PM Lawrence Wong at MUIS Buka Puasa at Masjid Al-Istighfar

Representatives of MUIS and Masjid Al-Istighfar,

My Cabinet and Parliamentary colleagues,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Good evening, selamat petang. I am very happy to join all of you today for buka puasa. I do so every year in Ramadan. But it is special this year because I am joining you for the first time in my capacity as Prime Minister.

Ramadan is a time for Muslims to share their blessings with others. Every year, mosques across Singapore bring Muslims and non-Muslims together to share the joy and blessings of this holy month.

We may have different faiths in Singapore, but here we live harmoniously together– we learn to give and take, we celebrate each other’s festivals and traditions. This is something truly rare and precious, which we must cherish and protect always. It’s what makes Singapore an oasis of peace and harmony and that is what makes us stands out, especially today, in a dangerous, troubled and volatile world. Singapore is different and we know it, and we should always cherish what we have.

All our faith leaders in Singapore have worked hard to contribute to this strong sense of mutual understanding and respect, and to reinforce common values across our different religions. Indeed, many mosques encourage their congregants to give back to the community, especially during Ramadan but also throughout the year.

And our mosques have come a long way, as we heard from Khairul just now. In particular, I appreciate the presentation on what Masjid Al-Istighfar is doing with its various projects– the Inter-Generational Bonding Programme and the TAMAR project which were highlighted. All these highlight the vital role that our mosques play in Singapore. They serve the socio-religious needs of our Muslim community, teach good character and values, and also contribute to our wider society here in Singapore.

The government itself is strictly secular in our approach and we are even-handed in treating all faiths. We have to be, because Singapore has to be a country for all Singaporeans regardless of their beliefs. But we as the government recognise the importance of faith– it empowers people with strength and purpose, and faith can be a positive force for society. That is why our development planning for different estates takes into account our population’s religious needs, including the need for places of worship like our mosques.

Currently, there are 71 mosques in Singapore. Minister Masagos and the MUIS team have been reviewing the mosque building plans, and I am happy to share some updates with you this evening.

First, MUIS will proceed with a new mosque in Tampines North.

You would be familiar with this as this mosque was announced earlier. Unfortunately we had Covid and a huge disruption to all the building plans, so the building of this mosque had to be held back.

But now we are able to resume our plans and the team will get prepared and ready and we hope to get construction started in 2027. In fact the new mosque will be located not far from here, at Tampines North Drive 5. I am sure it will help to meet the rising demand for prayer spaces in this area.

Second, MUIS will also build a new mosque at Tengah.

Tengah as you know, is on the other side of Singapore in the West. But it is a new town and it is growing very quickly. The population is growing rapidly and more young families are moving in, including Muslim families. So there is clearly a need for a mosque there too.

MUIS is working with the relevant agencies to identify a suitable site for the mosque, and will release more details in due course.

I am confident the two new mosques will better support the needs of our Muslim community, as you press ahead with your efforts to grow as a Community of Success. And they will also help you with your ambitions and plans to have a cohesive, connected and impactful mosque sector. We have come such a long way, and the addition of these two new mosques, I am sure it will add to your plans and will enable you to better achieve your objectives.

To conclude, I also hope that we will continue our efforts to support one another in the community, and importantly, as we practice our faith, that we also do our part to strengthen our multi-racial and multi-religious harmony, as one cohesive and united people. This is the spirit that will enable us to go far, especially this year as we mark SG60. This is how we will build a better future together for the next 60 years and beyond. And this is how we can make this Singapore miracle continue to endure for many more generations to come.

So on that note, I wish all our Muslim friends selamat berpuasa and a blessed and meaningful Ramadan. Semoga Ramadan ini membawa sinar bahagia kepada anda sekeluarga. Terima kasih.

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