Building on the strong foundation that we share

Mr Abdul Jaleel, Chairman of Masjid Bencoolen, 

Dr M A Kader, President, Jamal Mohamed College Alumni Association,

Community leaders, 

Distinguished Guests, 

1. A very good evening to all of you. And I am very happy to be able to join you this evening for this Ifthar meal. 

Giving during Ramadan

2. Ramadan is a period of great spiritual importance for everyone in the Muslim community. During this holy month, Muslims take time to reflect and to fast. One key objective of fasting is to enable one to better empathise with those who are suffering. This is done in the spirit of enhancing charitable behaviour among members of the Muslim community.

3. The Jamal Mohamed College Alumni Association is doing precisely that by donating new clothes to the Jamiyah Children’s Home. We know that while many Muslim families may decorate their homes and wear new clothes to mark Hari Raya Puasa, some of them, especially children from less-privileged backgrounds, may not have the means to do so. The gift from the Alumni Association will allow nearly 70 young children from the Jamiyah Home to welcome the festivities in new clothes, and to enjoy the occasion with cheers and hope. This is a significant gesture by the Association, as it helps to let the children know that as a society in Singapore, all of us care for the vulnerable, we care for the needy and we are prepared to do our part to look out for them.

The Alumni Association’s contributions to the community & encouraging more giving in Singapore

4. The JMC Alumni Association has been consistently doing good in the community, not just during this Ramadan but throughout the year. Since its establishment in 2010, its members have contributed to charities that serve the young and the old, like the Jamiyah Home for the Aged. Dr Kader, the president of the association, was asked why they invest so much of their time into the community. His answer was simple and I think, to the point. He simply replied, “We want to give back to the place that we call home!” I think that is something all of us would do well to emulate.

5. And I am very encouraged by how the Association, and its partners like SINDA, have worked to contribute to not just the Indian community, but the wider Singapore society. These members, who include accountants, teachers and entrepreneurs, have offered numerous free workshops to coach less-privileged students in various academic subjects. For example, in 2012, members of the association had personally conducted classes on how to do better in Mathematics. This is highly commendable, and I would like to thank the Alumni Association and SINDA teams for giving their time and talent back to society.

6. We hope to see more of such efforts by the community, for the community. So that is something my ministry, MCCY, we would like to encourage. We want to encourage more professionals, more working adults to make use of their skills and serve the community and serve the society, just like what our JMC members are doing. I believe that’s something that would help to build up a strong culture of giving in Singapore. By having such skills-based volunteerism, it would help to provide pro bono professional services, and enables working adults to engage in fulfilling voluntary work. Over time, I believe, we can build up a kinder and a more gracious society and we can realise our vision of a Giving Nation for Singapore.

Bridging communities through this Ifthar meal

7. I’m also very glad to see many people of different faiths and races here tonight, gathering to break fast together with all of our Muslim friends. It’s wonderful that this Ifthar event has become an opportunity for non-Muslims to deepen their bonds with their Muslim friends. It’s become an occasion where we can build inter-personal relationships with one another, regardless of race or religion. And this is something very fundamental in Singapore, it’s about our racial harmony and it is something very precious to all of us.

8. So, I thank all of you for helping to build a society that is based on mutual understanding, compassion, and respect for one another. I think these values will become increasingly important for Singapore as we move forward. There are many studies that are being done that showed that, around the world in the Asia-pacific region, there is a trend of increasing religiosity. For example, the Pew Research Centre recently found this to be the case. More people are becoming in the Asia-pacific region. I think it is a good thing because faith is an important for all of us, all human beings, and it’s a positive force for society. But at the same time, we must make extra effort to preserve fundamental values, to preserve the trust and mutual respect among our different communities, and to expand our common space as Singaporeans, and strengthen our social cohesion as Singaporeans.

9. I am confident that we can continue building on the strong foundation that we share, that regardless of race, language or religion, we are one united people here in Singapore. I would like to wish all our Muslim friends here a blessed and happy month of Ramadan, and Selamat Berpuasa.