SM Teo Chee Hean at Jamiyah's 90th Anniversary Gala Dinner

Menteri K Shanmugam, Menteri Ali Rustam, Menteri Negara Kanan, Menteri Negara,

Datuk Dr Mohd Hasbi Abu Bakar, Presiden Jamiyah,

Tetamu terhormat

Para hadirin sekalian

Salam sejahtera. Saya sangat berbesar hati kerana dapat bersama anda semua untuk menyambut ulang tahun Jamiyah yang ke-90.

Jamiyah telah melangkah jauh sejak ia ditubuhkan pada 1932. Ia bermula sebagai sebuah pertubuhan dakwah yang bertujuan untuk mengongsi ajaran dan nilai-nilai Islam dengan rakyat Singapura yang beragama Islam. Selama bertahun, Jamiyah telah meraih kepercayaan dan pengiktirafan masyarakat Melayu/Islam. Ia juga telah memperluas aktiviti-aktiviti untuk menyediakan khidmat kebajikan dan kemasyarakatan bagi memberi manfaat kepada masyarakat Singapura yang lebih luas.

Kejayaan Jamiyah selama ini boleh dikaitkan kepada tiga faktor utama. Pertama, kepimpinan yang berkesan. Saya ingin mengiktiraf para pemimpin Jamiyah yang merentasi generasi, termasuk Maulana Abdul Aleem Siddique, Syed Ibrahim Omar Alsagoff, Haji Abu Bakar Maidin dan sekarang, Dr Mohd Hasbi Abu Bakar. Mereka telah mempamerkan komitmen dan daya tahan, serta membentangkan visi dan misi yang jelas dan berpandangan ke hadapan untuk pertubuhan ini.

Kedua, kerjasama erat antara Jamiyah dan Pemerintah. Ini telah membolehkan program-program kebajikan dan kemasyarakatan Jamiyah dilaksanakan dengan lancar dan berkesan. Kerjasama ini juga telah membolehkan Jamiyah memperkaya wacana nasional kita tentang pelbagai isu. Ini termasuk ancaman radikalisme dan pengganasan, hubungan antara agama, dan pembangunan wanita dan belia. Kami menghargai pandangan Jamiyah mengenai perkara-perkara ini.

Ketiga, Jamiyah mengambil pendekatan yang inklusif. Ia telah membuka program-program dan aktiviti-aktivitinya kepada mereka yang kurang bernasib baik, tidak kira bangsa dan agama. Ramai penderma dan sukarelawan Jamiyah terdiri daripada para individu daripada semua bangsa. Mereka telah memainkan peranan yang amat diperlukan dalam inisiatif-inisiatif berterusan Jamiyah.

Saya mengucapkan setinggi-tinggi tahniah kepada seluruh barisan pemimpin dan kakitangan Jamiyah Singapura. Terima kasih atas kerja baik dan usaha anda untuk membawa perubahan kepada masyarakat Islam kita. Saya yakin bahawa anda akan terus berkhidmat kepada masyarakat dan Singapura dengan penuh semangat, serta membawa Jamiyah Singapura ke tahap yang lebih tinggi. Terima kasih.

Izinkan saya teruskan dalam Bahasa Inggeris.

English Speech

Colleagues, Your Excellencies, Honoured Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen

My warmest congratulations to Datuk Dr Mohd Hasbi Abu Bakar, President of Jamiyah, the Executive Council and Members of Jamiyah on this joyous occasion of Jamiyah Singapore’s 90th Anniversary. Jamiyah has much to be proud of for reaching this significant milestone. Your success reflects the commitment and resilience of your leaders, members and volunteers, and the strong support that Jamiyah enjoys from the community.

Community organisations like Jamiyah play an important role in complementing the Government’s efforts in serving the community and meeting the community’s needs. You initiate and implement a range of social programmes for your beneficiaries, many of whom are from low-income families. Because you are familiar with the needs of your respective communities, you are able to work closely with volunteers to design programmes that are responsive and effective. You are well placed to provide early intervention assistance, especially to those with pressing needs. One core aspect of Jamiyah’s work is to help rehabilitate drug offenders and ease their reintegration into society. Jamiyah has not only helped many drug offenders to live better lives, but also inspired several of them to form support groups to assist other drug offenders in turning their lives around. These are very important steps, and constructive and positive efforts to deal with the serious problem of drugs that is affecting many countries around the world, and has helped to alleviate this problem in Singapore.

Community organisations and social service agencies also play an important role during times of crisis, helping to build resilience and offer support to the community. For example, despite the challenges and disruptions from COVID-19, Jamiyah persevered in organising programmes for the community, such as virtual prayer sessions; talks on mental health and inter-racial harmony; and an international webinar on the role of faith leaders amidst the challenges of the pandemic. Jamiyah also launched a new Community Food Bank known as “JamPacked” at Bukit Batok to provide more family-centred services to those in need.

Another important role that community organisations play is in expanding our common space and bringing different groups together. You mobilise the community, and encourage different stakeholders to work together for the greater good of society. Jamiyah has been a big advocate and proponent of building multi-racial and multi-religious harmony in Singapore. The Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO) in Singapore was established in 1949 by Jamiyah’s founder, Moulana Abdul Aleem Siddique. Over the years, Jamiyah has adopted an inclusive approach towards networking with volunteers and community leaders from different races and religions. You have built close ties with other religious organisations, and partnered them in organising social and welfare activities, such as home makeovers during the major festivals. Such meaningful activities build important bridges and trust between the different racial and religious communities in Singapore. I do not under-estimate the importance of that significant step of establishing an Inter-Religious Organisation in Singapore. In many countries in the world, it is not possible to form such an organisation because it means that the people from different faiths have to come together and look at what they have in common and what unites them. But, often, the tendency is to look at the differences and what divides them. The IRO in Singapore, for many decades, has played the important role in laying this foundation of bringing people of different faiths together, to unite with common purpose, with trust with each other.

Tonight, I am very happy to launch Jamiyah’s latest inter-faith initiative: the Inter-Faith Exemplary Award, which honours organisations and individuals who have made significant contributions towards achieving peace and harmony in Singapore. Amidst global trends of populist nationalism, racial politics and religious intolerance, such initiatives are more important than ever. We must all continue to nurture a society that respects differences, embraces diversity, and celebrates our multi-religious, multi-racial society. At its core, we also strengthen the shared values that unite us as one people. This gives us strength to face an increasingly uncertain world.

Congratulations to Jamiyah once again on your 90th anniversary. I wish Jamiyah many more years of successful service for the community and the nation. Thank you.

. . . . .

English Translation of Malay Speech

Datuk Dr Mohd Hasbi Abu Bakar, President of Jamiyah

Distinguished guests

Ladies and gentlemen

Good evening. I am pleased to join all of you to celebrate Jamiyah’s 90th anniversary.

Jamiyah has come a long way since it was established in 1932. It started as a missionary organisation with the aim of sharing Islamic teachings and values with Singapore Muslims. Over the years, Jamiyah has won the trust and recognition of the Malay/Muslim community. It has also expanded its range of activities to provide welfare and community services to benefit the wider Singapore society.

Jamiyah’s success over the years can be attributed to three key factors. First, effective leadership. I would like to acknowledge Jamiyah’s leaders across generations, including Maulana Abdul Aleem Siddique, Syed Ibrahim Omar Alsagoff, Haji Abu Bakar Maidin, and today, Dr Mohd Hasbi Abu Bakar. They have displayed commitment and resilience, and laid out a clear and forward-looking vision and mission for the organisation.

Second, a close partnership between Jamiyah and the Government. This has enabled the smooth and effective implementation of Jamiyah’s many welfare and community programmes. The partnership has also allowed Jamiyah to enrich our national discourse on various issues. These include the threat of radicalism and terrorism, interfaith relations, and women and youth development. We value Jamiyah’s views on these matters.

Third, Jamiyah adopts an inclusive approach. It has opened up its programmes and activities to the less privileged, regardless of race and religion. Jamiyah’s many donors and volunteers come from all races. They have been indispensable to Jamiyah’s ongoing initiatives.

My heartiest congratulations to the entire leadership and staff of Jamiyah Singapore. Thank you for your good work and making a difference to our Muslim community. I am confident that you will continue to serve the community and Singapore with passion, and bring Jamiyah Singapore to greater heights. Thank you.

Let me continue in English.

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