Tag: Singaporeans

MUIS Builds Villas On Wakaf Land To Fund Upgrading of Al-Huda Mosque

The 110-year-old Al-Huda Mosque in Jalan Haji Alias, off Sixth Avenue, will be getting new neighbours – six luxury villas that come with a swimming pool.

And money from the sale of these villas will be used to fund the current upgrading of the mosque.

Known as Alias Villas, the semi-detached strata landed units were launched yesterday by Warees Investments, the real estate development arm of the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis).

The three-storey villas have a 99-year lease and are expected to be ready by 2017. They range from 3,000 to 3,670 sq ft and will go for at least $1,500 per sq ft, or around $5 million each.

The launch is part of an ongoing revitalisation scheme by Warees Investments to enhance the asset value of wakaf properties, which are built on land bequeathed or willed by Muslims towards religious or charitable uses. The 30,450 sq ft wakaf land parcel that will house the villas was donated in 1905 by Indian landowner Navena Choona Narainan Chitty to trustees for building the Al-Huda mosque.

Upgrading works to the mosque began last June and are due for completion next month. The $1.1 million upgrading cost is expected to be reimbursed with money from the sale of the adjacent villas.

“Alias Villas is a reflection of the success of the Singaporean Muslim community,” said Mr Haider M. Sithawalla, chairman of Warees Investments’ board of directors.

“What used to be a humble plot of land in the middle of the old Kampung Tempeh is now going to be a prestigious residential development in the heart of District 10,” he added, referring to how the area used to be a kampung from the 1920s to 1980s.

At the launch at Marina Mandarin hotel yesterday, Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim said: “The whole idea is really to unlock the value of our wakaf. So this is a good example… a mosque which has been bequeathed with a little piece of land… We’ve been able to maximise it to generate further income for the mosque and for the beneficiaries of the wakaf.”

He said he believed the duty of Muis and Warees is to maximise the potential of the wakaf land because the benefit goes back to the community.

“So I think this is something which we are obligated to do and we will do our best with the help of the community.”

One-stop website for Malay heritage

Spanning news features, videos and even a digitised traditional game, a new website aims to be a one-stop gateway for resources on the Malay community’s heritage.

The WarisanSG portal, warisansg.com, was launched yesterday by the Malay Heritage Foundation (MHF). Available in Malay and English, it includes news articles, event listings, picture and video galleries, and even a cyber version of congkak, a traditional Malay game.

More than 20 Republic Polytechnic and National University of Singapore students who interned with the foundation contributed to the site’s content.

A mobile game app and book were also launched yesterday. The app, Warisan Enigma, is a puzzle game where players can find out more about the history of Malay artefacts dating as far back as the 14th century.

The book, Faith, Authority And The Malays: The Ulama In Contemporary Singapore, is the third of five books in the Singapore Malays: Our Heritage & Legacy series.

Written by Mr Norshahril Saat, a doctorate candidate at Australian National University, it looks at the history of the Islamic religious elite and how Malay Muslims here respond to the challenges of modernisation while preserving their Islamic heritage.

Ms Sim Ann, Minister of State for Communications and Information, and Education, attended the launch at the Malay Heritage Centre in Sultan Gate. She said these initiatives will facilitate the documentation, promotion and preservation of Malay heritage.

“As we celebrate our nation’s 50th birthday this year, I am heartened by the efforts of individuals and organisations, such as the MHF, in the documentation and preservation of our local culture and heritage. This is a task that has no end, and is much better done by many hands and minds.”

Source: http://news.asiaone.com

February 1, 2015
Man Dubbed “Bishan Gay” Terrorising Boys In Bishan Estate

Students in Bishan have been complaining about a middle aged man in the area who would stalk them, and sometimes harass them.

The man has been nicknamed “Bishan Gay” by local students as he often lurks outside schools, fast food areas and cafes visually harassing young school boys.

He has been caught following students and if often seen in a green raffles institution alumni polo shirt.

Sometimes, he is seen taking photographs of the boys while pretending to casually use his handphone.

Students and parents have feedbacked about the man but nothing has been done as he has apparently not broken any laws.

Nevertheless, students feel threatened by him as he constantly stares at them.

On some occasions, the man has been seen patting young children on the head.

When he is confronted, he will deny stalking or following anyone and he says he is just taking pictures of the scenery as he likes Bishan.

Do you think something should be done to stop people like this?

Here are photos of the man taken by various students who have seen him.

Source: www.therealsingapore.com

January 30, 2015
Singapore Is World’s Most Expensive City To Live In

Singapore has topped the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) list of the world’s most expensive cities to live in, according to the 2014 list released yesterday (this morning, March 4, Singapore time).

Singapore jumped five places from No 6 last year to top this year’s list after rising in the list in recent years. The city was ranked No 18 a decade ago in the EIU’s Worldwide Cost of Living Survey.

The Republic’s strong currency, which has appreciated about 40 per cent over the past decade, combined with soaring utility bills and the high cost of car ownership contributed to Singapore’s rise in the list, according to the EIU. Singapore is also the most expensive place in the world to buy clothes.

Paris, Oslo, Zurich and Sydney also made the top five of the EIU list. Tokyo, the most expensive city to live in for 2013, fell to joint sixth place alongside Caracas, Geneva and Melbourne. At No 10 is Copenhagen.

“Improving sentiment in structurally expensive European cities combined with the continued rise of Asian hubs means that these two regions continue to supply most of the world’s most expensive cities,” said Mr Jon Copestake, the editor of the EIU report.

“But Asian cities also continue to make up many of the world’s cheapest, especially in the Indian subcontinent.”

Predominantly higher costs of groceries has been singled out as a reason for most Asian cities figuring highly in this year’s list, with Tokyo still at the top of the list for everyday food items.

The EIU’s Worldwide Cost of Living Survey, which is published twice a year, compares more than 400 individual prices across 160 products and services including food, clothing, household supplies, home rentals, transport and utility prices. All cities are compared against New York City as a base.

According to the EIU statement, the survey is meant to let human resource line managers and expatriate executives compare the cost of living in 140 cities in 93 countries, which would allow hiring companies to calculate a fair remuneration package for relocating employees.

Source: www.todayonline.com

January 30, 2015
Yaacob Ibrahim: Zakat Was Not Used To Fund MUIS’ Operating Expenditure

Zakat, a tithe contributed by Muslims, is not used to fund the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore’s (MUIS) operating expenditure, said Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs and Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim in Parliament on Thursday (Jan 29).

MUIS is funded by its General Endowment Fund, which has a number of income sources, including property, inheritance and investment income, and fees for services such as Halal certification, said Dr Yaacob. Zakat funds are not part of the General Endowment Fund and are separately accounted for, added the minister.

Dr Yaacob said this in response to a question by Member of Parliament for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC Zainal Sapari, who asked if any zakat was used to fund MUIS’ operating expenditure. Mr Zainal also asked what the total amount of zakat collected by MUIS was, and the breakdown of allocation of zakat to the beneficiaries.

HOW ZAKAT WAS USED

Dr Yaacob said the amount of zakat collected in 2013 was S$28.4 million, while the total for 2014 has not yet been confirmed through audit.

Of the S$28.4 million in 2013, about S$11 million, or 40 per cent, was disbursed to the needy through direct financial assistance and empowerment programmes, said Dr Yaacob, and 5,263 families were helped through direct financial assistance in 2013.

Another 40 per cent was used to support mosques and madrasahs through grants, programmes, and funds for the training of teachers, mosque religious officers, volunteers and youth development officers, he added.

The remaining zakat was used for dakwah, or the propagation of Islamic knowledge, and public education, the development of Islamic education, and the funding of expenses incurred in the administration of Zakat, as well as assistance for Muslim converts, said Dr Yaacob.

Source: www.channelnewsasia.com

January 30, 2015
Teo Chee Hean: No Indication Of Heightened Threat To Singapore From ISIS

There is no indication of a heightened threat to Singapore specific to the Republic’s support to the coalition against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), said Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Teo Chee Hean in Parliament on Wednesday (Jan 29).

However, the violence in Syria and Iraq continues and raises the overall threat level in every country, as ISIS still attracts extremists and encourages its overseas supporters to carry out attacks on home soil, using all means available, Mr Teo said.

He was responding to a question posed by MP Alex Yam Ziming on whether there were heightened threat to Singapore, and whether additional measures are required to address issues of self-radicalisation.

ADDRESSING IDEOLOGY

On the second question, Mr Teo said self-radicalisation is a problem as it can lead to “lone-wolf” attacks.

“We have had instances of Singaporeans becoming self-radicalised even before the Syrian conflict. ISIS has, however, worsened the threat through its widespread and effective use of social media to radicalise and recruit foreign fighters and supporters,” he said.

There is growing international recognition of the need to “deal upstream with the ideology that fuels jihadist terrorism”, said Mr Teo, who added Singapore will be hosting the East Asia Summit Symposium on Religious Rehabilitation and Social Reintegration in April this year.

“The Symposium will share best practices among participating countries and build capability to counter the terrorists’ radical ideology,” he said.

Source: www.channnelnewsasia.com

January 30, 2015