Speech by Chief Executive of MUIS, Mr Kadir Maideen at Wakaf Disbursement Ceremony 2022

Dr Albakri Ahmad, Deputy Chief Executive of MUIS

Hj Abdul Razak Maricar, Chairman of the MUIS Wakaf Disbursement Committee

Members of the MUIS Council and the Wakaf Disbursement Committee

Board Members of Warees Investments Pte Ltd

Wakif, Mutawallis dan Beneficiaries of Wakaf

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.

1. It is my pleasure today to welcome all of you here in MUIS to our annual Wakaf Disbursement Ceremony 2022. I see many familiar faces and I am glad that after two years, we can meet physically once again to strengthen our relationship as we all play our role in developing and managing this very important community asset.

Higher Wakaf Disbursement than Previous Year

2. Alhamdulillah, today we will be witnessing the annual disbursement of income from wakaf properties for the financial year ending 2021. I am pleased to announce that MUIS is disbursing more than $4.1 million to various beneficiaries including mosques, madrasahs, Muslim organisations and charities. This amount is an increase of 3% compared to the year before.

3. The increase in Wakaf disbursement that we have achieved today is due to higher income growth last year. MUIS, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Warees Investments, adopts a proactive approach to improve the tenantable condition of wakaf properties and upgrade such facilities to be competitive with the market. This ensures that wakaf is well taken care of professionally and that rates continue to be pegged to market, while at the same time, balancing economic, community and heritage aspects of the wakaf through careful selection of tenants. Despite the difficulties faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, we managed to ensure that wakaf occupancies remain high. These are done through various practical real estate initiatives, such as flexible tenancies and short-term leases.

Strengthening Collaborations to Enhance Support for the Community

4. During the recent MUIS Work Plan Seminar, I spoke about strengthening collaborations with partners to advance the support for our community and the religious sector. Key partners, such as mutawallis like yourself, play a very important role in such partnerships. My most sincere appreciation to all mutawallis for managing our age-old wakaf institution in Singapore and ensuring that it remains a key pillar of resource to support the socio-religious needs of our community. Thank you very much!

5. In May this year, MUIS witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Wakaf Sheriffa Zain Alsharoff Alsagoff and the Muslimin Trust Fund Association (or MTFA). The partnership will open up new opportunities for the wakaf and MTFA to better support the poor and low-income, regardless of race and religion, by sponsoring medication through the setting up of an Al-Taha dispensary. Other than daily sustenance, healthcare needs are a big expense for the less fortunate and MUIS hopes that this partnership will be meaningful and provides support for those in need of essential medication.

6. To better support Muslim organisations, I am also happy to share that MUIS is increasing the total amount disbursed to Muslim organisations and charities by 40% - from $286,000 to $403,000. This larger disbursement will provide more support for the organisations to run their programmes and initiatives to serve our community better.

7. I now turn to other key partners in MUIS’ efforts to strengthen the community’s competencies and resilience for a successful future, particularly in the areas of shaping our religious life, strengthening asatizah development and building community’s assets.

8. About $1.2 million will be disbursed to 21 mosques in Singapore to help in funding their upgrading projects, programmes and daily operations. This disbursement will supplement other funding support for our mosques, such as the Mosque Building and Mendaki Fund (MBMF) and general donations, be it physical contributions or digitally done via platforms such as OurMasjid.SG.

9. Our six full-time madrasahs and the part-time mosque madrasahs will be receiving more than $480,000 this year. The disbursements will be channelled to assist the madrasahs in developing future religious leaders of the community and the upgrading of their facilities.

Wakaf Serves Diverse Needs of our Community

10. For this year’s disbursement to Muslim organisations and charities, MUIS adopts a multi-faceted approach to meeting diverse needs of the community by spreading the funds across five major categories, namely shelter; physical and mental well-being; social empowerment; rehabilitation, as well as sustenance and humanitarian. Examples of organisations that will be benefiting from the disbursement include the Jamiyah Food Bank which has been actively helping the elderly, special needs persons, poor and needy families, low-income workers and the unemployed through food donations, the Club Heal for their efforts in empowering persons with mental health to regain confidence, as well as the Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation that provides digital learning and support for senior citizens, among many others.

11. I am also pleased to announce that more than $100,000 from the income of various wakaf have been allocated to provide free burial for the poor and needy, in accordance with the objectives of the wakif. Burial expenses have increased over the years, particularly during the pandemic, due to factors such as manpower shortage and inflationary pressure. We hope this financial support from wakaf can help to alleviate the challenges faced by grieving family members at the unexpected loss of their loved ones.

Mobilising & Galvanising Community Assets to Support Our Future Needs through Wakaf Masyarakat Singapura

12. Ladies and gentlemen, today’s disbursement is made possible by Allah’s grace and benevolence, as well as the foresight of our philanthropists and forefathers. Wakaf has proven to be a key institution that has benefited the community for many generations. To continue this legacy, MUIS will be setting up the Wakaf Masyarakat Singapura (or WMS) which acts as an endowment fund that generates sustainable income for the community’s long-term needs. MUIS will be creating a digital platform by end of 2022 to equip our community with the knowledge and skills on wealth and estate planning as part of the wider public education effort on WMS. Through the WMS, more pathways will be made available for wakaf to be created by the community, for the community.

13. For the benefit of our Malay-speaking guests, allow me to summarise my speech in Malay.

14. Alhamdulillah, sukacita saya mengumumkan bahawa MUIS akan mengagihkan lebih dari $4.1 juta dari hasil pendapatan wakaf kepada pelbagai penerima termasuk masjid, madrasah dan badan-badan kebajikan Islam setempat. Jumlah ini 3 peratus lebih tinggi berbanding tahun sebelumnya. Ini disebabkan pendapatan lebih tinggi yang diraih pada tahun lalu, hasil langkah-langkah proaktif anak syarikat MUIS, Warees Investments, yang menguruskan wakaf secara professional dengan memastikan aset-aset wakaf kekal bersaing di pasaran, di samping mengimbangi aspek kemasyarakat dan warisan wakaf.

Mengukuhkan Kerjasama bagi Mempertingkatkan Sokongan bagi Masyarakat

15. Di Seminar Rancangan Kerja MUIS yang diadakan bulan lalu, saya menyentuh tentang kerjasama dengan rakan-rakan kongsi bagi memajukan sokongan untuk masyarakat kita, khususnya sektor keagamaan kita. Rakan-rakan utama, seperti anda semua mutawalli kita, memainkan peranan penting dalam kerjasama tersebut. Di sini, saya ingin merakamkan setinggi-tingginya penghargaan saya kepada anda semua yang telah memastikan institusi wakaf kita kekal terjamin dan terus menjadi sumber utama bagi menyokong keperluan sosio-agama masyarakat kita.

16. Pada Mei lalu, MUIS menyaksikan satu memorandum persefahaman antara Wakaf Sheriffa Zain Alsharoff Alsagoff dengan Persatuan Derma Amanah Muslimin (atau MTFA) bagi meneroka kerjasama antara wakaf dan badan tersebut untuk menubuhkan Dispensary Al-Taha bagi menyokong keperluan perubatan golongan memerlukan, tanpa mengira latar belakang bangsa dan agama. MUIS amat mengalu-alukan kerjasama tersebut.

17. Bagi menyalurkan lebih banyak sokongan kepada badan-badan Islam setempat, saya juga berbesar hati untuk berkongsi bahawa MUIS akan mempertingkatkan jumlah agihan hasil wakaf kepada badan-badan kebajikan Islam sebanyak 40 peratus – dari $286,000 kepada $403,000. MUIS sasarkan agihan yang lebih besar ini dapat membantu pertubuhan-pertubuhan menjalankan program-program kemasyarakatan dengan lebih baik.

18. Selain itu MUIS juga akan mengagihkan sekitar $1.2 juta kepada 21 masjid untuk membantu menampung sebahagian dana yang diperlukan bagi projek-projek peningkatan, program untuk jemaah dan operasi seharian. Kesemua 6 madrasah sepenuh masa dan madrasah-madrasah sambilan juga akan menerima lebih $480,000 sebagai suntikan dana dalam usaha mereka membangunkan pemimpin agama masa depan untuk masyarakat kita, dan mempertingkatkan prasarana masing-masing.

Wakaf Memenuhi Pelbagai Keperluan Masyarakat

19. Dalam pada itu, saya juga ingin berkongsi bahawa lebih $100,000 daripada hasil beberapa wakaf telah diketepikan bagi menyediakan khidmat pengebumian secara percuma kepada golongan fakir dan miskin, bersesuaian dengan objektif para wakif. Perbelanjaan pengembumian telah meningkat sejak kebelakangan ini, terutama semasa pandemik, ekoran faktor-faktor seperti kekurangan tenaga manusia dan tekanan inflasi. MUIS berharap sokongan kewangan daripada wakaf dapat membantu menangani sebahagian cabaran yang dihadapi anggota keluarga yang bersedih setelah pemergian orang-orang tersayang.

Menggerak & Memanfaatkan Aset-Aset Masyarakat bagi Menyokong Keperluan Masa Depan Kita Menerusi Wakaf Masyarakat Singapura

20. Tuan-tuan dan Puan-puan. Agihan yang diumumkan hari ini merupakan rahmah dan ihsan yang Allah kurniakan kepada kita. Ia juga hasil pandangan jauh para perintis dan wakif kita yang sedar betapa wakaf mampu menjadi sebuah institusi utama yang dapat memberi manfaat kepada masyarakat kita untuk bergenerasi lamanya, dan ia telahpun terbukti nyata. Untuk meneruskan warisan ini, MUIS telah menubuhkan Wakaf Masyarakat Singapura (atau WMS), sebuah dana endowmen yang menjana pendapatan yang mampan bagi keperluan jangka panjang masyarakat kita. MUIS akan menyediakan sebuah wadah digital pada hujung 2022bagi membekalkan masyarakat kita tentang pengetahuan dan kemahiran perancangan harta dan estet sebagai sebahagian usaha pendidikan awam tentang WMS. Menerusi WMS, lebih banyak peluang tersedia untuk masyarakat menubuhkan wakaf untuk dimanfaatkan masyarakat.

21. We have come so far, and my only hope is to see our wakaf expand and continue serving its purpose for the benefit of the community and our future generations. MUIS cannot do this alone, so I urge each and everyone here today to continue to come together, pool our talents, strength and resources, to bring our wakaf to the next level.

Thank you. Wabillahi-Taufiq Walhidayah Wassalamualaikum Wr. Wb.