Plans for mosque in Tengah New Town

PQ 6237. Mr Leong Mun Wai: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs (a) whether there are any plans for a mosque to be built in Tengah New Town; (b) if not, why not; (c) if so, where is the planned location of the mosque; and (d) when will the mosque be completed.

1. The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) manages the building of mosques to meet the religious needs of the Muslim community. Those that are already built also need to be rejuvenated over time. The overall plans on mosque developments, such as upgrading and lease renewal, are centrally coordinated and take into consideration demographic changes and the development of new towns and estates across the island.

2. The Mosque Building and Mendaki Fund (MBMF), which collects contributions from working Muslims in Singapore, supports the building and upgrading of mosques in Singapore.

3. Over the years, these funds have been used to build mosques in new residential estates such as Sengkang and Punggol, as well as in more mature estates in Jurong and Woodlands which have seen an increase in demand for prayer spaces, in coordination with the relevant agencies. Leases were also renewed with the MBMF.

4. MUIS will be prudent in applying the MBMF to support the various religious needs of the community. MUIS will also continue to work with the agencies to assess the need for the development of new mosques or to rejuvenate existing ones.