pivotal role in the mosque’s engagement with the wider Singapore society. He was synonymous with the President’s Challenge Charity Biryani, an annual event that had raised more than $15 million since its inception in 2005 and had benefited many recipients.

   • Almarhum Hj Zahid Ahmad - who had previously served 18 years in Masjid Al-Ansar. Of which he served 10 years as Mosque Executive Chairman at the mosque, and 11 years as General Manager of Southeast Mosque Cluster (SEMC). During his tenure, he made significant contributions to mosque management in Singapore. Through his grit and perseverance, he strengthened financial governance in the mosque sector and pioneered the development of SEMC which has evolved into District East today.

8. May Allah s.w.t. accept their deeds, bless their souls and place them among the righteous in Jannah, insyaAllah.

Highlights of District East's achievements

9. In the last term, the mosques in District East have made significant progress in delivering innovative, quality Islamic learning programmes and expanding its outreach to the vulnerable and underserved groups.

Islamic learning

10. Over the years, mosques in District East deliver various Islamic learning programmes for different segments of the community. I would like to highlight some of these innovative programmes:

    • Masjid Al-Istighfar launched The Talking Dome in 2019 - a podcast channel discussing socio-religious issues in a light-hearted yet meaningful way. Designed as a modern outreach tool beyond the mosque, it had delivered Islamic content in fresh and relatable formats. Beyond podcasting, it has since diversified into short-form videos on TikTok and Instagram, as well as live productions on Facebook. To date, it has recorded 7,542 shows clocking a total of more than 1,300 hours of content. Following the success of The Talking Dome, the mosque has launched The Ladies Minaret in 2020. It caters to our Muslimah, offering insights into common issues facing them and infused with Islamic perspectives. Their reels have now attracted up to 80,000 viewers.

    • Masjid Wak Tanjong initiated “QuranBit” in April 2020 - a virtual platform where any individual, regardless of age, can learn to recite the Quran guided by qualified Quranic teachers anywhere and anytime. By leveraging technology, the mosque can facilitate more people to learn the Quran - and in turn, raise the Quranic literacy in the community. Today, there are 90 asatizah serving more than 1,600 students.

    • Similarly, Masjid Darul Ghufran started Rumah Ngaji in 2023 - an organised system to develop more Quranic teachers that could be deployed to homes to conduct home-based learning. The mosque has deployed 15 asatizah teaching more than 100 students now.

Supporting vulnerable groups

11. Supporting vulnerable groups is another key achievement of District East, through its pioneering efforts to reach out to those who are underserved:

    • People with special needs is another group which mosques in District East have played a leading role in supporting. As early as 2003, Masjid Al-Istighfar initiated Madanis, or Madrasah Anak Istimewa, to provide basic Islamic knowledge for children with intellectual disabilities. We now have Masjid Al-Islah which started Islamic learning classes for the deaf and mute community since 2021. Masjid Kampung Siglap will also be following suit through its Quran for the deaf programme.

    • Another pioneering initiative is the Tazkiyah programme under Masjid Haji Mohd Salleh Geylang which started in 2022. The programme aims to help former transgender inmates who wish to return to the guided path. Working closely with Fitrah and the Singapore Prison Services, the mosque offers a safe space for spiritual healing and guidance for this group of transgender individuals. Despite the sensitivities, the mosque has been able to navigate this well and has succeeded in gradually reintegrating them back into the community with foundation in Islam.

    • District East piloted the ZakatSD project - a “no wrong door” initiative in 2023 which started with 6 mosques in District East offering financial assistance to any walk-in person seeking assistance. This has since been expanded to all 18 mosques in District East in 2024. Through the ZakatSD initiative, MUIS is also able to identify more people who are eligible for Zakat assistance and be given the necessary support. We are pleased to inform that ZakatSD is now available at 61 mosques across Singapore.

12. This reflects our mosques' commitment to serve the diverse community needs through delivering innovative programmes and creating inclusive spaces for all.

District East's digitalisation plan

13. On digitalisation, the mosques in District East started its digitalisation plan in 2023. Led by MEC Hj Mohd Khalid Lani, several initiatives have been gradually implemented in phases since last year. One example is the Jemaah Relationship Management - a customer relationship management system used to capture feedback from public to improve mosque operations and programmes. Another notable project is ImpactBit, a community-driven volunteer and donation portal currently piloted at Masjid Wak Tanjong and Masjid Al-Taqua.

Key highlights for the next 3 years and beyond

More prayer spaces for District East

14. As announced in the media, Masjid Alkaff will complete its upgrading works by 2028 and a new mosque will be built in Tampines North by 2029. These new developments will increase the number of available prayer spaces in District East.

15. The Darul Ghufran MMB will provide the leadership and work with MUIS to oversee the development of the mosque in Tampines North. We look forward to their ideas to create a new beginning for this mosque which will cater to the needs of future generations of Muslims and their families. As part of their work, the team will be engaging various stakeholders, particularly residents of Tampines North to garner ideas on how the new mosque should be designed in maximising spaces as well as the programmes and services to provide a more holistic spiritual and engaging experience for its jemaah.

Embracing our youths

16. As shared at the One Mosque Sector (OMS) Summit in February this year, youth and seniors will be our key focus areas for the next 3 years. We want to ensure that our youths are strongly connected to our mosques and at the same time, we are able to cater more to the needs of our seniors in view of Singapore’s ageing society.

17. Technology is profoundly shaping the way our youths lead their lives and at times disrupting it. Hence our mosque can play a central role, not only in providing proper guidance but as a platform for guiding our youths on proper Islamic learning and instilling positive values as they use tech in their daily lives. Our mosques like Masjid Darul Ghufran, Masjid Al-Ansar and Masjid Al-Mawaddah have initiated youth engagement programmes to help our youths navigate these issues. This also aims to develop their confidence, sense of identity and overall emotional and mental well-being. We hope these programmes would have a positive impact on our youths and look forward to scaling the programme to more mosques to ensure a wider reach and greater impact.

18. I am also happy to share that we will be having the inaugural NexGen 2025: SG Mosque Youth Symposium on 13 September at the Singapore Expo. This is a youth-led event, where over the last few months, selected Youth Development Officers (YDOs) and mosque youth leaders, have been planning for this activity under the guidance of Mosque Executive Chairman (MEC) Firdaus Khan and in partnership with the National Youth Council. We hope that this will also be a catalyst for more impactful mosque programmes that will cater to the needs of our youth. New and innovative project ideas coming out from this event will be supported by the Collab Fund, which was announced at the OMS Summit. I encourage all mosques in District East to get your mosque youths to actively participate in this symposium and explore how we can develop more impactful programmes for our youths.

Supporting our seniors

19. At the recent National Day Rally, PM Lawrence Wong has shared how we need to care and support our seniors better. For the Muslim community, our mosques are where our seniors would usually want to congregate and spend their time to find solace and be closer to Allah s.w.t. Thus, our mosques need to be better equipped to create a conducive environment for our seniors, not only to perform their ibadah, but also to remain physically and socially active.

20. am pleased to note that District East together with other Districts are also exploring better ways to enable the mosque to be Senior-friendly. MEC Imran Omar is currently leading this initiative to develop a plan to create elderly spaces in District East mosques which are conducive for their spiritual and social development.

Developing excellent mosques

21. Overall, we also want all our mosques to be excellent mosques which provide the best for the jemaah. Thus, we want all our mosque leaders, staff and volunteers to embody the MasjidKITA values especially in the values of Khidmah (Service) and Itqan (Excellence). We want to imbue a culture of Khidmah and Itqan throughout the mosque from the way we prepare the prayer spaces for worship to the delivery of quality Islamic teaching and learning and to the provision of socio-religious services for those who seek assistance at our mosques.

22. OMS will be driving this effort through the Mosque Excellence Framework workstream which will involve all mosques so that we can continuously improve and become better regardless of whether we are a big or small mosque. The transformation efforts in District East will be led by Assistant District Superintendent (ADS) Khairul Nizam Zarai who will be working with all District East mosques to strengthen mosque’s organisational capabilities and service standards.

Conclusion

23. In conclusion, I call on each of you to strive to do your best to fulfil your amanah in performing your duties as MMB with full integrity and care for the mosque and the community that you serve. May Allah protect all of us and may He reward you for all your efforts. Amin.

24. Once again, my heartiest congratulations on your appointment and my heartfelt thanks to all mosque leaders for your tireless contributions, in sharing our vision to make our mosques, a key touchpoint for the religious life of our community.

25. Let me end with a few words in Malay.

26. Para pemimpin masjid yang dihormati.

27. Alhamdullilah, kami amat bersyukur kita telah mampu untuk memakmurkan masjid-masjid kita dengan sempurna.

28. Kejayaan ini adalah berkat usaha semua para relawan dan kakitangan masjid yang telah banyak berjasa kepada masjid. Pihak MUIS amat berterima kasih di atas sumbangan para warga masjid, dari kalangan pemimpin berdedikasi seperti anda, dan juga para kakitangan dan relawan masjid yang lain.

29. Di majlis watikah hari ini, kami memperingati bakti para pemimpin yang telah lama berkhidmat di masjid – antaranya seperti Almarhum Ustaz Hj Ali Mohamed, Almarhum Hj Allau’din Mohamed dan Almarhum Hj Zahid Ahmad yang telah pulang ke rahmatullah - serta para pemimpin yang mengundur diri untuk memberi laluan kepada kepimpinan baru.

30. Pada masa yang sama, kita menyambut lapisan baru pemimpin muda yang menyahut seruan untuk melibatkan diri untul memikul tanggungjawab kepimpinan masjid dan insyaAllah, berusaha untuk membawa masjid kita ke tahap selanjutnya.

31. Bagi pihak rakan-rakan saya di MUIS, saya ingin mengucapkan setinggi-tinggi penghargaan kepada anda yang tampil memikul tanggungjawab yang berat dan murni ini. Semoga usaha kita diredhai Allah s.w.t.

32. Izinkan saya akhiri ucapan saya dengan dua rangkap pantun:

Tinggi Gunung Ledang menjulang

Tempat singgah burung merpati

Amanah masjid kita pegang

Menyinari hidup hingga abad

Bintang berkelip di malam hening

Menyuluh jalan penuntun hati

Masjid gemilang warisan terpimpin

Membawa ummah menuju ilahi

Sekian, terima kasih.

Wabillahi Taufiq wal Hidayah

Wassalamualaikum Wr Wb