Contributing Citizens, Stronger Nation (Masyarakat Penyumbang, Perkukuh Negara)

Speech By Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for Social and Family Development, Second Minister for Health and Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs, at Minister’s Hari Raya Get-Together on 28 April 2023

Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong,

Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean,

Mufti of Singapore,

Fellow Parliamentarians, 

Community leaders,

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Introduction

1. Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh and Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri. It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to our annual Hari Raya Get-together. 
2. I feel blessed that we are able to gather here tonight in the warm company of old and new friends, both within and outside the Malay/Muslim community. The last three years have been challenging, but it has strengthened our resolve to be each other’s keeper – looking out for one another – regardless of our race, language or religion. We are stronger together and able to leverage the better conditions that we enjoy today as we continue improving, striving towards greater success for ourselves, our community and our nation. 
3. Our community is unique – we are a minority Muslim community living in a multiracial, secular, and progressive country. Our anchor values as a Community of Success: Character, Competency and Citizenry, have enabled us to do better generation after generation. Every Ramadan, we step up and exemplify the values of Rahmatan Lil Alamin to show love and compassion for all. This spirit of working together – gotong royong – is embedded in the Malay/Muslim DNA. This is why we have achieved this much thus far. 
4. In past speeches, I spoke about the Character and Competency aspects of our community. Tonight, let me share three areas where we can play a role as active citizens, making a positive difference to the lives of those around us. 
   1. First, as individuals, what we should do for ourselves; 
   2. Second, as a community, what we can do to uplift, not just our present generation but also future generations; and
   3. Third, through active citizenry, what we can do to contribute meaningfully to build a stronger nation. 
   Allow me to continue in Malay.
   
   Tuan-tuan dan puan-puan yang saya hormati,
5. Tahun ini, kita menyambut Syawal dengan penuh kemeriahan bersama sahabat-handai dan keluarga yang dikasihi. Nilai-nilai Masyarakat Gemilang: Keperibadian, Kemahiran dan Kewarganegaraan yang ditampilkan masyarakat kita sepanjang tiga tahun lalu membantu kita semua keluar daripada krisis pandemik. Nilai-nilai ini pula dilestarikan melalui ikatan keluarga yang kukuh pasca COVID-19. Sememangnya ikatan keluarga menjadi teras kehidupan bermasyarakat di mana sifat keikhlasan dan rasa tanggungjawab antara satu sama lain dipupuk bak melentur buluh dari rebungnya. Lantas, kita mahu membina keluarga-keluarga yang Mandiri, Mantap dan Maju sebagai tunjang Masyarakat Gemilang. 
6. Usaha ini memerlukan komitmen kita semua untuk terus memperbaiki diri, menyumbang kepada masyarakat dan negara. 
   1. Pertama, sebagai individu, kita perlu Mandiri, dan bertanggungjawab menjaga diri sendiri. Terpenting, mengamalkan gaya hidup sihat dan memelihara kesihatan kita.
   2. Kedua, sebagai anggota masyarakat, kita perlu berikhtiar mencapai keMantapan hidup yang membolehkan kita membina aset, untuk diri sendiri dengan niat beramal kepada masyarakat dan generasi seterusnya.
   3. Ketiga, kita perlu melanjutkan semangat saling membantu kepada masyarakat lain juga supaya terus Maju sebagai satu “Masyarakat Penyumbang, yang memPerkukuh Negara.”
   Menjaga Kesihatan Demi Belakang Hari
7. Di perjumpaan Hari Raya tahun lalu, saya berkongsi perjalanan peribadi memperbaiki kesihatan diri. Saya mengakhiri ucapan saya dengan mengajak kita semua, para pemimpin masyarakat, menjadi teladan bagi menjaga kesihatan. Saya harap lebih ramai daripada kita tahun ini berada dalam keadaan lebih sihat. Kalau tahun lalu saya memetik lirik “Tiru Macam Saya” dendangan Saloma, hari ini, saya merujuk lagu kempen Kementerian Kesihatan (MOH) nyanyian Rahimah Rahim pula. “Kak Gerl” mengingatkan kita supaya mengurangkan garam dalam masakan. Sebenarnya, terdapat banyak pilihan alternatif lebih sihat untuk gantikan bahan masakan kita. Maka itu, ayuh kita “swap it away” dan hidangkan jamuan lebih berkhasiat Hari Raya ini. Malah, kita juga harus “swap away”  kandungan minyak, gula dan karbohidrat yang berlebihan. 
8. Tidak dapat disangkal pentingnya tubuh yang sihat dalam kehidupan seharian. Ini juga sebahagian daripada tuntutan agama dan tanggungjawab kita kepada diri sendiri dan keluarga. Kesihatan itu adalah satu rahmah yang diberi dan menjadi amanah kita untuk menjaganya. Ia sangat kritikal dalam membentuk insan mandiri. Pasti, hanya kalau kita sihat dapat kita menyumbang secara aktif kepada pembangunan masyarakat dan negara. Saya rasa bertanggungjawab untuk memastikan anggota masyarakat kita mengambil berat hal kesihatan, sepertimana kita mengambil berat hal pendidikan. Justeru, saya telah mengumumkan bidang tumpuan kelima M³ di majlis pelancaran Pesta Saham Kesihatan M³ bulan lalu supaya ia dijadikan keutamaan masyarakat kita.  
9. Saya gembira agensi-agensi M³ sudahpun giat bekerjasama dengan Lembaga Penggalak Kesihatan (HPB) untuk memperkenalkan usaha-usaha tertumpu bagi menggalak masyarakat menjaga kesihatan mereka. Antara petanda baik adalah: 
   1. Rangkaian Jaga Kesihatan Jaga Ummah (JKJU) yang terdiri daripada masjid-masjid dan badan-badan Melayu/Islam (MMO), sudahpun mendampingi 32,000 penduduk dalam tempoh hanya empat bulan lalu.
   2. Masyarakat Melayu kita juga mencatat kemajuan dalam beberapa indeks kesihatan.  
      1. Jumlah pesakit Melayu dengan tahap kolesterol darah tinggi kian berkurangan. Sekitar 39% dicatat antara 2019 dan 2020 berbanding sekitar 41% pada 2017.
      2. Lebih ramai wanita Melayu menjalani saringan barah payudara, naik dari 10% pada 2017 kepada hampir 19% pada 2021. Jumlah ini bagaimanapun masih rendah berbanding purata negara iaitu sekitar 31%.  
10. Dalam pada itu, lebih ramai individu Melayu kian menghidapi tekanan darah tinggi – dari sekitar 23% pada 2017 kepada 37.5% antara 2019 dan 2020. Kadar kegemukan masyarakat kita pula adalah yang tertinggi berbanding masyarakat lain, iaitu hampir 24%, antara 2019 dan 2020. Turut mencatat jumlah tertinggi adalah perokok dalam kalangan masyarakat kita iaitu sekitar 22% pada 2021. Oleh itu, kita masih perlu melipatgandakan usaha untuk menjaga kesihatan masyarakat kita. 
11. Bidang tumpuan baru M³ ini sekaligus menggerakkan masyarakat kita untuk siap mengikuti program negara “SG Yang Lebih Sihat” atau ‘Healthier SG’. Ia menekankan pentingnya pencegahan penyakit dari awal lagi, berbanding mendapatkan rawatan apabila sudah jatuh sakit - bak kata peribahasa “Ingat sebelum kena, jimat sebelum habis”. Program Saham Kesihatan M³ selari dengan matlamat Healthier SG untuk menjadikan pencegahan penyakit sebagai komitmen peribadi melalui tiga usaha: saringan kesihatan yang kerap, gaya hidup aktif dan pemakanan yang baik. Inilah cara terbaik mengelak penyakit kronik seperti kencing manis, darah tinggi dan penyakit jantung supaya kita dapat menjalani mutu kehidupan yang lebih baik. Ramai peserta program rintis Saham Kesihatan di M³@Bandar Jurong and Tampines tahun lalu terus mengamalkan gaya hidup sihat malah sesetengah mereka hilang berat badan sehingga 2-kilogram susuli program itu. Syabas! Kini, 11 lagi M³@Bandar, MENDAKI dan Muis sedang membangunkan program-program Saham Kesihatan mereka sendiri pula, dengan sasaran mencapai 3,000 peserta menjelang hujung tahun ini.
    
    Membina Harta Warisan Masa Depan 
12. Apabila kita sihat lagi mandiri, kita bukan setakat mampu menanggung keperluan sendiri, malah boleh menyumbang kepada kemantapan masyarakat dan negara. Bahkan apabila kita mengumpul harta untuk memanfaatkan generasi selanjutnya, kita menjadi insan mulia. Sesungguhnya Masyarakat Gemilang, adalah masyarakat yang mantap.
13. Bak pepatah Melayu, “Harimau mati meninggalkan belang, manusia mati meninggalkan nama”, amalan menabur budi dan meninggalkan harta warisan sudah sebati dalam tradisi kita. Menyumbang sedekah jariah kepada generasi pelapis adalah suatu amalan yang biasa dilakukan oleh nenek moyang kita.  Wakaf terawal yang dicatatkan di Singapura adalah pada awal abad ke-19. Para dermawan tempatan kita mewakafkan tanah dan hartanah mereka demi memanfaatkan masyarakat am, sekaligus menyemai benih bagi membina dana jangka panjang untuk institusi-institusi agama dan golongan kurang bernasib baik. Mereka cukup yakin bahawa mereka bukan sekadar mendermakan aset, tetapi sebenar-benarnya meninggalkan harta yang akan terus membantu orang lain walaupun setelah mereka meninggal dunia dan mendapat pahala berkekalan hingga ke akhirat. Sayangnya, wakaf terakhir yang dicatat di Singapura oleh seorang individu adalah beberapa dekad lalu pada tahun 1978, oleh Shaikh Taha Abubakar Mattar yang sebahagian hasilnya disalurkan kepada Masjid Sallim Mattar.
14. Demi menyemarakkan semula semangat berwakaf, saya mengumumkan hasrat menubuhkan Wakaf Masyarakat Singapura (WMS) di perjumpaan Hari Raya ini, tiga tahun lalu. WMS bertujuan menampung pendanaan jangka panjang khususnya untuk institusi-institusi keagamaan, pembangunan asatizah dan program-program masyarakat kita. WMS ditubuhkan untuk membolehkan lebih ramai lagi individu meninggalkan harta buat generasi seterusnya agar masyarakat kekal mandiri dan menjadi lebih mantap. Saya berbesar hati Muis hampir selesai menubuhkan WMS bahkan sudahpun mendampingi masyarakat untuk meningkatkan kesedaran tentang wakaf dan alat-alat perancangan harta peninggalan. 
15. Maklum balas masyarakat terhadap WMS amat menggalakkan. Saya sangat gembira ramai menyokong visi wakaf untuk menampung keperluan keagamaan masa depan masyarakat Islam kita dan institusi-institusinya. Pokok dana ini akan dikekalkan dan dilaburkan sepenuhnya. Ia akan menjana pendapatan yang akan disalurkan kepada penerima WMS. Muis sedang berusaha memastikan struktur undang-undang lengkap untuk tadbir urus wakaf ini. Pada masa yang sama, sukacita saya mengumumkan bahawa beberapa individu telah tampil untuk berikrar kepada WMS.  
16. Ini adalah langkah penting dalam memastikan masyarakat kita mantap lantas mampu menampung keperluan jangka panjang kita, Alhamdulillah. Terima kasih saya ucapkan kepada mereka yang telah membuat ikrar bagi membina asas penubuhan WMS. Beberapa daripada mereka hadir bersama kita hari ini.
    1. Antaranya, pengasas dan Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif (CEO) Second Chance Properties,  Encik Salleh Marican yang berikrar akan menderma $2,222,222. Encik Salleh percaya bahawa golongan yang lebih berkemampuan harus tampil menyumbang dan menyokong keperluan masyarakat. Justeru, apabila mendapat tahu tentang WMS, beliau tidak teragak-agak untuk mengetepikan sebahagian asetnya demi membantu merealisasikan visi jangka panjang wakaf ini.
    2. Seorang lagi adalah warga pesara kita, yang hanya mahu dikenali sebagai Encik Kasmani, 72 tahun. Beliau dan keluarganya telah bersepakat untuk menyumbang sebahagian daripada simpanan CPFnya kepada WMS. Mereka mahu aset yang telah dikumpulkan Encik Kasmani semasa beliau sihat dahulu digunakan bagi tujuan amal di dunia dan juga sebagai saham akhirat, yang akan terus mengalir untuk manfaat masyarakat. Sama-sama kita mendoakan agar urusan Encik Kasmani sekeluarga dipermudahkan.
17. Sekali lagi, sekalung budi kepada para pengikrar WMS. Bagi mereka yang berminat untuk turut membuat ikrar kepada WMS, atau mendapatkan maklumat lanjut, anda boleh melayari laman web OurWakaf.sg atau menghubungi Muis secara langsung. Mari kita menghidupkan semula semangat berwakaf dengan menyumbang kepada WMS. Semoga niat kita ini membawa pahala berkekelan hingga ke akhirat. 
    
    Memberi Inspirasi Bantu Orang Lain
18. Sama ada mendermakan harta, mengorbankan masa mahupun tenaga, semangat menyumbang kepada masyarakat merupakan kunci kemajuan dan kejayaan kita bersama. Ramai yang telah tampil berkhidmat kepada masyarakat, memberi inspirasi dan menyantuni individu-individu untuk meningkatkan taraf kehidupan mereka dan keluarga mereka. Sumbangan-sumbangan para individu yang mencurah bakti telah membawa kita ke tahap kemajuan yang kita nikmati hari ini dan mendorong kita untuk terus menyumbang kepada negara.
19. Salah seorang daripada mereka adalah Allahyarham Ustaz Ali Haji Mohamed. Sumbangannya memainkan peranan penting dalam menyemai semangat kewarganegaraan bukan sahaja dalam kalangan masyarakat Melayu/Islam tetapi masyarakat Singapura secara am juga. Dalam memimpin Lembaga Pengiktirafan Asatizah (ARB) dan sebagai anggota mapan Jawatankuasa Fatwa pula, beliau memastikan agar kepimpinan dan panduan agama sentiasa sejajar dengan konteks Singapura yang berbilang agama dan kaum. Perjuangan Allahyarham dalam menggalak sikap bertolak ansur dan persefahaman antara agama dan masyarakat berbilang kaum jelas terserlah melalui kepimpinan beliau sebagai pengerusi Masjid Khadijah selama lebih 30 tahun. Atas prinisip inilah, beliau mengasaskan Kumpulan Pemulihan Keagamaan (RRG) bersama Ustaz Hasbi Hassan. Melalui RRG, Ustaz Ali memimpin para asatizah membimbing mereka yang terpengaruh atau terpesong oleh ajaran-ajaran radikal pulang ke pangkuan masyarakat. Atas sumbangan-sumbangannya yang besar dan bermakna, Ustaz Ali diiktiraf dengan beberapa Anugerah Hari Kebangsaan termasuk Pingat Bakti Masyarakat pada 2001, Bintang Bakti Masyarakat pada 2010 dan Pingat Jasa Gemilang pada 2018. Kita akan sentiasa mengenang dan memperingati komitmen serta jasa budi Ustaz Ali kepada masyarakat Melayu/Islam dan Singapura. Mari kita sama-sama bacakan Al-Fatihah untuknya. 
20. Seperti Ustaz Ali, saya akur ramai dalam kalangan anda di sini juga telah menyumbang masa dan tenaga demi berkhidmat untuk masyarakat. Dengan seikhlas hati, saya ucapkan terima kasih kepada anda semua. Semangat gotong-royong dan menyumbang semula ini adalah ciri-ciri terbilang masyarakat kita. Kita tidak sahaja menilai kemajuan seseorang itu berdasarkan pendidikan, harta atau pangkat tetapi juga akhlak murni dan budi pekertinya. Mari kita menyantuni sifat-sifat mulia masyarakat kita dan lebih menyumbang di peringkat negara pula.
21. Para sukaralewan kita berasal daripada pelbagai latar belakang, setiap seorang membawa pengalaman tersendiri dan kepakaran masing-masing untuk membantu mereka yang lebih memerlukan. Semangat mereka untuk menyumbang kepada pembangunan masyarakat menjadi tunggak usaha M³.
    1. Project Dian@M³ yang kini diselenggarakan oleh 35 sukarelawan, memerlukan lagi 120 sukarelawan untuk mendampingi lagi 500 keluarga.
    2. KelasMateMatika@M³ pula memerlukan lagi 50 pemudah cara untuk mengendalikan lebih banyak sesi KMM. 
    3. Program-program pementoran kami juga akan diperluaskan dan lagi 200 mentor diperlukan. 
22. Saya harap para sukarelawan kita akan terus menjadi sumber inspirasi kepada lebih ramai lagi untuk tampil menyertai usaha-usaha murni mereka. Saya menyeru mereka sama-sama memikirkan bagaimana untuk melanjutkan lagi usaha dan pengalaman mereka supaya dapat memanfaatkan semua lapisan masyarakat tidak kira bangsa, bahasa atau agama - sama seperti Ustaz Ali  yang memberikan sumbangan bermakna kepada keamanan negara melalui ilmu dan pengalaman beliau sebagai pemimpin agama kita.
    Ladies and gentlemen, 
    
    Conclusion 
23. In conclusion, as a Malay/Muslim Community of Success, we strive to achieve greater success and contribute back to others. We have been strengthened by the challenges we faced through the pandemic and are confident in charting a stronger future together. Moving forward, we are driven by our core values of character, competency and citizenry. In the process, we want to build our families to be self-reliant, stable and socially-mobile. I am confident that as individuals, we will take personal responsibility to take greater care of our health, and as a community continue to build up our legacy through wakaf and inspire many more to pay it forward. By doing so, we will thrive as a competent, cohesive community that actively contributes towards building a stronger nation together.
24. I wish all of you Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Maaf zahir dan batin. Thank you.

English Translation

Respected ladies and gentlemen, 

5. This year, we celebrate Syawal full of joy together with our beloved families and friends. The values of our Community of Success: Character, Competency and Citizenry demonstrated by our community the past three years carried us through the pandemic. These values continue to be enlivened through our strong family ties post COVID-19. Indeed, family is the basis of a community where sincerity and a sense of responsibility towards each other are shaped. That is why we want our families to be Self-reliant, Stable and Socially-mobile because families with these characteristics are the backbone of a Community of Success. 

6. This effort requires all of our commitment to continue improving ourselves, contribute to the community and our nation.

          a. First, as an individual, we have to be Self-reliant dan responsible for our own well-being. Most importantly, we adopt healthy lifestyles and take care of our health.

        b. Second, as a member of the community, we have to put in effort to achieve Stability in our lives which will enable us to grow our assets for ourselves with the intention of contributing to our community and the generations that follow.

        c. Third, we have to extend our spirit of helping one another to those from the other communities as well so that we can continue being Socially-mobile as “Contributing Citizens, Stronger Nation”.

Taking Care of our Health for the Longer Term

7. At last year’s Hari Raya gathering, I shared my personal journey in improving my own health. I concluded the speech by rallying all of us, community leaders, to be examples in taking care of our health. I hope more of us this year are in a better state of health. Last year I quoted Saloma’s song, “Follow Me”. This year, I will quote lyrics from the Ministry of Health (MOH)’s campaign sang by Rahmah Rahim. “Kak Gerl” reminds us to reduce salt in our cooking. In fact, there are many healthier alternatives to our cooking ingredients. Therefore, let us “swap it away” and serve healthier dishes this Hari Raya. In fact, we should also “swap away” excess oil, sugar and carbohydrates. 

8. There is no denying the importance of a healthy body in our daily lives. It is also a religious obligation and responsibility towards ourselves and our families. Health is a blessing and is entrusted to us to be taken care of. It is very critical in shaping us to be self-reliant individuals. It is only when we are healthy that we can actively contribute to community and nation-building. I feel a sense of responsibility to ensure our community takes healthcare seriously, just as we have placed importance on  education. To this end, I announced the formation of M³’s fifth focus area at the launch of the M³ Saham Kesihatan Festival last month to bring the community’s focus on this priority. 

9. I am happy that the M³ agencies have started to work with the Health Promotion Board (HPB) to introduce targeted efforts to encourage our community to take care of their health. Some of the positive outcomes are:

        a. The Jaga Kesihatan Jaga Ummah (JKJU) network comprising mosques and Malay/Muslim Organisations (MMOs) have reached out to 32,000 residents in just the past four months.

          b. Our Malay community also saw progress on some health indicators

                  i. The number of Malay individuals with high blood cholesterol has decreased. About 39% was recorded between 2019 and 2020 as compared to around 41% in 2017.

               ii. More Malay women went through breast cancer screening, from around 10% in 2017 to almost 19% in 2021. However, this figure is still lower than the national average at around 31%. 

10. At the same time, more Malay individuals have hypertension – from around 23% in 2017 to 37.5% between 2019 and 2020. Our community’s obesity rate is the highest as compared to other communities, almost 24% between 2019 and 2020. The number of smokers in our community is also the highest, at 22% in 2021. Therefore, we still have to put in more effort in taking care our community’s health. 

11. Hence, this new M³’s focus area will encourage our community to join the national Healthier SG programme. It emphasises the importance of preventive care compared to seeking treatment after we fall sick. The M³’s Saham Kesihatan initiative complements the Healthier SG, which also focusses on personal commitment to disease prevention through three efforts: regular health screening, active lifestyles and good nutrition. This is the best approach to prevent chronic diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure and heart diseases so that we can lead a better quality of life. Most of the participants from the Saham Kesihatan pilots at M³@Towns in Jurong and Tampines last year continued adopting active lifestyles, with some of them losing up to 2kg after the programme. Congratulations! Now, another 11 M³@Towns, MENDAKI and Muis are developing their own Saham Kesihatan programmes, with a target of reaching 3,000 participants at the end of this year.

Building our Legacy for the Future

12. When we are able to charge of our health, we can do more than meeting our own needs but to contribute to the stability of our community and the nation. When we build wealth not just for our own progress but to benefit the next generation, we become exemplary individuals. Indeed, a Community of Success is a stable and resilient community. 

13. Like the Malay proverb, the practice of sowing kindness and leaving wealth legacy is ingrained in our tradition. Giving recurring charity for the benefit of the next generation is a practice often carried out by our ancestors. The earliest recorded wakaf in Singapore was in the early 19^th century. Our local philanthropists bequeathed their land for the benefit of the larger society, and in doing so, sowing the seeds to fund the long term needs of our religious institutions and the less fortunate. They strongly believed that they were not merely bequeathing an asset but leaving a legacy that will continue to help those in need even after they have passed on, enjoying the rewards of their noble act in the afterlife. Sadly, the last wakaf that was recorded in Singapore by an individual was a few decades ago, in 1978, by Shaikh Taha Abubakar Mattar where a part of the income generated is disbursed to Sallim Mattar Mosque.

14. To rejuvenate the wakaf spirit, I announced my intention to set up the Singapore Community Wakaf (WMS) at this Hari Raya gathering three years ago. WMS aims to fund the community in the long term, particularly for its religious institutions, asatizah development and community programmes. WMS was set up to enable more individuals to bequeath their wealth for the next generation so that our community can remain self-reliant and become even more stable. I am heartened that Muis has almost completed the setting up of WMS and has already reached out to the community to raise awareness on wakaf and legacy planning tools.  

15. The community’s feedback on WMS is also very encouraging. I am very happy that many support the vision of a wakaf to fund the future religious needs of our community and its institutions. The corpus fund will remain untouched and invested wholly. It will generate income that will then be passed to the WMS beneficiaries. Muis is working to ensure the legal structures are in place to administer this wakaf. In the meantime, I am pleased to announce that a few individuals have stepped forward to pledge to WMS. 

16. This is an important step in ensuring that our community is stable and thus able to fund our long-term needs. I thank those who have made their pledges to lay the foundation for WMS. Some of them are here with us today. 

         a. Amongst them, is the founder, and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Second Chance Properties, Salleh Marican who pledged $2,222,222. Mr Salleh believes that those who are better off should step forward to contribute and support the community’s needs. Therefore, when he learnt of WMS, he did not hesitate to set aside a part of his asset to help realise the long-term vision of the wakaf. 

          b. Another example is a retiree who would like to be known only as Mr Kasmani, 72 years old. Mr Kasmani and his family discussed and agreed to contribute a part of his CPF to WMS. They want the asset that Mr Kasmani has built while he was healthy to benefit others and at the same time as an investment for his afterlife, where the contribution continues to meet the community’s needs. Together we pray that Mr Kasmani and his family’s affairs be eased. 

17. Once again, a big thank you to our early WMS pledgers. For those who are interested to make a pledge to WMS or would like to learn more about it, you may visit the infosite OurWakaf.sg or contact Muis directly. Let us revitalise the wakaf spirit by contributing to the Singapore Community Wakaf. May our intentions bring about continued blessings in the hereafter. 

Inspiring Others to Pay it Forward

18. Whether we donate our wealth, sacrifice our time or effort, the spirit of contributing to the society is key to our shared progress and success. Many have come forward to serve our community, inspire and motivate those we help to uplift their lives and their families. The contributions of these individuals have brought us to the level of progress we enjoy today and encourage us to continue contributing to the nation. 

19. Amongst them was the late Ustaz Ali Haji Mohamed. His contributions played an important role in instilling the spirit of citizenry not only within the Malay/Muslim community but to Singapore’s society at large. While helming the Asatizah Recognition Board (ARB) and as an experienced member of the Fatwa Committee, he ensured that our community’s leadership and religious guidance were aligned with Singapore’s multi-racial and multi-religious context. His work in encouraging mutual respect and understanding in our multi-racial and multi-religious society was most prominent throughout his leadership as the Chairman of Khadijah Mosque for over 30 years. Based on these principles, he co-founded the Religious Rehabilitation Group (RRG) with Ustaz Hasbi Hassan. Through RRG, Ustaz Ali led fellow asatizah in guiding those who were influenced or swayed by radical teachings back to society. For his significant and meaningful contributions, Ustaz Ali was presented with several National Day Awards, including the Public Service Medal in 2001, the Public Service Star in 2010 and the Meritorious Service Medal in 2018. We will always cherish and appreciate Ustaz Ali’s unwavering commitment to the Malay/Muslim community and to Singapore. 

20. Like Ustaz Ali, I know that many of us here today also have contributed our time and effort in the service of our community. I sincerely thank you for your contributions. The spirit of gotong-royong and giving back to society are highly regarded characteristics of our community. We do not only judge a person based on their education, wealth or rank but also place emphasis on their morals and character. Let us emulate these exemplary attributes of our community and extend our contributions to the national level. 

21. Our volunteers come from various backgrounds, each of them bringing their own experiences and specializations to help those in need. Their spirit to contribute to the development of our community forms the backbone of M³’s efforts. 

          a. Project Dian@M³ that is now run by 35 volunteers require another 120 volunteers to benefit an additional 500 families.  

          b. KelasMateMatika@M³ on the other hand, needs an additional 50 facilitators to run more KMM sessions. 

          c. Our mentoring programmes will also be expanded and will require another 200 mentors. 

22. I hope that our volunteers will continue to be sources of inspiration to even more individuals to step forward and follow their footsteps. I call upon our volunteers to also think about how to extend help beyond our community to benefit different groups, regardless of race, language or religion, just like Ustaz Ali who contributed meaningfully to our nation’s harmony through his knowledge and experience as our religious leader.