Speech by Chief Executive of MUIS, Mr Kadir Maideen at MUIS Buka Puasa

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam President of the Republic of Singapore,

Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for Social and Family Development, Second Minister for Health & Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs

Mr Mohamed Saat Abdul Rahman, President of MUIS

Sohibus Samahah, Dr Nazirudin Mohd Nasir, Mufti of Singapore

Distinguished members of MUIS Council

Respected Mosque, Religious and Community Leaders

Our Special Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

Assalamualaikum Wr. Wb.

Good evening and a very warm welcome to Masjid Maarof for this evening’s MUIS Buka Puasa event.

It is my great honour to welcome our Guest-of-Honour, President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Ms Jane Ittogi.

Mr President, we are deeply grateful for your gracious presence this evening.

The MUIS Buka Puasa is an important annual event where we host some of our Zakat beneficiaries to break our fast together.

Even though this is just a short event, it enables us to forge stronger bonds with one another, through these acts of generosity and compassion, which embody the spirit of Ramadan.

In Ramadan, besides fasting, Muslims also fulfil another important pillar of Islam. This is Zakat, the act of alms giving.

It is a powerful means of promoting social justice and community empowerment, embodying compassion and shared responsibility.

It bridges those blessed with abundance and those in need, aspiring for a more equitable society.

Through Zakat, we fulfil our religious obligation and demonstrate our collective commitment to uplifting one another, ensuring no one in our community is left behind.

Helping More Through Zakat

Through the community’s generous Zakat contributions, we have been able to support the poor and needy, provide for our students and strengthen our mosques and madrasahs.

In 2024, MUIS disbursed a record amount of zakat. Of these, $23 million was disbursed to support more than 6,000 low-income individuals and families.

Our monthly Zakat Financial Assistance provides unconditional cash support to help beneficiaries with their basic and daily needs.

This support represents our community's commitment to care for one another.

And we supplement this with special disbursements at the end of the year and during Ramadan, recognising the additional financial pressures these household face during these periods.

Special Disbursements to Help Families Cope

For many low-income families, managing additional expenses during the year end can be very a challenging and stressful period for them, which is why MUIS also provides a special Year-End Disbursement to help ease the financial burden of these families.

For families with school-going children, we have increased our Riqab assistance from $600,000 to $1.2 million, benefiting 8,500 children.

Riqab refers to those who need assistance to pursue their education, and in Singapore, this refers to the children of our zakat beneficiaries. This increase ensures that our children can begin their academic year with the necessary resources, without adding undue financial strain on their families.

The increase in Riqab assistance also aligns with MUIS' mission to provide comprehensive support for low-income households, focusing on both short-term relief and long-term empowerment.

By prioritising education and developmental needs, MUIS is building a foundation for a more resilient and empowered community for the future.

As mentioned earlier, MUIS also has a special disbursement during Ramadan, aimed at supporting different vulnerable groups within the Muslim community and providing joy during this festive period.

I am pleased to announce that we will be providing $3.08 million to 8,200 beneficiaries, including 1,350 tertiary students from low-income families in Ramadan 2025.

This special Ramadan disbursement also addresses meals and food provisions for families through Fidyah support.

This is done in partnership with mosques, where we are organising meal deliveries to Zakat beneficiaries who have mobility issues and providing groceries for families-in-need.

Strengthened Community Support and Solidarity

I am also pleased to also highlight the success of our SalamSG initiative, which has brought our mosques and communities together through various events.

The recent SalamSG Gives event on 22nd February 2025 held at Masjid Al-Khair, Masjid Abdul Aleem Siddique and Masjid Al-Muttaqin was a testament to our community's spirit of giving and volunteerism.

In total, the effort benefitted 480 households, an increase of 30 percent from last year.

This initiative has equipped the Muslim families to prepare physically and spiritually for Ramadan, ensuring they can truly experience the spirit of this month.

We look forward to more SalamSG events like the Ramadan Youth Challenge and the Night of Power, which will further bring our community together during this Ramadan.

More information is available on the SalamSG website at ramadan.ourmasjid.sg.

Our commitment to community support does not stop at our borders.

Our mosques are actively supporting M3 and RLAF’s efforts to raise funds for Gaza.

The fundraising collaboration between M3 and RLAF demonstrates our solidarity with those in need, wherever they may be.

This fundraising appeal which started on 24 February 2025 will last till 6 April 2025.

The funds raised will support the procurement of vital supplies such as food, water, health and medical supplies for the affected communities in Gaza.

Call to Action

As we move forward, I encourage all of us to continue our generous contributions to Zakat and other community funds such as the Wakaf Masyarakat Singapura (WMS).

Your support is crucial in building a Community of Success. Every contribution, no matter how small, plays a part in uplifting our community and strengthening our bonds of solidarity.

As we prepare to break our fast together, I want to reaffirm MUIS' unwavering commitment to supporting vulnerable groups within our community.

The impact we have achieved reflects your generosity and the strengthening of our community spirit.

Together, we can continue to build a confident, resilient, and empowered Muslim community in Singapore.

May we have a blessed Ramadan and Selamat Berbuka Puasa.

Thank you.