Inter-Faith Harmony: Jamiyah's Role & Contributions

Islam 

1.907 billion 

Hinduism 

1.161 billion 

Buddhism 

506 million 

Sikhism 

26 million 

Judaism 

14.7 million 

Christianity JAMIYAH'S ROLE AND CONTRIBUTIONS 

2.382 billion 

Inter-Faith 

Harmony 

Jamiyah’s Role And Contributions 

Taoism 

12 million 

Baháí 

5.0 million 

Jainism 

4.2 million 

Zoroastrianism 

2.6 million 

1

INTER-FAITH HARMONY IN SINGAPORE 

JAMIYAH'S ROLE AND CONTRIBUTIONS 

Inter-Faith 

Harmony 

Jamiyah's Role and Contributions 

2 3



Published by 

Jamiyah Islamic Centre 

31 Lorong 12 Geylang, 

Singapore 399006 

ISBN: 978-981-18-4777-6 

Copyright © Jamiyah Singapore 2022 

All Rights Reserved. No parts of this publication may be produced, stored 

in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by means, electronic, 

mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior 

permission of the copyright holder. 

Printed by Kal-Precis Pte Ltd 

National Library Board, Singapore Cataloguing in Publication Data 

Name(s): Persekutuan Seruan Islam Singapura, editor, publisher. 

Title: Inter-faith harmony : Jamiyah's role and contributions / editor, 

contributors, Jamiyah Singapore. 

Description: Singapore : Jamiyah Singapore, [2022] 

Identifier(s): ISBN 978-981-18-4777-6 (hardback) 

Subject(s): LCSH: Religious tolerance--Singapore. | Singapore--Religion. 

Classification: DDC 200.95957--dc23 

IV 

Front Cover: World Religion 

Statistics: Source on World 

Size and Projected Growth of 

Major Religious Groups, Pew 

Research Center. https://www. 

pewforum.org/2015/04/02/ 

religious-projections-2010-2050/ 

Contents 

FOREWORD 

Prof (Adj) Datuk Dr 

Mohd Hasbi Abu Bakar 

President of Jamiyah 

Singapore 

MESSAGE 

Mr K Shanmugam 

Minister for Home Affairs 

and Minister for Law 

VI-VII 

I 

INTRODUCTION 

The Racial and 

Religious Situation in 

Colonial Singapore 

Singapore 

Government’s Policies 

in Fostering Racial and 

Religious Harmony 

since 1965 

1 

II III IV V 

JAMIYAH’S 

PIONEERING 

INTER-RELIGIOUS 

ROLE IN PRE- 

INDEPENDENCE 

SINGAPORE 

The Pioneers: 

Maulana Abdul Aleem 

Siddique and Dato 

Syed Ibrahim Omar 

Alsagoff 

Post-World War Era 

Inter-Faith Pioneers 

Other Faith leaders 

and Figures 

13 

JAMIYAH AND THE 

ESTABLISHMENT 

OF THE INTER- 

RELIGIOUS 

ORGANIZATION 

(IRO) 

Jamiyah’s Global 

Inter-Faith Network 

23 

JAMIYAH’S INTER- 

FAITH ACTIVITIES 

AND INITIATIVES IN 

POST-INDEPENDENCE 

SINGAPORE 

Domestic/Local: 

Inter-Faith Welfare Services 

Food Ration 

Medical Clinic 

Legal Advice 

Counselling Service 

Darul Ma’wa 

Darul Takrim 

Darul Syifaa 

Darul Islah 

Women and Family Department 

International/Overseas: 

Active Engagement 

Relations with International 

Islamic Organisations 

Inter-Faith Conferences 

Conferences on Islam, Peace 

and Other Faiths 

Project ‘Touch of Harmony’ with 

New York University (NYU) 

Contributions of Haji Abu Bakar 

Maidin and Other Leaders 

29 

CONCLUSION 

Jamiyah’s 

Contributions 

Towards Peace And 

Harmony In Multi- 

Religious Singapore 

– Then And Now 

Pioneering Inter-Faith 

Figure 

Future of Inter- 

Faith Collaboration: 

Jamiyah’s Continuing 

Role in Singapore 

and Beyond 

VI 

APPENDICES 

Pictorial History 

59 

66 

V



Foreword 

Message 

In today’s world of increasing polarization on issues of race and religion, Singapore stands out as 

a good example of harmonious existence among people of different faiths and ethnocultural practices. 

This has been achieved through careful planning, governance, and contributions by many other 

stakeholders. 

It is in this respect that we remember the significant contributions made by non-governmental 

organizations, including Jamiyah Singapore, towards enhancing and emplacing religious and racial 

harmony as a way of life in Singapore. Visionary faith leaders such as Maulana Abdul Aleem Siddique 

laid the seeds of peace and harmony in this part of the world ever since the early 1940s, before the 

birth of Singapore as an independent nation. Fortunately, for us in Jamiyah Singapore, the legacy of 

the Maulana in his tireless efforts at working together with leaders of different faiths in the pursuit of 

the common good has been conscientiously followed by successive leaders, such as the late Haji Abu 

Bakar Maidin. 

We hope that this publication by us – researching and documenting the contributions of Jamiyah 

towards inter-faith and inter-racial harmony over many decades - is not only timely but will reach as 

many groups, especially our younger generation. As the future of our nation, they have the responsibility 

to carry on this ‘journey of peace and harmony’ to greater heights. 

We are grateful to Honourable Minister Mr K. Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and 

Minister for Law, for penning his message for this volume. 

Prof (Adj) Datuk Dr Mohd Hasbi Abu Bakar 

President of Jamiyah Singapore 

Religious harmony is not a given. We see that around the world, in the West as well as in the 

East. It requires continuous effort to maintain. This is particularly so for Singapore. We are one of the 

most religiously diverse countries in the world. Since independence in 1965, one founding principle 

has remained unchanged: even as Singapore celebrates our religious and racial diversity, we try and 

continue to expand our shared and cherished common spaces. 

In this respect, Jamiyah Singapore has made significant contributions. Jamiyah’s founders and 

pioneers - such as Maulana Abdul Aleem Siddique and Syed Ibrahim Omar Alsagoff - were visionaries 

who brought diverse communities together to work for the common good. Their successors - such as 

the late Haji Abu Bakar Maidin and Dr. Mohd Hasbi Abu Bakar - exemplified the selfless spirit of 

the founders and continued the mission. 

It is encouraging to know that more will be done by Jamiyah to continue the legacy of their 

founding leaders, and to further strengthen inter-faith harmony in our Republic, such as its upcoming 

national initiative to acknowledge and honour those who have contributed to this precious mission of 

fostering and cementing inter-faith relations. 

It is apt that this book, “Inter-Faith Harmony: Jamiyah Singapore’s Role and Contributions” is 

published in conjunction with Jamiyah’s 90th Anniversary. 

Congratulations, and wishing Jamiyah more good years ahead. 

Mr K Shanmugam 

Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law 

VI 

VII



I. Introduction 

Plan of the Town of Singapore 

(1822) by Lieutenant Philip 

Jackson. (Source: Internet) 

View of Singapore in 1880s. 

(Source: Internet) 

The Racial And Religious Situation 

In Colonial Singapore 

uch has been documented by reputable scholars 

and historians about the British colonial rule in 

Singapore ever since the landing of Stamford 

Raffles on this island in 1819 until Singapore’s 

full Independence in 1965. Overall, the British 

attitudes and policies relating to race and religion 

can be summarised as follows. 

To begin with, as with all colonial powers, 

to ensure effective control and management 

of the colonies, the British adopted the ‘divide 

and rule’ strategy to ensure that local inhabitants 

were kept under control and their movements 

and developments closely monitored. The 

overarching motive was to prevent the 

disparate and heterogeneous racial and religious 

communities from banding and uniting together, 

leading to a united rebellion against the colonial 

government 1 . 

Hence, the deliberate initiative in physically 

allowing for the natural convergence of ethnic 

and religious enclaves on the one hand, and 

discouraging inter-ethnic and inter-religious 

integration on the other. The colonial town 

planning record demonstrates this philosophy 

and policy in segregating the different ethnic and 

religious communities from each other: “The first 

town plan of colonial Singapore – known as the 

Raffles Town Plan, or the Jackson Plan of 1828 

– provided a glimpse of early spatial patterns of 

different ethnic communities and their places 

of worship (PWs). The Jackson Plan attempted 

to allocate distinctive spaces in downtown 

Singapore for the ethnic communities and early 

PWs were established by different ethnic groups 

in their settlement areas.” 2 

The various major ethnic communities then 

– Malays, Chinese, and Indians – were left much 

to themselves in their own communal, segregated 

villages, with little interaction with other ethnic 

8VIII 

1



Ethnic Races in Singapore. Photo courtesy of Fotoalbum Singapur. G. R. Lambert & Co., ca. 1890. Collection of National Library, Singapore. [Accession no.: B18975148J] 

and religious groups. For example, historical records 

of colonial Singapore showed the concentration 

of Malays in the Geylang area, Chinese in 

Chinatown, and Indians in Serangoon. This 

legacy of a separate ethnic emporium continues 

when Singapore achieved its first partial selfgovernment 

in 1959 and its full Independence 

in 1965. 

Intriguingly, not only did British officials 

consciously prevent inter-ethnic (and interfaith) 

integration, but some cases, there was 

even intra-ethnic segregation. The ‘open-door’ 

immigration policy adopted by the British to 

capitalise on Singapore’s strategic geographical 

location in Southeast Asia had resulted in the 

Malays (who were then the ethnic majority as 

recorded in the first Population Census of 1824), 

becoming a minority within a decade of colonial 

rule. Significantly too, similar to the Chinese and 

Indian communities, they became less cohesive as 

an ethnic group after being divided into different 

dialect sub-groups such as the Bugis, Boyanese, 

and Javanese. 

Other British policies on education, labour, 

immigration and culture, further consolidated 

this segregated ethnic and religious reality, 

thereby rendering highly problematic the quest 

for a common, national identity amongst the 

disparate communities upon the departure of 

colonial rule 3 . 

Singapore Government’s Policies in 

Fostering Racial and Religious Harmony 

since 1965 

The final exit of colonial rule with the 

attainment of Independence in 1965 by a locallyelected 

government led by the Peoples’ Action 

Party (PAP) – at least initially - saw little initial 

change in the ethnic and religious policies of the 

new government. However, the bitter experiences 

of racial and religious riots in Singapore when 

Singapore was part of the Malaysian Federation 

(1963-65) – first erupted in 1964 and then in 

1969 – shocked the new government. After much 

discussion and concern about the economic and 

security survivability of the new state, PAP 

leaders, notably Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, 

decided to pursue policies that underlined the 

critical importance of racial and religious peace 

amongst the citizens of the new Republic. 

Hence began the launching of a series of 

officially sanctioned state ideologies, such as 

‘multi-racialism’ and ‘meritocracy’. These nationbuilding 

ideologies were soon translated into 

This Equality Principle 

– irrespective of one’s 

race and religion – is 

enshrined in the Republic’s 

Constitution, which 

guarantees the right 

of every person to 

embrace and practice his 

religion freely. 

2 3



1 2 3 

Early places of worship 

established by migrants 

in Singapore: 

1. Sri Mariamman Temple, 1905. 

(Lim Kheng Chye Collection, 

courtesy of National Archives of 

Singapore). 

2. The Thian Hock Keng, completed 

in 1842, served as a place of worship 

for early immigrants. (Collection 

courtesy of NM van Wereldculturen). 

3. Sultan Mosque, the 1930s. (Lim 

Kheng Chye Collection, courtesy of 

National Archives of Singapore). 

4. View of St Andrews Cathedral and 

Raffles monument, 1910 (Courtesy 

of National Archives of Singapore). 

4 

government policies that directly affect many 

public life spheres. The principle governing these 

two national integration pillars is equal treatment 

to all citizens irrespective of race or religion, and 

cherishing their unique cultural traditions, norms 

and practices. Admittedly, some remnants of 

racial discrimination existed in the early years of 

the PAP rule. A case in point that has much been 

documented relates to the compulsory National 

Service enrolment issue. The local Malays’ close 

affinity with neighbouring Malaysia and Islam 

were then offered as the rationale for their 

differentiated treatment in Defense matters; they 

were barred from serving in military units that 

were sensitive to Singapore’s security and were 

not as readily deployed as officers. However, 

the government officially pursued the policy of 

equal treatment for all citizens irrespective of 

race and religion. 

Similar concerns about the limitations of 

Singapore’s ‘meritocracy’ policy have also been 

expressed from time to time. Still, the government 

regularly assure all citizens that it continues to 

be a key cornerstone of the Republic’s nationbuilding 

plan, as was publicly declared as recent 

as 2021 4 . This Equality Principle – irrespective 

of one’s race and religion – is enshrined in the 

Republic’s Constitution, which guarantees the 

right of every person to embrace and practice 

their religion freely. Indeed, the Constitution 

spells out religious freedom in this Republic: 

every individual has a constitutional right to 

profess, practice and propagate his/her religion as 

long as such activities do not affect public order, 

public health, or morality 5 . 

Over the years, numerous policy initiatives 

have been introduced to forge a common 

national identity. Singaporeans of all races and 

religions pledge themselves – in schools and 

workplaces – to build an integrated society. 

The examples of this conscious and continuous 

national integration quest – both from among 

citizens and with foreign workers in the Republic 

– are not too difficult to find 6 . These include the 

establishment of the Peoples’ Association (1960), 

the Presidential Council for Minority Rights 

(1970), the Group Representation Constituency 

(1988), the Maintenance of Religious Harmony 

Act (1990), Racial Harmony Day (1997), Inter- 

Racial and Religious Confidence Circles (2002), 

and most recently, the Maintenance of Racial 

Harmony Act in 2021 7 . 

Given Singapore’s open-door policy to 

attract talent globally and the recurrent concern 

amongst locals about foreigners perceived to be 

not integrating enough with the local population, 

the government established a National 

Integration Council in 2009 to address such 

concerns. Amongst the goals of this Council 

are to “Increase awareness of the importance 

of integration… Help newcomers adapt to the 

Singaporean way of life… Grow common spaces 

and provide platforms for Singaporeans and new 

immigrants to interact… Facilitate the formation 

of friendships and shared experiences among 

Singaporeans and non-locals… Foster and deepen 

emotional attachment and a sense of belonging 

to Singapore among new immigrants” 8 . 

Beyond integrating the new foreign-born 

citizens into the wider Singaporean Society, 

much has been done to integrate and increase the 

level of understanding among the different local 

ethnic and religious communities. The following 

are some of the major policy initiatives launched 

by the government ever since 1965 until today in 

this ongoing quest to forge closer inter-racial and 

inter-faith relations in Singapore 9 . 

These cover issues such as Bilingualism, 

Extra-Curricular Activity in Schools (ECA), 

the National Pledge (Daily School Pledge) is 

undertaken by schoolchildren at the start of school 

4 5



English and a mother tongue language – was officially touted by the then newly-elected PAP government in 1959. (Source: Internet) 

sessions, and other initiatives. Bilingualism – the 

emphasis on learning two languages, English and 

a mother tongue – was officially touted by the 

then newly-elected PAP government in 1959 and 

pursued vigorously since 1966, no sooner after 

Singapore achieved full independence from the 

British. During colonial rule, the earlier language 

policy in making English the primary official 

language and since 1959, Malay as the national 

language was later found to be inadequate. Earlier 

language policies could not address the decline of 

Asian values amidst Westernisation. The usage of 

the Malay language (as a national language) also 

declined after the closure of Malay vernacular 

schools since 1987. 

Furthermore, through ‘Bilingualism’, the 

government saw an added avenue to foster 

national integration amongst the local ethnic 

communities. While controversial, the argument 

has been that the knowledge and practice of one’s 

ethnocultural links through one’ s mother tongue 

language and sharing the language with other 

ethnic communities will bolster Singapore’s 

national identity quest, a real challenge for a 

new nation. In fact, over the years until today, 

spurred by changing economic and commercial 

global trends, Bilingualism has been expanded 

to encourage Singaporeans to learn even more 

languages. 

Insofar as Extra-Curricular Activities in 

schools are concerned, the government was more 

than determined to capitalize on the school 

environment where different ethnic groups 

mingle and study together. This was done by 

making it obligatory for students to engage in 

activities beyond the academic curriculum to 

including mostly sporting activities, uniformed 

groups, activities such as drama, and the arts in 

general. While the end goals remain the same 

in more recent decades, the term Co-Curricular 

Activities (CCA) has been used instead of ECA 10 . 

The idea was to mix with other students 

from different ethnic backgrounds freely. Despite 

their different ethnic or religious backgrounds, 

they will compete and acquire values that 

strengthen teamwork, camaraderie, and interethnic 

cohesiveness. 

Daily and since independence, students 

perform the ritual of raising the national flag 

and reciting the National Pledge (Daily School 

Pledge). In short, the Pledge reads as follows: 

“We, the citizens of Singapore, pledge ourselves 

as one united people, regardless of race, language 

or religion, to build a democratic society, based 

Earlier language policies 

were later found to be 

inadequate, in addressing 

the decline of ‘Asian values’ 

amidst Westernisation, and 

the Malay language was 

also in decline, after the 

closure of Malay vernacular 

schools since 1987. 

6 7



A Singapore Armed Forces officer giving preliminary instructions to National Servicemen, who turned up at the Central Manpower Base, to await distribution to various units. 

December 26th, 1967. Photo courtesy of: Photographer, Low Yew Kong. The Straits Times. Copyright: SPH 

on justice and equality, to achieve happiness, 

prosperity and progress for our nation” 11 . 

The driving motive behind this public 

declaration of the oath of allegiance to Singapore 

was, and still is, to inculcate the spirit of loyalty 

to this Republic and its cherished values of 

brotherhood, teamwork, and social cohesion 

amongst communities. To ensure that students 

do not regard this daily exercise as mere mundane 

rituals that they have no choice but to do, as part 

of the National Education programme, their 

teachers will explain the symbols and meanings 

of the words being recited as well as being given 

the opportunities to visit exhibitions featuring 

these national symbols. 

The official policy to encourage the different 

ethnic and religious communities to work 

towards greater integration is also more than 

evident in Culture. Some examples include 

recognising all main racial (ethnic) languages as 

official languages 12 , adopting National Holidays 

for all major racial and religious festivities, and 

celebrating of Racial Harmony Day. 

In Politics, a significant policy decision 

introduced was the Group Representation 

Constituency (GRC) electoral system. In the 

General Election, all competing political parties 

are required by law to field a multi-racial slate 

of candidates and contest the majority of the 

electoral seats by teams. By this policy, voters 

have little choice but to base their electoral 

preferences on the quality of the multi-racial 

candidates being fielded, and by extension, to see 

local politics less racially communal in nature 13 . 

In Defence, the most significant policy 

initiative was the introduction of compulsory 

National Service in 1967 for Singapore men 

reaching 18 years old 14 . While the explicit goal 

of safeguarding the safety and security of the 

Republic through a strong military capability is 

the paramount objective of National Service, the 

subsidiary and no less important motive for the 

launch of National Service was also emphasized. 

This was the goal of fostering social 

cohesion and unity of purpose amongst enlistees 

of different ethnic and religious backgrounds. It 

is hoped that exposing them to live and work 

together while in service will enable them to 

better know each other’s cultures and sensitivities, 

thereby strengthening their friendship bonds 

that will last even after they complete service 15 . 

In Housing, the Singapore government’s 

goal is to build enough housing for the increasing 

population,. The latent intent is also to “preserve 

Singapore’s multi-cultural identity and promote 

racial integration and harmony” 16 . This is done 

The driving motive behind 

this public declaration of 

the oath of allegiance to 

Singapore was, and still 

is, to inculcate the spirit 

of loyalty to this Republic 

and its cherished values 

of brotherhood, teamwork, 

and social cohesion 

amongst communities. 

8 9



through the Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP) 

which ensures a balanced mix of the various ethnic 

communities in HDB towns. Ethnic quotas of 

prospective buyers of HDB flats (including resale 

flats) at block/neighbourhood levels are set based 

on the ethnic make-up of Singapore 17 . 

From the above illustrations and discussions, 

it is evident that Singapore’s racial and religious 

landscape today has been radically transformed. 

A disparate and segregated ethnic emporium 

during the British colonial rule from 1819 till 

1959 has become a more united and cohesive 

multi-racial and multi-religious country since 

independence in 1965. 

Much was done and continues to be 

implemented by the Singapore Government. 

The aim is to ensure that the hard-won task 

of turning a population where motherland 

sentiments abound and peoples live separate 

lives into a haven of modern, united society the 

envy of many countries. Understandably, given 

its ongoing evolutionary process, the pursuit of 

national integration and national identity will 

continue to be ‘work-in-progress’. 

NOTES: 

1. Tan Xin Wei, Andy, Urban Systems Studies: Religious Harmony in Singapore: 

Spaces, Practices and Communities, Singapore: Centre for Liveable Cities, 2020. 

2. Ibid. See especially Chapter 1: Road to Independence—Diverse Communities 

and Turmoil In Pre-Independent Singapore. 

3. For a useful compendium of reports and photos about life in Singapore 

during colonial rule, see Investigating History Colonial Singapore, 1819-1941, 

Singapore: National Museum of Singapore, n.d. 

4. ‘Meritocracy still key principle for recognizing individuals in Singapore, 

says Ong Ye Kung,’ https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/meritocracy-stillkey-principle-for-recognising-individuals-in-singapore-says-ong-ye-kung 

(Accessed 7 September 2021). 

5. Article 15 of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore guarantees freedom 

of religion in Singapore. Specifically, Article 15(1) states: “Every person has the 

right to profess and practice his religion and to propagate it.“ 

6. ‘Cultivating a harmonious society, becoming one people,’ https://www.psd. 

gov.sg/heartofpublicservice/our-institutions/cultivating-a-harmonious-societybecoming-one-people/ 


7. ‘Singapore’s new race law to include non-punitive sanctions to shape social 

behavior,’ https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/politics/singapores-new-racelaw-to-include-non-punitive-sanctions-to-shape 

social?utm_source=emarsys&utm_ 

medium=email&utm_campaign=ST_Newsletter_AM&utm_term=Singapore%27s 

+new+race+law+to+include+non-punitive+sanctions+to+shape+social+behavio 

ur%3A+Shanmugam&utm_content=05%2F09%2F2021 (Accessed 7 September 

2021). 

8. Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, “National Integration Council,“ 

https://www.mccy.gov.sg/sector/initiatives/national-integration-council. 

(Accessed 7 August 2021). 

9. Much has been published in the academic literature on this issue of 

government’s national integration policies, by both the government and 

scholars. For some examples, see ‘Cultivating a harmonious society, becoming 

one people,’ op.cit. (Accessed 7 September 2021). See also Hussin Mutalib’s 

articles – “Singapore’s quest for a national identity: the triumphs and trials of 

government policies,“ in Imagining Singapore (Times Academic Press, 1992), 

pp.69-96; “Singapore’s ethnic relations scorecard,“ in Journal of Developing 

Societies, Vol. 28 (1), 2012/13: 31-55; and “National identity in Singapore: old 

impediments and new imperatives,“ in Asian Journal of Political Science, Vol. 3 

(2), 1995: 28-45. See also Li-ann Thio, “Control, Co-optation and Co-Operation: 

Managing Religious Harmony in Singapore’s Multi-Ethnic, Quasi-Secular 

State,“ in Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly, Vol. 33 (2&3): 197-254; and 

“Irreducible Plurality, Indivisible Unity: Singapore Relational Constitutionalism 

and Cultivating Harmony Through Constructing a Constitutional Civil Religion,“ 

in German Law Journal, Vol. 20: 1007-1034. A recent official reiteration of multiracialism 

was publicly mentioned by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong: “Race, 

Multi-racialism and Singapore’s Place in the World“, in Straits Times (Sept. 

30, 2017), https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/race-multiculturalism-andsingapores-place-in-the-world 

(Access: 8 August 2021). 

10. ‘Overview of Co-Curricular Activities,’ https://www.moe.gov.sg/programmes/ 

cca/overview (Accessed 8 September 2021). 

11. ‘National Pledge,’ https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/ 

SIP_84_2004-12-13.html (Accessed 8 September 2021). 9; ‘Schools to start 

with flag ceremony today.’ (1966, August 29). The Straits Times, p. 11. Retrieved 

from NewspaperSG; Singapore. (1966) Ministry of Education annual report. 

Singapore: [s.n], p.1. (Call no.: RCLOS 370.95951 SIN). 

12. While Malay is the National Language, the manifest greater use of 

the English language in all spheres of life in this Republic has made Malay 

secondary to English. 

13. While the electoral system still allows for some Single-Member 

Constituencies to exist, the majority number of seats in the General Election 

consists of the GRCs, and winning the most GRCs is crucial for any political party 

to assume the Government of the day. 

14. ‘Discover National Service,’ https://www.mindef.gov.sg/web/portal/mindef/ 

national-service/discover-ns (Accessed 8 September 2021). 

15. Shu Huang Ho and Graham Ong-Webb, National Service in Singapore: 

Singapore, World Scientific, 2019. 

16. ‘Ethnic integration policy and SPR quota,’ https://www.hdb.gov.sg/ 

residential/buying-a-flat/resale/eligibility/ethnic-integration-policyand-sprquota 


Turning a population where motherland sentiments abound and people live separate lives, into a haven of a modern, united society, the envy of many countries. 

10 11



The early pioneers 

of the Inter-Religous 

Organisation, 

Singapore: 

• Sir Malcom MacDonald, British High 

Commissioner for South-East Asia 

• Maulana Abdul Aleem Siddique, 

Founder All Malaya Muslim 

Missionary Society 

• Dato Syed Ibrahim Omar Alsagoff, 

President, Muslim Missionary 

Society Singapore 

• Reverend Dr DD Chelliah, 

Archdeacon, St Andrew's Cathedral 

• Bishop H B Amstutz, Bishop, 

Methodist Church Malaya 

• Rt Reverend Monsignor M 

Olcomendy, Bishop of Malacca 

• Dr Ahmad Ibrahim, Muslim 

Missionary Society Singapore 

• Haji Mohd Khan, Muslim 

Businessman 

• Professor George G Thomson, 

Senior Civil Servant 

• Swami Siddhathmananda, Head, 

Ramakrishna Mission Singapore 

• Rabbi Jacob Shababo, Rabbi of 

Jewish Congregation, Singapore 

• Yen Sek Hong Choon, Head, Bright 

Hill Buddhist Temple 

• Mr Behram Vakil, Head, Zoroastrian 

Community of Singapore 

• Dr Mehervan Singh, Senior Member 

of the Sikh Community 

• Mr Wille Tay, Member, Singapore 

Buddhist Federation 

II. Jamiyah’s Pioneering 

Inter-Religious Role In 

Pre-Independence Singapore 

The Pioneers: 

Maulana Abdul Aleem Siddique and 

Dato Syed Ibrahim Omar Alsagoff 

he notion that “those who do not learn history 

are doomed to repeat it” - which is most likely 

derived from philosopher George Santayana’s 

original idea that “those who cannot remember 

the past are condemned to repeat it” ‒ should 

not be taken for granted. Its significance in 

understanding key developments in the life 

of societies and civilisations should not be 

underestimated. History is a valuable platform 

that vindicates this valuable cue in the rise and fall 

of influential individuals and cultures, societies, 

or organisations. 

This reminder is especially relevant when 

locating and appraising the early pioneering 

role of Jamiyah Singapore in the formation 

of the Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO) in 

this Republic before its independence in 1965. 

Through thick and thin, Jamiyah Singapore has 

proven that the relentless effort of an Islamic 

scholar and peace activist from India, Maulana 

Abdul Aleem Siddique (1892-1954), in his quest 

for global peace, would eventually bear its fruits 

until today. 

In many ways, the history of Jamiyah 

Singapore is unique. It shows how a private 

Muslim non-government organisation led by a 

visionary leader and aided by selfless individuals 

managed to navigate difficult socio-political 

circumstances in the quest for their noble dream. 

Maulana started his global peace mission 

with his address at the “All Burma Muslim 

Education Conference”, calling for Islamic unity 

and inter-faith harmony. Subsequently, in 1949, 

an inter-faith reception ignited him to moot 

the idea of forming a proper platform to 

12 13



His Eminence, Maulana Abdul Aleem Siddique, in a friendly chat with Mr E.M. Nakooda (left) and Mr Mohammed Makki, Editor of Ramadan Annual and Muslim Digest, during his 

impact-making six months lecture tour of South Africa in 1952 at the invitation of the Makki Publication. (Source: The Muslim Digest, 1993.) 

bring together followers of different faiths to 

understand each other better. 

Gradually, against the background of interreligious 

volatility and anti-colonial sentiments 

globally, the inter-faith idea gained acceptance 

and recognition from many quarters. This 

acceptance was significant, especially in multiracial 

and multi-religious countries such as 

Singapore. Given his tireless efforts, undoubtedly, 

the Maulana is generally acknowledged as the key 

initiator of establishing the IRO in Singapore. 

Post-World War Era 

With millions worldwide losing their lives 

following the devastating World War I and II, 

Singapore did not suffer as much. However, it did 

not escape the economic morass resulting from 

the Great Depression. 

This was exacerbated by the significant 

increase in immigration from China, India, 

Malaya and the rest of the archipelago, which in 

turn led to ethnic tensions, humanitarian issues 

and other challenges such as poverty, disease and 

the like. 

Fortunately, situated in the middle of the 

strategic sea routes between East and West, 

Singapore was a magnet to others, coupled 

with her position as a prosperous global trading 

centre. Beyond traders, the island attracted 

various missionary organisations from the West 

and Muslim ‘Mubalighs’ (preachers) from the 

Middle East and the Indian sub-continent. The 

island became the flourishing new Home for 

Christian missions and Hindu missionaries and 

Muslim scholars, preachers, and Sufis from India. 

And with their emphasis on the importance 

of education, they arguably left a great legacy 

surpassing the contributions of British colonisers, 

including Stamford Raffles, whose name was 

embedded in what later became a prominent 

educational artefact, the Raffles Institution, 

established in 1823. 

The new immigrants jostled with local 

Malays and other indigenous groups then already 

in Singapore because of the British’ s stability and 

the prevalent opportunities available then. With 

the World starting to stabilise the consequence 

of the horrendous World War II, the recovery 

process gained momentum as governments 

strived to rebuild the damaged foundations of 

their countries and mend their countries through 

whatever means possible. Fortunately, British 

Malaya including Singapore, was lucky to have 

escaped much of the devastation. 

History is a valuable 

platform that showcases 

a complete picture of 

not only a civilisation, 

society or institution, 

but also an individual in 

overcoming tribulations 

and challenges..... 

14 15



Maulana Abdul Aleem Siddique, the Roving Ambassador of Peace, founded the All Malaya Muslim Missionary Society, a society that later became better known as Jamiyah Singapore. 

Its position as an oasis of peace and early 

trading centre and astute political leadership 

enabled the tiny island to gradually emerge as a 

modern city-state with much to offer locals and 

talented immigrants. 

Inter-Faith Pioneers 

It must be fortunate for Singapore and 

Jamiyah, in particular, to be blessed by the 

arrival of the globe-trotting ulama and preacher, 

Maulana Abdul Aleem Siddique. His decision to 

make Singapore his base for much of his global 

foray for Islamic unity and inter-faith harmony 

helped lay the foundations of inter-faith peace 

and harmony. This he did by galvanising his 

colleagues in Jamiyah to establish contacts and 

networks with other non-Muslim leaders. Their 

subsequent support and cooperation led to the 

formation of the Inter-Religious Organisation of 

Singapore and Johore Baharu (IRO) on March 

18, 1949. 

The success of this visionary initiative was 

helped by the ability of this charismatic Alim to 

gain the trust and cooperation of the Jamiyah 

leadership at that time, notably, its President, 

Dato Syed Ibrahim Omar Alsagoff. Later, 

with the passion and expertise of other leaders, 

the Maulana’s message for the desirability of 

people of religion to come together and show 

an excellent example to the rest of the multiracial 

population was won over. This he managed 

to do despite his regular and extensive travel to 

other countries, spending much of his time in 

places such as Meerut, Karachi, Cairo, Mecca 

and Medina. In Singapore, perhaps, noting that 

the multi-racial and mostly Muslim population 

of immigrant origins and its Muslim population 

tended to retain their religious practices from 

their original motherlands, he saw the need to 

unite them. The Maulana also wanted them to 

have a common platform to live as Muslims and 

to spread the Islamic message of peace to others. 

Hence, during his subsequent visit to 

Singapore in 1931, he initiated serious discussions 

and exchanges of ideas that eventually led 

to establishing the Persekutuan Seruan Islam 

Se-Malaya (All Malaya Muslim Missionary 

Society) in 1932. Jamiyah’s new premises and 

Headquarters were opened by the Maulana in 

January 1949, enabling many of the discussions 

for the formation of the IRO to be held therein. 

The IRO can arguably claim to be among the 

oldest inter-faith organisations globally. 

It had the blessings of the Colonial 

Government, particularly Malcolm MacDonald, 

the Commissioner-General for South East Asia 

and Governor Gimson. Other meetings were 

held at the Commissioner General’ s Office and 

home at Bukit Serene, Johor Bahru, and at the 

Pasir Panjang home of David Saul Marshall, the 

future Chief Minister of autonomous Singapore. 

Soon after, the Inter-Religious Organisation 

of Singapore and Johor Bahru was publicly 

launched, with Rev. Amstutz of the Methodist 

Church as its first President. Muslims at that 

time constituted a majority of its membership. 

Other Faith Leaders and Figures 

The sheer energy of its pioneers was boosted 

by the open support given by peninsular Muslims, 

notably the Malaysian statesman Dato Onn bin 

Jaffar (who later founded the premier political 

party in Malaya, the UMNO) and the wellknown 

Mufti Haddad of Johore. Moreover, 

the religious orientation of Muslim leaders of 

that time was not as parochial. Following the 

approach taken by the Maulana, many local 

Muslim leaders did not consider British Malaya 

to be Darul Harb’ (country or abode of war to 

Muslims). 

16 17



ʻFirst All-Religions Meetingʼ 

with more than 2000 people 

of many races and creeds at 

the Victoria Memorial Hall, 

18 March 1949. 

This was also the view of the Maulana’s 

teacher, Imam Ahmad Raza Khan Brelvi, who 

realized that ultranationalistic elements would 

not be as democratic and as collaborative as the 

reformed Britishers in the Colonial Government. 

The latter had learned the bitter lessons of the 

1st World War even in the lands they colonised, 

as manifested by the Sepoy Mutiny in Singapore 

during the 1st World War. 

Then came World War II and the subsequent 

Sino-Japanese War, after which inter-racial 

suspicion surfaced, creating fissures, if not 

enmity, amongst the multi-racial and multireligious 

population. However, there is enough 

documentary evidence to show that Jamiyah 

Singapore was then the principal organisation 

spearheading inter-faith cooperation under the 

Maulana’s visionary plan. His initial hard work 

won him the support of the colonial government 

and the local Muslim community. Subsequently, 

many referred to him as the ‘Roving Ambassador 

of Peace’, a more than deserved title. 

After all, he also received the open 

endorsement from other prominent and 

influential figures, including the Commissioner- 

General for Southeast Asia, Sir Malcolm 

MacDonald, and the Honorary Saudi Arabia 

Consul-General, Dato Syed Ibrahim Omar 

Alsagoff. They also toiled hard to garner support 

for this inter-Faith idea from the Christian, 

Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Zoroastrian/ 

Persian and Muslim leaders. 

Dato Syed Ibrahim was recorded to have 

coordinated many meetings – interspersed with 

inter-faith tea parties – that eventually led to 

the public launch of the IRO in March 1949. 

As alluded to earlier, what transpired later was 

the heart-warming echoes of support from other 

prominent personalities, such as the famous Mufti 

of Johore, Al-Haddad and the founder of the 

United Malay National Organisation (UMNO), 

Dato Onn bin Jaffar. The last South East Asian 

Muslim Missionary Conference that was hosted 

at Jamiyah’s No. 31 Lorong 12 on December 26 

1950, was not only attended by eminent scholars 

and other leaders in Singapore and the region but 

saw the passing of a resolution congratulating 

Jamiyah Singapore for its significant role in 

setting up the IRO. 

Originally named the Inter-Religious 

Organisation of Singapore and Johore Baharu, 

it was renamed the Inter-Religious Organisation 

of Singapore in 1961. This organisation today 

comprises representatives of at least ten religions 

in this Republic. Over the years, the IRO has 

successfully organised various major global 

events, including prayers for the victims of the 

9/11 terrorist attack at the New York World 

Trade Centre’s Twin-Tower, the Bali Bombing 

and Peace Prayers in Iraq and other countries 

inflicted by war, so too with the victims of 

natural disasters such as the earthquakes in 

India, China and cyclones in Myanmar. In 1999, 

the IRO commemorated its 50th Anniversary 

by organising a major exhibition of religious 

artefacts at the Singapore Museum, which 

received an overwhelming response and support. 

In 2003, it also initiated a ‘Peace and Harmony 

Walk’ at the East Coast Park. 

The organisation has also published 

several books and pamphlets about religions 

and inter-faith collaboration, including the 

book on ‘Religions in Singapore’ and ‘Religious 

Customs and Practices in Singapore’. Other than 

presenting public talks to various government 

departments, agencies and private institutions, 

its leaders and representatives have been invited 

for study visits to countries such as the United 

States, United Kingdom, France, Australia, 

Indonesia, China and the Philippines. Since the 

practice of religious harmony has been widely 

accepted by the different religious leaders, it was 

18 19



not surprising that leaders from the Singapore 

Buddhist Lodge (Lee Bock Guan), Singapore 

Catholic Archdiocese (Archbishop Nicholas 

Chia), Hindu Endowment Board (S Rajendran) 

and Jamiyah Singapore (Abu Bakar Maidin) 

would spontaneously come forward to sign a joint 

statement about inter-faith issues when needed. 

In summary, when discussing the IRO in 

particular and inter-faith relations in Singapore 

today, one must acknowledge Maulana Abdul 

Aleem Siddique’s role and contributions and 

Jamiyah Singapore. His vision and passion 

for humanity and achieving inter-faith peace 

and solidarity made inter-faith collaboration 

and goodwill possible. He had a deep sense 

of compassion towards the human race, and 

wanted to see people, despite their differences, 

live in harmony and peace with one another. 

Many articles have been written about Abdul 

Aleem Siddique, and numerous glowing 

accolades have been showered upon his good 

name, both in different parts of the World and 

in Singapore. Among the living symbols about 

him in Singapore today, is a mosque in the Telok 

Kurau neighbourhood, built in his name and 

recognition of his tireless and selfless mission for 

global understanding, peace and harmony. 

REFERENCES: 

1. Jamiyah Singapore (1932-2007), No. 31, Lorong 12, Geylang, Singapore 

399006, Republic of Singapore, n.d. 

2. Jamiyah Singapore, June 2012, Abu Bakar Maidin: Singapore Global Muslim 

– His life, times and deeds, Jamiyah Global Pte Ltd, Republic of Singapore, 

Singapore. 

3. http://www.jamiyah.org.sg (access date: 10.09.21). 

4. Lai Ah Eng, 2008, Religious Diversity in Singapore, Institute of Southeast 

Asian Studies, 29, Heng Mui Keng Terrace, Singapore. 

5. Jamiyah Singapore, May-Aug 2017, Voice of Islam: Special Edition – 85 years 

of service to Singapore, No. 31, Lorong 12 Geylang, Republic of Singapore. 

6.http://www.shadhiliyyah.sg/singapore-awliya/maulana-abdul-aleemsiddique 

(access date: 15.09.21). 

NOTES: 

1. Nicholas Clairmont, 31st July, 2013. 

2. Moona Kadir Sultan financially supported the setting up of the Anglo Chinese 

School, started the Kader Sultan Football tournament and was the second 

largest donor for the setting up of the University of Singapore. At the same time, 

Salim Alkaff built the Alkaff Lake Gardens, acessible to the public. There was 

also an Alsagoff Free Clinic. Dato Syed Ibrahim Alsagoff arranged several large 

Maulid Nabi tea parties and invited many top non-Muslims of Singapore and 

elsewhere to the party at his Chancery Lane mansion 

3.The Conference also supported the call to set up the Muslim College in Klang 

Malaysia – partially realising Maulana’s plan to set up an Arabic college. 

A key to the city of San Francisco was presented to His Eminence Maulana Aleem Siddique by the local Muslim community during his 1950 visit to the United States of America. 

(Source: The Muslim Digest, 1994.) 

20 21



III. Jamiyah And The Establishment Of 

The Inter-Religious Organisation (IRO) 

Dato Syed Ibrahim bin Omar Alsagoff (standing) continued to helm the leadership of Jamiyah during the early years of Singapore’s Independence from Malaysia in 1965. (Source: 

Jamiyah Singapore.) 

he name of Maulana Abdul Aleem Siddique in 

particular, and Jamiyah Singapore, in general, are 

deeply embedded in the establishment of the 

Inter-Religious Organisation of Singapore and 

Johore Bahru, first set up in early 1949. Since 

Singapore’s Independence in 1965 and today, the 

organisation’s activities are limited to Singapore; 

hence, Singapore’s Inter-Religious Organisation 

(IRO). 

As the founding father of the missionary 

movement and a roving peace ambassador, 

the Maulana’s original vision when proposing 

the formation of Jamiyah Singapore (Muslim 

Missionary Society Singapore) was for Jamiyah 

to provide welfare services to the less privileged 

and disadvantaged of all races and faiths. After 

World War I, the Maulana saw a vacuum where 

people of different beliefs could come together 

for a common cause. The idea is to show others 

the need to work together and spread goodwill 

when there is tremendous suffering, poverty, and 

lack of cooperation among the different ethnic 

groups and faiths. 

On January 15, 1949, Jamiyah Singapore 

took the first concrete step that would sow the 

seeds of the eventual establishment of the Inter- 

Religious Organisation. At a lunch party at the 

home of Jamiyah’s first president, Dato Syed 

Ibrahim Omar Alsagoff, at Chancery Lane to 

honour the Maulana, the Maulana broached 

the idea of inter-racial and inter-religious 

collaboration. Among the distinguished guests 

who attended the meeting was the Commissioner 

for Southeast Asia, Mr Malcolm MacDonald; 

the Founder of UMNO, Dato Onn Jaafar; The 

Mufti of Johor, Syed Alwi Al-Hadad, and other 

prominent figures from various organisations 

and groups. 

Not wanting to procrastinate with this 

collaborative endeavour, another meeting soon 

followed – on February 4, 1949, also at Dato 

Syed Ibrahim’s residence. Significantly, other 

22 23



Jamiyah Singapore, with cooperation from the ISESCO, Ministry Of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, Kuwait, organized a three-day seminar entitled 'Towards Peace, Intercultural, Inter- 

Faith Harmony and Justice', 2006. 

prominent religious leaders who were invited 

to the meeting also came. They included the 

Bishop of Malacca, Monsignor M.Olcomendy; 

Rev. Ceng Seng Chu; Jewish leader A.K.Isaac; 

H.H. Sultan Abdullah al-Kathiri, Mr Ahmad 

bin Mohd Ibrahim, Sri Kartar Singh and Swami 

Vamadevanada. 

In his address, Maulana Abdul Aleem called 

upon the gathering for greater collaboration 

between all the religious leaders and remarked 

that he would like to see “real love between them.” 

He emphasised that all religions of the World are 

united as far as fundamental universal principles 

are concerned. With his sincere intentions and 

the blessings of God, the ‘Roving Ambassador of 

Peace’ not only was able to convince and galvanise 

the willing support of fellow Muslims - including 

many prominent figures like Dato Syed Ibrahim, 

Dr Ahmad Ibrahim and Moulavi Babu Sahib 

– but also non-Muslims. Hence the beginnings 

of building bridges across different faiths, in 

Singapore and across the region. On March 

18, 1949, the ‘Inter-Religious Organisation 

of Singapore and Johore Bahru’ was officially 

formed. 

Today, the Inter-Religious Organisation, 

Singapore – better known by its acronym, IRO – 

is represented by at least ten different religions to 

promote multifaith harmony, human fellowship, 

and, more broadly, global peace. This number has 

expanded from the original six to ten – Islam, 

Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, 

Judaism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism, Baha’i and 

Jainism. 

Over the years, this inter-faith collaboration 

has borne fruit. The examples are many, and 

suffice to mention only a few of them. One 

widely publicised joint effort was when the 

Singapore Buddhist Lodge, Singapore Catholic 

Archdiocese, Hindu Endowment Board, and 

Jamiyah Singapore, signed a joint statement 

condemning the Danish newspaper ‘Jyllands- 

Posten’ for disrespectfully portraying and 

demeaning Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h). 

Jamiyah's Global Inter-Faith Network 

Later, under the stewardship of the late 

Haji Abu Bakar Maidin, Jamiyah Singapore, 

with cooperation from The International Islamic 

Foundation for Dialogue, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 

and Singapore Buddhist Lodge, organised a 

series of seminars and inter-faith dialogues in 

tandem with the ‘Asian Conference of Religions 

for Peace’. These series were held in Singapore, 

Cambodia, and Sri Lanka. 

Undoubtedly, while cementing mutual 

understanding and tolerance with non-Muslim 

organisations in Singapore, Jamiyah has also 

strengthened relationships with Muslim 

organisations in the region and worldwide. 

Such relations are long and include Jamiyah’s 

membership in international Islamic bodies 

and participation (either as host or through 

delegation representation) in international 

seminars and conferences. 

Other than the Organisation of Islamic 

Conference (Ar-Rabitah) in Mecca that Jamiyah 

regularly participates in its meetings and seminars, 

other well-known bodies include Perkim, Yayasan 

Dakwah, ABIM (all in Malaysia), P.P. Ittihadul 

Muballighin (Indonesia), WAMY, RISEAP, and 

other Islamic associations in other parts of the 

world – such as Japan, Australia, Fiji, Europe, the 

USA, South Korea, the Middle East, Pakistan, 

Brunei, Hongkong, Taiwan and New Zealand. 

In more recent times, against the backdrop 

of the global Covid-19 pandemic, Jamiyah 

stepped up its global outreach by organising 

webinars (via Zoom) on current issues impacting 

people of all faiths. One such example was 

24 25



the hosting of the International Webinar on 

‘Covid-19 Pandemic Crisis and Role of Faith 

Leaders’ on September 11, 2020. The webinar 

brought together international and local speakers 

with the President of the Republic of Singapore, 

Madam Halimah Yacob, as its Guest of Honour. 

More events to help inform and educate 

the public about different religions apart from 

promoting friendship and cooperation among 

leaders and followers of other faiths for the good 

of humanity, are being planned. In this way, 

Jamiyah complements and enriches the work 

of the IRO in the quest for peace, harmony 

and mutual collaboration. Consequently, these 

initiatives deny any irresponsible party or group 

the opportunity to dismantle the much-treasured 

peace and order that has been painstakingly 

nurtured in this Republic for many years. 

Today, similar to Jamiyah Singapore, the 

IRO cannot rest on its laurels. New and more 

complex challenges appear on the horizon with 

the advent of extreme nationalism, xenophobia, 

and extremist trends by individuals and groups of 

all faiths. Continuing vigilance and the readiness 

to adopt common standpoints when such trends 

recur must always be on the radar of faith leaders. 

Lest it is forgotten, during the communal 

riots of 1964 in Singapore, the IRO Council 

had to act quickly to issue a combined statement 

calling for peace, which was relayed over radio 

and television on August 2, 1964. The message 

also called all in Singapore to work together for 

the nation’s good. This reminder was followed 

by weekly sermons about the good teachings of 

different religions. IRO members also visited 

injured victims in the riots to console and help 

them recover. 

Over the years, IRO members conducted 

memorial services in response to tragedies, 

natural calamities, and other traumatic events 

in different parts of the World. For example, 

IRO leaders prayed for the victims of the Spyros 

tragedy in 1978, led multi-religious services 

for victims of the SilkAir crash in Palembang 

(1997), the Singapore Airlines SQ006 crash in 

Taipei (2000), the Indian Ocean tsunami (2004), 

the Japanese earthquake and tsunami (2011) 

and Typhoon Haiyan (2013) to name a few. In 

2020, IRO members joined hands in signing a 

document calling for inter-faith harmony in 

Singapore. 

More of these efforts and initiatives can 

be expected as the IRO continue the interfaith 

peace and solidarity mission that was first 

publicly disseminated and goaded by Jamiyah 

Singapore from its early founding years. 

REFERENCES: 

1. Jamiyah Singapore, June 2012, Abu Bakar Maidin – Singapore's Global 

Muslim: His Life, Times and Deeds, Jamiyah Global Pte Ltd, Republic of 

Singapore. 

2. Jamiyah Singapore, October the 27th 2007, 75 Years of Jamiyah Singapore 

(1932-2007) – Deeds Inspired, Hopes Exalted, Republic of Singapore. 

3. Jamiyah Singapore, (year not published), Sejarah dan Kegiatan-kegiatan 

Jamiyah Singapura (History and Activities of JamiyahSingapore), Republic of 

Singapore. 

4. https://www.jamiyah.org.sg/international-webinar/ (Access date: 

28.03.2021). 

5. https://www.jamiyah.org.sg/ (Access date: 28.03.2021). 

6. https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_2014-12-09_125938. 

html (Access date: 28.03.2021). 

Over the years, IRO members conducted memorial services in response to tragedies, natural calamities, and other traumatic events in different parts of the world. 

26 27



IV. Jamiyah’s Inter-Faith Activities 

And Initiatives In Post- 

Independence Singapore 

Jamiyah Singapore and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) organised a break fast (Iftar) with their Mormon counterparts. (27 May, 2019). 

mong the attributes that Allah s.w.t bestowed 

upon Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. was “Rahmatan 

Lil ’alamin”, or the universal message that His 

existence is a mercy to all creations. This attribute 

has a far-reaching impact on all humanity and 

even on other prophets and messengers and all 

created beings, believers and non-believers. This 

same universal predisposition was found in the 

life mission of Maulana Abdul Aleem Siddique, 

Jamiyah Singapore's founding father. 

The deep-rooted awareness within every 

Muslim is that Islam is universally applicable 

and appropriate for all times and places (al-Islam 

Salih li wa kulli zaman wamakan). It is based on 

the Quran, whereby the universal truth is single, 

although the manifestations are outwardly 

diverse (for The One and the many). This has 

been clearly demonstrated from the earliest of 

times, including during the prophethood of 

Muhammad (p.b.u.h). 

As the leader of the Islamic State in Madinah 

al Munawwarah, the Prophet managed and dealt 

with racial and cultural diversity sensitively. His 

many policy enactments, including those he 

delivered to other rulers of that time in Arabia 

and surrounding regions, showed his evenhandedness 

and wisdom even to non-Muslims. 

This was amply demonstrated in the 

‘Madinah Treaty’ accepted by all residents 

in Madinah, including Jews, Christians, and 

others. The hue of Islam is variegated as the 

faith consciously accommodates local traditions 

and cultural sensitivities of existing norms and 

practices. 

28 29



Jamiyah Singapore has been organising the food ration distribution programme for the poor and families in need in Singapore for many years. 

Domestic/Local: 

Inter-Faith Welfare Services 

Therefore, it is not surprising to find such 

an Islamic orientation practised in many parts 

of the world today. So too with Islamic charities 

and NGOs from diverse backgrounds, including 

Jamiyah Singapore. We apply this doctrine to 

guide our humanitarian, welfare, and charitable 

work, at home and abroad, whether with Muslim 

organisations and agencies or with other welfare 

units within Jamiyah itself that provide care and 

assistance to those in need, such as the disabled, 

less fortunate, widows, orphans and families of 

drug detainees. Complementing its efforts are the 

three free welfare services: Medical Clinic, Legal 

Clinic and bi-monthly Food Ration distribution. 

Some of the needy cases are referred by the 

Prison Department, the Housing Development 

Board, the Ministry of Social and Family 

Development (MSF), Community Development 

Council (CDC), Members of Parliament (MPs) 

and other Non-Governmental Organisations 

(NGOs). Others are those who come forward 

to seek assistance and help from Jamiyah. The 

assistance is open to all, regardless of race or 

religion. The following is a summary of these 

services offered to all, irrespective of faith. 

Food Ration 

Jamiyah Singapore has organised a food 

ration distribution programme for the poor and 

needy families in need in Singapore since the early 

1970s. Since its inception, Jamiyah has assisted 

20,000 families through its welfare services. 

In collaboration with Jamiyah FoodBank, the 

programme has also distributed packs of food 

rations that comprise daily staples like rice, milk, 

sugar, and cooking oil – with each pack filled 

with healthier food options like oats. 

Medical Clinic 

Established in 1975, this Clinic offers 

medical services to the less advantaged section 

of the community, including senior citizens. Our 

volunteer doctors are available on an appointment 

basis, and those in need of this help can call 6743 

1211 to make an appointment. 

Legal Advice 

Jamiyah has a panel of Muslim and non- 

Muslim volunteer lawyers who provide free 

legal advice and counselling to clients of all races 

and faiths. Family disputes, marital problems, 

and property division are examples of how our 

volunteer lawyers extend their help. 

Counselling Service 

Jamiyah Counselling Centre was officially 

launched on May 25, 2005. The core of the 

centre's clientele is composed of weekly referrals 

from Syariah Court. Since its opening, the centre 

has successfully taken on over 7,000 cases, with 

an estimated 16% are Syariah Court referrals and 

over a thousand pro bono cases from the public. 

Jamiyah Singapore's eternal quest to fulfil its 

founding father’s mission to extend help to all 

and not be bounded by race or religion can also 

be seen in Jamiyah’s services to many Welfare 

Homes. The following are some examples: 

30 31



Jamiyah Children's Home (Darul Ma'wa). 

Jamiyah Nursing Home (Darul Syifaa). 

Jamiyah Home for the Aged (Darul Takrim). 

Jamiyah Halfway House (Darul Islah). 

32 33 

Darul Ma’wa 

Jamiyah Children’s Home (Darul Ma’wa 

or JCH) was a secure and conducive place for 

underprivileged and less fortunate children. 

Founded in 1993, JCH sheltered neglected 

children from underprivileged and dysfunctional 

families. JCH started its operation on July 24 

1993, at 32 Bartley Road, but it was relocated 

twice ‒ first to 1, Chin Cheng Avenue on April 

17, 1999, and in 2012 the Home moved to 15, 

Guillemard Crescent. 

JCH promoted voluntarism and social 

responsibility within the community by providing 

opportunities to the public and corporate bodies. 

These volunteering programmes had 

positively impacted the residents’ cognitive and 

emotional development. Unfortunately, due to 

the latest trends that transfer these residents 

from Welfare Homes back to their own homes, 

Jamiyah ceased managing Darul Ma’wa. Still, our 

contributions to such residents continue through 

more and newer forms of assistance that are 

hoped to benefit the children and their parents. 

Through the Family-Centric Service initiative, 

Jamiyah served hundreds of children of needy 

families that benefited from our multifaceted 

services. 

Darul Takrim 

Jamiyah Home for the Aged (Darul Takrim) 

houses and cares for the aged and destitute. The 

principle of fostering a safe environment for its 

residents guided the facility while not forgetting 

their emotional, mental and physical wellbeing. 

Darul Takrim was established in 1996 as an 

eldercare and destitute welfare facility by the then 

Ministry of Community Development, which 

appointed Jamiyah Singapore as the managing 

agent. 

The Home began operations at Still Road 

from December 15, 1996, until it moved to 

its present location at 1 Tampines Ave 3 in 

December 1997. The purpose-built facility and 

the Home staff provide shelter and care for the 

residents, many of whom are elderly, frail and 

destitute. The Home at its present location was 

officially opened on January 20 1998 by the 

then Minister for Community Development 

and Minister in Charge of Muslim Affairs, Mr 

Abdullah Tarmugi. 

Darul Syifaa 

Established in 2002, Jamiyah Nursing Home 

(Darul Syifaa) is the first Muslim-managed 

healthcare facility for the elderly who require 

daily medical care and attention from healthcare 

professionals. Its bizSAFE-certified subsidized 

Nursing Home has a capacity of 185 beds and is 

accredited by the Ministry of Health. Patients are 

catered to their specific medical needs through 

the Individual Care Plan, with services that 

include the Senior Care Centre, Dementia Ward, 

Integrated-Home Day Care and the Community 

Befrienders’ Programme. 

Its primary objectives include the following: 

to provide nursing care for the sick elderly and 

deliver the best care at all times; to promote, 

maintain, and restore health and quality of life 

to patients; to provide relief to caregivers who 

cannot take care of the frail elderly at home; 

to provide stimulation and encourage activities 

and social events that will support the social and 

cultural needs, and general wellbeing of Muslim 

patients and other faiths. 

Darul Islah 

Jamiyah Halfway House (Darul Islah) 

aims to improve the lives of former substance 

abusers as they focus on moving forward to 

reintegrate back into their families, society, and 

the workforce. On June 13 1995, the Singapore 

Prison Service (SPS) handed over the Clementi 

Drug Rehabilitation Centre building to Jamiyah 

Singapore for renovation to operate as a Halfway



House, known as Jamiyah Halfway House or 

Darul Islah. 

The aim is to serve as a centre for the 

rehabilitation of drug abusers to lead a new life 

before they are released and reintegrated back 

into society. On August 17 1996, Darul Islah was 

officially opened by Associate Professor Ho Peng 

Kee, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry 

of Law and Home Affairs. Other guests present 

included Mr Wong Hoi Kit, CEO of Singapore 

Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprise 

(SCORE), Mr Harun Ghani, former Political 

Secretary of Home Affairs, the late Haji Abu 

Bakar Maidin, former President of Jamiyah 

Singapore, Mr Ismail Alaudin and Mr Ridzwan 

Dzafir. 

On October 20, 2010, Jamiyah Singapore 

signed the Halfway House New Service Model 

(HSM) agreement with Singapore Prison Service 

and SCORE, now known as Yellow Ribbon 

Singapore (YRSG). 

Under the new HSM agreement, Darul Islah 

has contracted a caseload of 60 residents per year. 

community by identifying and providing training 

in suitable skill sets and encouraging its members 

to capitalise on their inherent strengths. In the 

past, skilled women conducted training and inhouse 

activities like baking and sewing, home 

economics, etc. The members also supported 

Jamiyah Singapore in its other projects by 

volunteering time and effort to help those in need 

of the services. This ‘kampong spirit’ of learning 

and sharing was kept alive in the ‘Jamiyah family’. 

However, with the changing profile of 

women in the community today, the department 

is now realigning its activities and starting new 

initiatives. Based on feedback and discussion 

among the members, WFD proposes to enhance 

its programmes with more inclusive activities 

that can engage and involve a wider audience. 

Its new emphases are to promote the 

physical, intellectual, emotional and social 

(PIES) wellbeing of women, strengthen family 

cohesiveness, and harness partnership with global 

organisations that focus on women and family 

matters of all faiths. 

Jamiyah Singapore’s Women 

& Family Department (WFD) 

has consciously engaged in 

empowering women in the 

community by identifying and 

providing training in suitable 

skill sets and encouraging 

its members to capitalise on 

their inherent strengths. 

Hajah Zainab Khamis (second from left), wife of the late Haji Abu Bakar Maidin (Jamiyah Singaporeʼs President 1970-2010) showing her recipe book Aneka Kek & Biskut published by 

Jamiyah Singapore, along with other Jamiyah staff. “Mak Nab” as she is more fondly known, previously conducted cooking classes for Jamiyah. 

Women and Family Department 

Established in the 1970s, the Women & 

Family Department (WFD) has consciously 

engaged in empowering women in the 

International/Overseas: 

Active Engagement 

Jamiyah Singapore is the foremost local 

Muslim organisation that has established a wide 

34 35



The Muslim World League Islamic Board of Trustees & IU International Conference on Dialogue and Peaceful Coexistence, 2015 - with Jamiyah President, 

Prof (Adj) Datuk Dr Mohd Hasbi Abu Bakar at the rostrum. 

network of international relations involving 

numerous prominent Islamic and non Islamic 

organisations and institutions. These global 

networks involve collaboration in inter-faith, 

peace and harmony projects and conferences. 

Its list of such global networks is long, spanning 

many decades, in different parts of the World – 

from Southeast Asia to the Middle East, Europe, 

Australasia, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Sri 

Lanka, and many more regions and countries. 

These wide and numerous relations and 

worldwide linkages have benefited Jamiyah. 

Besides enabling Jamiyah’s name and its activities 

to be known internationally, its membership 

and participation in these global networks have 

benefited Jamiyah. It allows Jamiyah to channel 

the funds and other resources from many local 

religious institutions and agencies such as the 

building and refurbishing of mosques and 

madrasah and providing of scholarships to 

students. 

In addition, especially since the 1980s, 

Jamiyah’s delegates and representatives have 

also been regularly invited to participate in 

many international conferences and other events 

organised by these Islamic partner bodies. The 

record indicates that Jamiyah’s long and close 

relations with these international Islamic bodies 

have resulted in some prominent international 

scholars associating with Jamiyah’s significant 

activities, including as writers and editorial 

advisers to its international publications. 

Relations with International 

Islamic Organisations 

Jamiyah’s list of relations and networking 

with international Islamic organisations is long. 

Hence, only a summary of such relations is 

possible here. Although, for the most part, these 

encompass countries within the Middle East 

(which is understandable given its centrality 

in Islamic life for centuries), Jamiyah has also 

established close relationships with many Muslim 

associations outside the Arab World. 

The most significant world organisations 

that Jamiyah managed to link up with all have 

their headquarters in Saudi Arabia, including 

the holy city of Makkah (Mecca) and Jeddah. 

The Muslim World League (MWL) or Rabitah 

al-Alam al-Islami should be mentioned here. 

Founded following a resolution adopted during 

the meeting of the General Islamic Conference 

held in Makkah on the 14 Dzul Hijjah 1381 

Hijriah (corresponding to May 18 1962), the 

MWL is an international NGO in Mecca and 

fully supported by the Saudi Government. 

Another international Islamic organisation 

that Jamiyah managed to be associated with, 

albeit indirectly, is the Organisation of Islamic 

Cooperation (OIC), formerly the Organisation of 

the Islamic Conference. Founded on September 

25, 1969, and based in Jeddah, the OIC is a 

world body consisting of 57 member states. The 

OIC’s financial arm, the Islamic Development 

Bank (IsDB), accredited Jamiyah in 1986 to 

help disburse financial support to Islamic schools 

(Madrasah) and educational scholarships. These 

scholarships have enabled dozens of Singapore 

students to pursue their studies, including 

university degrees in relevant disciplines. 

Jamiyah’s other global Islamic networks in 

the Arab World that also encourage inter-faith 

projects include universities and educational 

foundations in other cities in Saudi Arabia such 

as Medina, Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. The 

more prominent ones include the following: 

Al-Imam Muhammad Ibn Saud University 

(Riyadh), Iqra’ Charity Foundation ( Jeddah), 

Islamic Da’wah & Guidance Centre (Dammam), 

Islamic University (Medina), King Abdulaziz 

University ( Jeddah), Umm AlQura University 

36 37



Inter-Religious Organisation Summit graced by Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, 2018 

(Mecca), World Assembly of Muslim Youth 

(Riyadh) and the World Supreme Council for 

Mosques (Mecca). 

Beyond the Arabian hinterland, Jamiyah 

also has established wide networks with 

universities and colleges offering Islamic 

courses and programmes, such as in Egypt (Al- 

Azhar University), Morocco (Federation of the 

Universities of the Islamic World, Rabat), in 

Switzerland (Association Culturelle des Femmes 

Musulmanes de Suisse), in Australia (Al Rissalah 

College, Al-Faisal College), in New Zealand 

(Federation of Islamic Association of New 

Zealand, Wellington). 

Not to be missed are Jamiyah’s links with 

educational and cultural foundations and Centres 

in countries such as Australia (Australian 

Islamic Cultural Centre, Sydney, and Islamic 

Centres in Auburn and Alice Springs, and 

Islamic Councils in many cities), Spain (Azzagra 

Cultural Foundation), India (Anna University 

of Technology, Tamil Naidu), Taiwan (Chinese 

Muslim Association, Taipei), China (China 

Islamic Association, Beijing), Sri Lanka (Centre 

for Muslim Ethnic Studies, Colombo), and many 

other countries. 

The numerous regional linkages with 

Southeast Asian Islamic associations also involve 

inter-faith activities. These include those in 

Indonesia (such as Dewan Da’wah Islamiyah 

Indonesia and the Nahdatul Ulama), in Malaysia 

(such as International Islamic University 

Malaysia, Kolej Universiti Islam Melaka, Dunia 

Melayu Dunia Islam, Jamiyah Selangor dan 

Wilayah Persekutuan), in Philippines (such 

as Islamic Da’wah Council of the Philippines, 

Manila, and the Jamea Janoubil Filibbin, Marawi 

City), in Vietnam (Islamic Community of Ho 

Chi Minh City), in Myanmar (The Islamic Centre 

of Myanmar, Yangon), in Thailand (Islamic 

Da'wah Information Centre, Bangkok), in 

Brunei Darussalam (Union of Islamic Societies), 

in Cambodia (Islamic Medical Association of 

Cambodia), and other Southeast Asian countries, 

both mainland and island. 


1. Al-Azhar University - Cairo, Egypt 

2. Albanian Institute of Thought and Civilization - 

Tirana, Albania 

3. Association Culturelle des Femmes Musulmanes de 

Suisse (ACFMS) - Switzerland 

4. Australian Federation of Islamic Councils Inc (AFIC) 

- Sydney, Australia 

5. Azzagra Cultural Foundation - Granada, Spain 

6. Cambodian Islamic Charity Progressive & 

Development - Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia 

7. Centre da Comunidade Islamica de Timor-Leste 

(CENCITIL) - Dili, Timor Leste 

8. Centre for Muslim Ethnic Studies, Tsunami Children 

Education Trust - Colombo, Sri Lanka 

9. China Islamic Association - Beijing, People’s 

Republic of China 

10. Federation of Islamic Association of New Zealand 

(FIANZ) - Wellington, New Zealand 

11. Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World 

(FUIW) - Rabat, Morocco 

12. Fiji Muslim League - Samabula Suva, Fiji 

13. Indonesian Islamic Propagation Council - Dewan 

Dawah Islamiyah Indonesia 

14. Islamic Association of Maldives - Male, Maldives 

15. Islamic Da’wah Council of the Philippines - Manila, 

Philippines 

16. Islamic Da’wah Information Centre (IDIC) - 

Bangkok, Thailand 

17. Islamic Dissemination Centre to Latin America - 

Brazil 

18. Islamic Malay World - Dunia Melayu Dunia Islam 

(DMDI) - Melaka, Malaysia 

19. Islamic Religious Community of Italy (COREIS) - 

Italy 

20. Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural 

Organisation (ICESCO) - Rabat, Kingdom of 

Morocco. 

21. Jamea Janoubil Filibbin - Marawi City, Philippines 

38 39



22. Japan Islamic Congress - Japan 

23. Korea Muslim Federation - Seoul, South Korea 

24. Pakistan Futuristic Foundation and Institute - 

Islamabad, Pakistan 

25. Regional Islamic Dakwah Council of South East Asia 

and Pacific (RISEAP), Malaysia 

26. Sri Lanka Islamic Centre - Colombo, Sri Lanka 

27. Union of Islamic Societies - Brunei 

28. World Muslim Congress (WMC, well-known as 

Motamar Al-Alam Al-Islami) - Karachi, Pakistan 


1980: Malaysia. The Four-Day Islamic Dakwah 

Conference For South East Asia and Pacific 

Region was held from 12-15 January 1980 in 

Kuala Lumpur. The conference was attended 

by His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of 

Malaysia, Prime Minister of Malaysia Datuk 

Hussein Onn, H.E. Dr Haji Abdul Malik Karim 

Amrullah (HAMKA), chairman of Indonesia 

Council of Ulama. 

1980: Indonesia. The First International Islamic Mass 

Media Conference was held from 21 – 23 Shawal 

1400H corresponding from 1 to 3 September 

1980 in Jakarta. The World Muslim League and 

the Indonesian Government jointly hosted and 

organised the historic and colourful conference. 

Delegates from international Muslim and non- 

Muslim bodies such as the Motamar Al Alam 

Al Islami (World Muslim Congress), the Arab 

League, Islamic Bank International Association, 

The organisation of Islamic Conference, 

International Islamic News Agency, Union of 

Radios of the Islamic States and the United 

Nations Education Scientific and Cultural 

Organisation (UNESCO) were also present. In 

addition, seven persons closely connected with 

Mass Media in Singapore also attended the 

conference. They were Mr Yusof Abdul Wahid, 

Mr Zainuddin Ismail, Ustaz Osman Jantan, Mr 

Ismail Kassim, Mr Salim Osman, Mr Mohammad 

Maidin and Mr Mohd Sedeh. 

1988: Malaysia. The International Conference on ‘The 

15th Century Hijrah’ was organised by Prime 

Minister’s Department in conjunction with 

the Organisation of Islamic Conference, at the 

Kuala Lumpur Hilton from 24 November to 4 

December 1981. The conference was officially 

opened by H.E. Dr Mahathir Muhammad, Prime 

Minister of Malaysia 

1988: Egypt. The 11th International Conference on 

‘Da’wa’ was organised by Al-Azhar As-Sharif, on 

4-8 March 1988. H.E. President Hosni Mubarak 

inaugurated the Conference Key speeches were 

given by His Eminence Shaikh Jad El-Haq Ali 

Jad El-Haq, the Grand Shaikh of Al-Azhar. 

1988: Pakistan. Pakistan. The 9th World General 

Assembly organised by the World Muslim 

Congress (Motamar Al-Alam Al-Islami), 

Karachi., on 2nd April 19 

1988: Singapore. The International Seminar on 

‘The Sanctity of Al-Haramain As-Sharifain” 

was co-organised by Jamiyah Singapore and 

Muhammadiyah, on 10 April 1988. 

1988: Malaysia. Regional seminar on “International 

Islamic Calendar” organised by the University of 

Sains Malaysia, on 8-10 June 1988. 

1988: Singapore. Singapore. The Training Course for 

Dai’ and Imam was co-organised by Jamiyah 

Singapore and Rabitah Al-Alam Al-Islami of 

Saudi Arabia, on 17-27 June 1988. 

1988: United Kingdom. The First European Islamic 

Conference was organised by The Council for 

Preservation of the Holy Places of Islam (UK & 

Eire), on 1-3 July 1988. 

1988: Singapore. A Talk by H.E. Shaikh Abdullah 

Al Ali Al Nuaim, Mayor of the City of Riyadh, 

organised by the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia to 

Singapore, on 25 August 1988. 

1994: Singapore. Two-Day Seminar on Kidney 

Transplant organised by Jamiyah Singapore on 7-8 

May 1994. 

1995: Egypt. The 7th Meeting of Constituent Assembly 

of the International Islamic Council for Da’wah 

and Relief was held in Cairo from 27-29 Ra’biul 

Awal 1416H corresponding to 24-26 August 

1995. The conference was attended by delegates 

from more than 100 Islamic International 

Organisations. The Grand Imam of Al-Azhar 

Sheikh Gad-al-Haq Ali Gad-al-Haq and 

Minister of Awqaf of Egypt HE Dr Mohammad 

Ali Mahgoub and HE Ustaz Kamel Sherif, 

Secretary-General of the Council grace the 

conference with their attendance. 

1995: Indonesia. In cooperation with the Government 

of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Government 

of Indonesia organised the “Asia Pacific 

Conference on “Islamic Da’wah Now and the 

Future” in Jakarta from 22-24 September 1995. 

1995: Singapore. A two-week course on Imam and Da’i 

held on 3-16 Dec 1995 co-organised by Jamiyah 

Singapore and Rabitah Al-Alam Al-Islami at 

Jamiyah Darul Ma’wa. It was inaugurated by the 

Honourable Mr Abdullah Tarmugi, Minister for 

Community Development and Minister In- 

Charge of Muslim Affairs in Singapore. 

1996: Malaysia. The 10th Session of the Coordination 

Committee of Joint Islamic Action in the field of 

Da’wah was held in Kuala Lumpur from 

12-15 January 1996. Prime Minister Mahathir 

Muhammad officially opened the conference. 

2003: Ghana. The 1st Conference of Muslim Minorities 

in Africa titled “Islam, World Peace and 

Development” organised by The Organisation of 

Islamic Conference (OIC) Accra, Ghana, 20-22 

January 2003 

2003: Austria. The 9th Meeting of the Leaders of 

Cultural Centres and Islamic Organisations in the 

West, Graz, Austria, 13-15 June 2003 

2003: Saudi Arabia. The 19th Session of the World 

Supreme Council of Mosques was organised by 

Rabitah the Muslim World League, Mecca, KSA, 

2 Rajab 1423H/30 August 2003. 

2003: Sweden. Cultural Diversity Forum, Malmo, 

Sweden, 5-8 December 2003 

2003: Italy. The 7th Meeting of the Supreme Council 

of Education and Culture in the West, Rome, 

Italy, 20-21 April 2006 2004 - Albania. The 6th 

Meeting of the Supreme Council of Education 

and Culture in the West, Tirana, Albania, 2-3 

June 2004 2005 - Singapore. Women in the New 

Millenium, Singapore, 15-16 July 2005. 

2006: Saudi Arabia. World Forum, Jeddah, Saudi 

Arabia, 1-3 April 2006. 

2006: Morocco. The 9th Session of ISESCO’s General 

Conference, Rabat, Morocco, 8-10 December 

2006. 

2008: Egypt. The 15th Session of the committee for the 

coordination of Joint Islamic Work held by OIC, 

Cairo, Egypt, 29 Jan 2008 -1 Feb 2008 

2008: Saudi Arabia. Workshop for IsDB Scholarship 

Programme Partners workshop held by IsDB, 

Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), 26-30 

April 2008. 

2008: Saudi Arabia. Three-Day International 

Conference for Dialogue (IICFD) ‘Makkah 

Dialogue’, Makkah Al Mukarramah, organised 

by the Muslim World League,30 Jumadal Ula 

to 2 Jumadal Thani 1429H corresponding to 4-6 

June 2008. The conference was inaugurated by 

Khadimul Haramain, The Guardian of the Two 

Holy Mosques, His Majesty King Abdullah Ibn 

Abdul Aziz Al Saud. 

2008: Russia. Islam in Rusia, Moscow, 24 June 2008 

2008: South Korea. The 1st Symposium on the Muslim 

Communities and Minorities in Asia, “Challenges 

and Prospects in a multicultural society” held by 

the OIC, Seoul, South Korea, 4-6 July 2008. 

2008: Singapore. Seminar on Harmony, Peace and 

40 41



Universal Values: Buddhism and Islamic 

Perspective, Singapore 22nd-23rd November 

2000. 

2009: Philippines. International Symposium on the 

Role of Higher Education in Fostering Islamic 

Understanding, Peace and Development held 

by CHED-ARMM, Manila, Philippines, 16-17 

February 2009. 

2009: Malaysia. Workshop on Implementation 

Mechanism for the recommendations of the 

Seoul Symposium held by OIC, Kuala Lumpur, 

Malaysia, 28-30 April 2009. 

2009: Morocco. The 10th Meeting of the Supreme 

Council of Educational, Cultural and Scientific 

for Muslims outside the Islamic world, Rabat, 

Morocco, 9-10 June 2009. 

2009: Singapore. Training for Imams and Dais, held 

by Rabitah and Jamiyah Dakwah Islamiyah in 

Singapore, 27 July 2009-8 August 2009. 

2009: Australia. Three-Day-Seminar on Development 

of The Muslim Community: Challenges & 

Opportunities, University of Western Sydney, New 

South Wales of Australia, 4-6 November 2009. 

2010: Cambodia. Two-Day Dialogue 

Sessions on Harmony, Peace and Universal Values: 

Buddhism and Islamic Perspective, Phnom Penh, 

Kingdom of Cambodia, 29-30 May 2010. 

2010: Ireland. The Inter-Faith Roundtable 

6th Annual Religious Peace Conference, Dublin, 

Ireland, 5 June 2010. 

2010: Saudi Arabia. Conference on “Reality 

and Future“ of the 50th Anniversary of Rabitah Al 

Alam Al Islami, Makkah Al Mukarrama, KSA, 31 

July 2010 1 August 2010/19-21 Sha’ban 1431H 

2010: Indonesia. The 11th International Conference of 

the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY) 

on ‘Youth and Community Responsibility, Jakarta, 

Indonesia, 2-4 October 2010. 

2010: Morocco. The 1st Forum of the heads of Islamic 

cultural centres and associations outside the 

Islamic World organised by ISESCO, Rabat, 

Morocco, 9-10 November 2010. 

2010: Sri Lanka. Preliminary meeting with Honourable, 

Prime Minister Mr D.M Jayaratne and other 

Muslim and Buddhist leaders of Sri Lanka for 

holding Dialogue Sessions on “Role of Men and 

Women in promoting Peace and Harmony from 

Islamic & Buddhism Perspective“ at the Prime 

Minister’s Offiice of Sri Lanka, 29 December 

2010. 

2012: Egypt. International Conference on ‘Effective 

Media on Dakwah’ organised by OIC in 

cooperation with the World Assembly of Muslim 

Youth (WAMY) and The International Islamic 

Council for Da’wah and Relief (IICDR) from 5-6 

March 2012, Cairo, the Arab Republic of Egypt. 

2012: Singapore. International Seminar on “Muslim 

NGOs in Community Service: Challenges and 

Opportunities organised by Islamic Educational, 

Scientific and Cultural Organisation (ISESCO) 

in cooperation with Muslim Missionary Society 

Singapore ( JAMIYAH SINGAPORE), 

Ministry of Islamic Affairs and Endowment, 

Kuwait and International Islamic Charitable 

Organisation (IICO), Kuwait:19-21 October 2012 

corresponding to 3-5 Zulhijjah 1433H. 

2012: Indonesia. International Conference on FATWA, 

jointly organised by Rabitah Al-Alam Al-Islami 

and Ministry of Islamic Affairs, the Republic of 

Indonesia, Jakarta 24-26 December 2012. 

2014: Singapore. International Conference on 

‘Information Issues for Muslims in the Diaspora: 

Role of Islamic Institutions in Promoting Culture 

of Peace and Harmony’ co-organised by Jamiyah 

Singapore and the Organisation of Islamic 

Cooperation which take place in Singapore from 

11-13 June 2014. 

2014: Italy. International Conference on ‘Islam and 

Europe: Strengthening the alliance of cultural 

and religious understanding“ which was attended 

by prominent Italian figures and members of 

ISESCO Supreme Council and the Italian Senate 

on 15-16 September 2014. 

2015: Cambodia. International Symposium on ‘Islam 

and the Message of Peace and Tolerance’ organised 

by the Muslim World League (Rabitah al-Alam 

al-Islami) cooperated with Cambodia Islamic 

Association on 4 April 2015. 

2015: Hong Kong. International Conference on 

‘Dialogue and Peaceful Coexistence’ co-organised 

by The Muslim World League and the Islamic 

Board of Trustees & Islamic Union of Hong Kong 

from 18-19 November 2015. 

2016: Morocco. International Crans-Montana Forum 

“Africa and South Cooperation on Religious & 

Educational Leadership Seminar To Protect the 

Environment’ in the inner city (Madinat Dakhlah) 

Morocco, 17-22 March 2016. 

2016: Singapore. International Seminar on “Religion 

and Peace: Initiatives by Organisations in 

Southeast Asia“ in Singapore from 20 to 21 

October 2016 

2016: Egypt. International Conference on Arabic 

Civilization and Islamic Arts” titled “MUTUAL 

INFLUENCES AMONG CIVILIZATIONS” 

from 26-29 October 2016 in Luxor City of 

Egypt. ISESCO and Al-Maktoum Charitable 

Foundation organised the aforementioned 

conference in cooperation with the Arab 

Association of Civilization and Islamic Arts and 

the Province of Luxor. 

2017: Malaysia. International Symposium on 

‘Cooperation, Tolerance and Civilizational 

Dialogue’ at University Sains Islam Malaysia 

(USIM) co-organised by the Muslim World 

League (MWL) and USIM Malaysia on 14 April 

2017. 

2017: Sri Lanka. International Symposium titled 

“Islamic Reality and Contemporary Challenges in 

Asia“ was convened in Colombo city, taking place 

from 1 2 Sha’ban 1438H corresponding to 27 

to 28 April 2017. The symposium was organised 

by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dakwah 

and Guidance of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 

cooperates with the Sri Lanka Islamic Centre in 

Colombo, the Socialist Democratic Republic of 

Sri Lanka. 

2017: Philippines. Regional Youth Convention (RYC 

2017) organised by the World Assembly of 

Muslim Youth (WAMY) in Manila City from 

16-20 November 2017. 

2017: Singapore. International conference on ‘Role of 

Muslim NGOs in Promoting Culture of Peace: 

Challenges and Prospects’ 13-14 October 2017 @ 

Pan Pacific Hotel, Singapore. 

2018: Chile. The Third Forum of Islamic Cultural 

Centres and Associations Outside the Islamic 

World in Santiago, Republic of Chile, 27 Oct-03 

November 2018. 

2018: Saudi Arabia. International Conference on 

‘Islamic Unity: The Perils of Labelling and 

Exclusion’ in the vicinity of Haram Mosque of 

Makkah, 10-15 December 2018. 

2019: Azerbaijan. The 5th World Forum on 

Intercultural Dialogue, “Building Dialogue Into 

Action Against Discrimination, Inequality and 

Violent Conflict”, Baku, 2-3 May 2019. 

2019: Saudi Arabia. International Conference on ‘The 

Values of Moderation in Quran and Sunnah 

Perspective’ organised by the Muslim World 

League (MWL) in the vicinity of Haram 

Mosque of Makkah Al-Mukarramah from 27-30 

May 2019. 

42 43



The late Haji Abu Bakar Maidin attended regional conferences, such as a four-day ‘Islamic Dakwah Conference for South East Asia and Pacific Region’ held from 12-15 January 1980 

in Kuala Lumpur. The conference was officially opened by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia and attended by luminaries such as Prime Minister Datuk Hussein Onn, and Dr Haji 

Abdul Malik Karim Amarullah (HAMKA, third from left), the chairman of Indonesia Council of Ulama. 

Other than membership and general linkages 

with numerous global Islamic organisations and 

agencies, Jamiyah Singapore has been actively 

participating in regional and international 

seminars and conferences relating to peace, interfaith 

relations, educational and social concerns of 

the ummah. 

There were occasions when Jamiyah 

participated in such discussions almost every year 

and was also the host on many occasions. The 

following is a random sample of some of these 

conferences held since the 1980s where Jamiyah 

was the host or participant in the gatherings. 

In 1980, Jamiyah sent delegates to two 

regional conferences. The first was a four-day 

‘Islamic Dakwah Conference for South East 

Asia and Pacific Region’ held from 12-15 January 

1980 in Kuala Lumpur. 

The conference was officially opened by 

the Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia and 

attended by luminaries such as Prime Minister 

Datuk Hussein Onn, and Dr Haji Abdul Malik 

Karim Amarullah (HAMKA), Chairman of 

Indonesia Council of Ulama. The second was 

the inaugural ‘International Islamic Mass 

Media Conference’ held in Jakarta from 1-3 

September 1980. Jointly hosted and organised by 

the World Muslim League and the Indonesian 

Government, delegates from major international 

Islamic organisations attended the conference, 

including the Motamar Al Alam Al Islami (World 

Muslim Congress), the Arab League, Islamic 

Bank International Association, Organisation 

of Islamic Conference, International Islamic 

News Agency, Union of Radios of Islamic States, 

and the United Nations Education Scientific 

and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). Seven 

persons closely connected with Mass Media in 

Singapore also attended the conference. 

For Jamiyah, organised meetings such as 

conferences are important as it allowed the 

discovery of potential talents and the meeting of 

minds. 

For example, the Young Men Muslim 

Association was the brainchild of Ambo Sooloh. 

It enabled young men still not yet 40 to meet 

minds and discover leaders amongst themselves. 

One such leader was Ahmad Ibrahim, who was 

chosen as President of the Young Men Muslim 

Association. Other energetic youths were Sardon 

Zubir, who later became a Minister during Tunku 

Abdul Rahman’s government in Malaya. Others 

included the future diplomat Kamal Siddique. 

The late Haji Abu Bakar Maidin with Tunku Abdul Rahman, 

First Prime Minister of Malaysia. 

44 45



Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, His Excellency, Dr Mohammad bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa, addressing the participants of the International Conference 2017, in Singapore. 

Conferences on Islam, Peace and 

Other Faiths 

The Regional Islamic Convention held in 

Jamiyah Singapore in April 1986 was memorable 

in many ways. It brought together great minds and 

activists and showed the sincerity and fellowship 

of ordinary Muslims. It highlighted the ‘Qadiani 

Ahmadi’ problem that was still festering in 

different parts of the Muslim world, and fielded 

prominent Islamic leaders and scholars. Justice 

Cheema, an authority on the Ahmad Qadiani 

issue, prompted Jamiyah to develop publications 

on the issue after availing themselves of the facts 

in his paper. Thereafter Jamiyah wrote to the 

Government on the grievances of the Muslim 

community about the issue, example, their use 

of the word “masjid” and their usage of Muslim 

cemeteries that were meant only for Muslims. 

Attending was also Dr Ahmad Alonto, a 

prominent educationist in the Philippines 

and long associated with the Mindanao 

State University and a peace moderator for 

the embattled Moros with the non-Muslim 

government. The Speaker of the Parliament in 

Indonesia, Bapak Ahmad Syaikhu, also led the 

Ittihadul Mubaligien organisation in Indonesia. 

The conference saw the import of A.K.Brohi’s 

presence. His sheer mastery of Islamic thought 

in contemporary language and his suggestions 

on the Administration of Muslim Law Act 

stirred the minds of leaders of organisations who 

attended the meeting. Not to forget mentioning 

was Dr Mohd. Ilyas from the Science University 

of Malaysia, Penang, proposed the International 

Islamic Calendar. 

The Calendar, which had received acclaim 

from Muslim scientists and fellow astronomers, 

was later used by MABIMS to solve the long 

Ramadan impasse about the difficulty of 

determining the start and end of the month of 

fasting and the dates of the Eid, namely, Hari 

Raya Eidul-Fitri and Hari Raya Eidul-Adha. 

Jamiyah was among the earliest 

organisational members of RISEAP or Regional 

Islamic Dakwah Council of South East Asia and 

Pacific, headed by the former Prime Minister 

of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman. Jamiyah’s 

delegates to the RISEAP meetings raised the 

need to include women in RISEAP’s Council. 

This proposal was later accepted when the late 

Datin Laila Taib of Malaysia was elected, who 

later publicly thanked the delegates for the 

initiative. 

1988 was a hectic year for Jamiyah’s 

involvement in international conferences. 

About seven conferences were held: Three in 

Singapore (which include a Training Course 

for Da’i and Imam), and one each in Malaysia, 

Egypt, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom. The 

latter UK conference was the first ‘European 

Islamic Conference’ organised by The Council 

for Preservation of the Holy Places of Islam (UK 

& Eire), on 1-3 July 1988, while the meeting 

in Pakistan was the ‘World General Assembly’ 

organised by the Motamar Al-Alam Al-Islami 

in Karachi, on 2nd April 1988. 

More conferences were held throughout the 

1990s where Jamiyah was either the host (as in 

1994 and 1995) or sent speakers and delegates. 

Such was the case for the meeting in Egypt in 

August 1995 of the ‘Constituent Assembly of the 

International Islamic Council for Da’wah and 

Relief ’ held in Cairo on 24-26 August 1995. This 

particular gathering was attended by delegates 

from more than 100 Islamic International 

Organisations. In September 1995, in cooperation 

with Saudi Arabia, the Indonesian Government 

convened the “Asia Pacific Conference on 

“Islamic Da’wah Now and the Future” in Jakarta 

from 22-24 September 1995. 

In the 2000s, a notable year for such 

conferences was 2003, whereupon Ghana and 

Sweden hosted conferences bearing the theme 

46 47



The late Haji Abu Bakar Maidin (2nd from left) with many Arab delegates. 

His Excellency Sheikh Hamid Gabid, Secretary-General 

of the OIC, presented the OIC Award to the late Haji Abu 

Bakar Maidin. 

of Muslim minorities and the need to safeguard 

cultural diversities, including inter-faith 

understanding. 

The gathering in Ghana was about 

inter-faith, titled “Islam, World Peace and 

Development”, organised by The Organisation 

of Islamic Conference (OIC) in Accra on 20- 

22 January 2003, whereas the Swedish seminar 

was held on 5-8 December 2003. In the same 

year, Jamiyah’s President, accompanied by a few 

other representatives, participated in conferences 

in Austria ( June) and Saudi Arabia (August). 

There were other seminars in other countries – 

such as Albania (2004), Italy (2006), Morocco 

(2006) – but came the 2008-09 period, Jamiyah 

participated in nine seminars and conferences in 

places like Russia (24 June 2008), South Korea 

(4-6 July 2008), Philippines (16-17 February 

2009) and Morocco (9-10 June 2009). The 

themes in Korea and Russia centred upon the 

plight of minority Muslims in Russia and Asia, 

respectively, while Muslim education were the 

focus at the Philippines and Morocco meetings. 

Project, ‘Touch of Harmony’ with New 

York University (NYU) 

The Touch of Harmony project, was 

initiated by Jamiyah Singapore in 2004, under 

the inspirational leadership of the late Haji Abu 

Bakar Maidin, President of Jamiyah, with the 

active support of His Excellency Eduardo Ramos 

Gomez, then the President of the US-Mexico 

Chamber of Commerce (Northeast Chapter), 

and Attorney at Law (Duane Morris, New 

York). Ms Valerie Cabral, Assistant Director of 

Opportunity Programme, New York University, 

then managed to convince NYU to participate in 

this global programme. 

The project was meant to promote harmony 

and peace among people of different faiths and 

races, both at local and global levels, by providing 

participants the opportunities for experiencing the 

pleasure of learning and interacting in the multiracial 

and multi-faith environment of Singapore. 

More focus was attached to promoting goodwill 

and harmony among youths studying in higher 

educational institutions, local and international. 

In 2004 the first batch of students from 

NYU came to Jamiyah Singapore to participate 

in this ten-day programme at which they were 

given the opportunity to visit various faithbased 

local social service agencies and also the 

opportunity to volunteer in some of the agencies’ 

activities. 

In 2006 NYU honoured the late Haji Abu 

Bakar Maidin, President of Jamiyah Singapore, 

by establishing the ‘Abu Bakar Maidin Annual 

Scholarship Award’. At an award presentation 

ceremony held at the Singapore Permanent 

Mission for United Nations, New York on 

Tuesday, 11th July 2006, Dr. Patricia M Carey, 

Dean of the Steinhardt School of Education, 

NYU, announced that the award will be 

presented every year commencing from 2007 to 

a student of the NYU who has contributed much 

towards promoting peace and human services. At 

the same occasion, Mr. Eduardo Ramos Gomez 

presented a Citation to honour the late Haji Abu 

48 49



Visit to the Singapore Permanent Mission for United Nations by the late Haji Abu Bakar Maidin and the visiting delegates from Singapore where The New York University honoured 

Mr Abu Bakar by establishing the ‘Abu Bakar Maidin Annual Scholarship Award’. 

Bakar Maidin in recognition of his dedication 

and commitment to humanitarian services and 

in promoting global peace and harmony. 

His Excellency, Mr. Vanu Gopala Menon, 

Singapore’s Ambassador and Permanent 

Representative to the United Nations, chaired 

the Awards Presentation Ceremony held at the 

Singapore Permanent Mission to the United 

Nations. He also hosted a dinner in honour of 

the late Haji Abu Bakar Maidin and the visiting 

delegation from Singapore, which was attended 

by officials from NYU, the US-Mexican Chamber 

of Commerce and leaders of different faiths in 

New York. 

The Touch of Harmony programme turned 

out to be an innovative programme that has 

enabled foreign participants not only to have 

a better understanding of the multi-racial and 

multi-cultural harmony prevailing in Singapore, 

but also a precious educational experience for 

NYU students in particular to understand the 

vibrant and people-friendly socio-economic and 

cultural environment of Singapore. 

Noting the obvious benefits of the project, 

and as part of their broad-based continuing 

education programme to prepare youths that 

will contribute to a better world, NYU officials 

expressed their sincere thanks for the opportunity 

to join Jamiyah counterparts. Looking ahead, 

they expressed all hope to avail and share similar 

opportunities with participants of other US 

universities in this worthwhile programme. 

Yet another six conferences in the year 

2010 alone saw the participation of the Jamiyah 

President and other management representatives 

– in Cambodia, Ireland, Saudi Arabia, 

Indonesia, Morocco, and Sri Lanka. ‘Inter-faith 

Understanding’ was the theme of the meetings 

in Cambodia, Ireland, and Sri Lanka in May, 

June, and December. The Morocco gathering was 

the inaugural meeting of the ‘Heads of Islamic 

Cultural Centres and Associations outside 

the Islamic World’ organised by ISESCO on 

9-10 November 2010. Three other conferences 

followed it in 2012 – in Egypt, Singapore 

and Indonesia, which discussed issues of the 

Media and Dakwah, Muslim NGOs and Fatwa, 

respectively. 

Henceforth, from 2014 to 2020, not a year 

passed by when Jamiyah was not privy to these 

inter-faith seminars and conferences. Singapore, 

through Jamiyah, again became host to three 

of these major conferences throughout this 

period – in 2014 (‘Role of Islamic institutions 

in promoting peace and harmony’), 2016 

(‘Religion and Peace: Initiatives from Southeast 

Asia’), and 2017 (‘Role of Muslim NGOs in the 

Promotion of Peace’). Other conferences were 

held in Italy (2014), Cambodia and Hong Kong 

(2015), Morocco and Egypt (2016), Malaysia, Sri 

Lanka and the Philippines (2017), Chile, Saudi 

Arabia and Azerbaijan (2018), and Saudi Arabia 

again (2019). An overriding theme of many of 

these later conferences was the need for mutual 

understanding, goodwill, and collaboration 

among all faiths in the world. For example, the 

Azerbaijan gathering saw Jamiyah President 

presenting a paper on the necessity of dialogue 

in resolving inter-faith and inter-racial conflicts. 

Although since 2020, when the COVID-19 

pandemic struck many parts of the world and 

these conferences were no longer as frequent, 

quite a few still continued through Zoom/ 

Webinar, with Jamiyah again hosting some of 

them, such as the international webinar on the 

‘Role of Faith Leaders during the Pandemic’. It is 

thus more than obvious that Jamiyah Singapore 

has been an active participant in the numerous 

international seminars and conferences held since 

the 1980s. Given its close collaboration with 

many of the world’s leading Islamic organisations 

50 51



Jamiyah Singapore's 

earliest publication 

includes World Muslim 

League, 1964 and Voice 

of Islam, 1976. 

and record of contributions to discussions on. 

Inter-faith peace and progress of all communities 

it can be expected that post-COVID-19, more 

opportunities will come for Jamiyah to render its 

experience and goodwill in future conferences. 

Contributions of the late Haji Abu Bakar 

Maidin and Other Leaders 

Jamiyah’s seeds of planting inter-faith 

goodwill and harmony that were germinated by 

its pioneering leaders such as Maulana Abdul 

Aleem Siddique and Dato Syed Ibrahim Omar 

Alsagoff (and others) were further boosted by 

the arrival of a new President, the late Abu Bakar 

Maidin in 1970. 

From an early age, the late Haji Abu Bakar 

Maidin was exposed to the non-parochial 

Quran-based interpretations of Islam by 

preachers of world fame such as Maulana Abdul 

Aleem Siddique, his son-in-law Dr Hafiz Fazlur 

Rahman Ansari, Dr Khalid Sheldrake of the 

Western Islamic Association, London and 

Haji Ibrahim TY Ma of China’s famous Hui 

Hui clan. The poet-philosopher of Pakistan Dr 

Muhammad Iqbal, whose creative and universal 

interpretations seemed to be on the lips of the 

Urdu speaking Muslims of Pakistan and India, 

including the largest world-roving Muslim 

group, the apolitical Tabligh Jamaat, founded by 

Maulana Ilyas of India. 

The Faith Movement of Maulana Ilyas was 

dubbed as being reductionist by a few prominent 

scholars such as Ahmad Shah Noorani, 

contradicting even the modernist thought of the 

Palestinian scholars Ismail R. Faruqi of Temple 

University and Ibrahim Abu Rabi of Hartford 

Seminary. To them, as the majority of people 

seek righteousness through religion, it would be 

wrong for religion not to be involved in politics, 

for they feared that such an inclination would 

lead to a dearth of good people in public and 

government service. 

In some ways, the late Haji Abu Bakar 

Maidin must also have been touched by Dato 

Syed Ibrahim Omar Alsagoff, whose Jawi 

Malay articles were translated into Malay and 

published in Jamiyah’s World Muslim League 

magazine. His financial largesse made the late 

Haji Abu Bakar Maidin agree that Dato Syed 

Ibrahim Omar Alsagoff be called, deservedly, 

the ‘Patriarch of Jamiyah’. Others included Kiayi 

Anwar Musaddad of Indonesia, who empowered 

his lectures with his transparent humility, smiling 

countenance and symbolic drawings of the 

Jamiyah’s seeds of planting 

inter-faith goodwill and 

harmony that were germinated 

by its pioneering leaders 

such as Maulana Abdul 

Aleem Siddique and Dato 

Syed Ibrahim Omar Alsagoff 

(and others), were further 

boosted by the arrival of a new 

President, the late Abu Bakar 

Maidin (ABM) in 1970. 

52 53



The late Haji Abu Bakar Maidin (left), President of the Muslim Missionary Society Singapore or Jamiyah (Persekutuan Seruan Islam Singapura), accepting a donation cheque from 

Dato Syed Ibrahim bin Omar Alsagoff, Consul General of Saudi Arabia in Singapore. The latter presented the cheque on behalf of the World Muslim League of Mecca in support of 

the community work by Jamiyah. (November, 1975). 

values of Islam. The late Haji Abu Bakar also 

had a close relationship with Maulana Ahmad 

Shah Nooraini whose approachability, modesty, 

courage and eloquence in Arabic touched his 

heart. Like his revered father, he too went around 

the world alone on their global missions. The late 

Haji Abu Bakar was surprised that the Chinese 

Muslim Salleh Ma, famed for his making of Mee 

Hong Kong, was among the earlier members 

of the society appearing at the Annual General 

Meeting. 

Haji Abdul Karim Amrullah, popularly 

known as Hamka, is known for his exegesis and 

commentary of the Quran (Tafsir Al Azhar), 

which was probably influenced by the thought of 

the Father of Sociology, Ibn Khaldun, who railed 

against racialism, tribalism and parochialism. The 

late Haji Abu Bakar loved to listen to his lectures 

in Bahasa Indonesia. Obviously, all the above 

observations indicated their knowledge of the 

universal values in the Quran, for e.g., “Whoever 

speaks in terms of party-spirit, is not one of us… 

All humanity is as equal as the teeth of a comb… 

In the estimation of God, the best person is the 

most righteous one.” The late Haji Abu Bakar 

was also touched by the broad-mindedness of 

the Buddhist leader, Lee Kong Chian, who made 

his first public debut with Jamiyah when he feted 

the participants, organizing committee members, 

and official observers at the last South East Asian 

Muslim Missionary Conference on 26 December 

1950 at his home in Bukit Serene, Johor Baru. 

Since 1970, the late Haji Abu Bakar had 

already shown keen interest in inter-faith 

activities. Soon after becoming the President 

of Jamiyah, while spending much time on 

fundraising activities, he visited Christian, Sikh, 

Hindu and Jain religious centres. His fundraising 

initiatives included Walkathons and Pasar Ria 

or Fun Fairs, in which the Jamiyah Women’s 

Section played a prominent role. 

Almost his entire extended family and the 

village folk surrounding his house at Lorong 

Marican were involved in these fundraising 

projects. In addition, the growing number of 

members, which at its peak reached 30,000 – also 

chipped in their time and effort. By that time, 

Jamiyah managed to register the conversions 

of the overwhelming majority of new brothers 

and sisters in Islam in Singapore, as required 

by the Muslim Conversion Act. Jamiyah held a 

mammoth Maulid Nabi Rally where the thenlargest 

prayer congregation in the open field of 

the Kallang Stadium was held. Apart from the 

field, Qiblat signs were placed in different parts 

of the Kallang Stadium so that people could 

pray in smaller groups where Jamiyah had put 

up temporary water pipes. Even one Army camp 

provided several mobile water tanks as a gesture 

of cooperation to Jamiyah. 

The late Haji Abu Bakar Maidin called the 

new converts ‘Saudara Kita’ rather than Saudara 

Baru saying, “For how long are you allowing them 

to be called new relatives in Islam?”. As a result, 

some of them were ostracized by their family 

members and friends. So Jamiyah set up ‘Rumah 

Saudara Kita’ for those who needed shelter. These 

were rented terrace houses, but they lasted for 

a short while only as another organisation had 

decided to focus only on conversions and was 

encouraged by MUIS. 

Since then, the number of registration 

of converts by Jamiyah has dwindled. More 

importantly, Jamiyah had to focus on its 

humanitarian services such as disaster relief 

overseas and in Singapore. When a hotel collapsed, 

Jamiyah dispatched cooked food for the 

volunteers and disaster relief workers there and 

received a commendation letter from the then 

Deputy PM Jayakumar. 

Soon Jamiyah also empowered its welfare 

work, especially for the less fortunate, by adding 

54 55



Launched in September, 2021, Jampacked@Bukit Batok, houses a Community Minimart, providing donated food and essential items from Jamiyah Singapore’s and Bukit Batok 

Grassroots Organisations’ community, corporate partners and donations from the public. Low-income families in the Bukit Batok Constituency are provided with credits every month, 

which they can use to ‘purchase’ items from the minimart. 

‘Meals on Wheels’ to assist destitute living 

alone. Thereafter, there was the need to set 

up a FoodBank, which is now expanding its 

services. Recently, Senior Minister Tharman 

Shanmugaratnam was the Guest of Honour at the 

Opening of the Second FoodBank-Jampacked@ 

Bukit Batok. This is a joint project with Bukit 

Batok Grassroots Organisations which includes 

a Community Minimart. 

According to the celebrated companion 

Abu Hurairah, one of the characteristics of the 

early Muslims was that they carried a bag with 

them that contained a mirror, a comb, and their 

uneaten dates, bread, and other eatables. They 

were strongly advised not to throw these away 

but to bring them home or give them away to 

charity. 

This same charitable spirit was with the late 

Haji Abu Bakar Maidin when he was Jamiyah’s 

President. He wanted to set up a ‘Kampong 

Jamiyah’ around the mosque, and when this did 

not come to fruition, his younger brother Zainal 

Abidin did so in Cambodia. Jamiyah set up a 

building for school and built 100 wells to provide 

clean water for the impoverished villagers in 

Tonle Sap, Cambodia. Sample solar panels were 

forwarded to a community leader to test and 

order for free from a certain factory in China, 

but unfortunately, that initiative never took off. 

Continuing his inter-faith work, the late Haji 

Abu Bakar Maidin agreed to start an IRO’s 

‘Multifaith Studies Programme’ at the Jamiyah 

Business School. Scholars on the different 

religions, including those not represented on 

the IRO Council, such as Jainism and the little 

known World Red Swastika group, gave their 

talks. While one is aware of popular Taoism, it 

was refreshing to hear a philosophical rendition 

of Taoism by a Taoist professor from the National 

University of Singapore. Later the programme 

venue was transferred to ‘OnePeople Singapore’ . 

Yet another area that the late Haji Abu Bakar 

Maidin and his team were keen to promote was 

humanitarian relief work, which was known to be 

very much emphasized by earlier Muslim leaders 

in Singapore. Their projects such as the Alkaff 

Lake Gardens, the Alsagoff Free Clinic, the Kadir 

Sultan Football Trophy and their fundraising for 

educational projects such as the ACS school and 

the University of Singapore must have impressed 

the late Haji Abu Bakar Maidin. For this venture, 

he was able to rally leaders from different 

communities to assist in major fundraising efforts 

towards humanitarian and disaster relief efforts. 

This was done for Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, 

Palestine, Pakistan, Bosnia, and Myanmar flood 

victims. He was fortunate to have secured the 

support of inter-faith leaders such as Master Lee 

Bock Guan and V. R. Nathan of the Buddhist 

and Hindu communities. This example was soon 

followed by Christian, Taoist, Sikh and other 

communities. 

Finally, the late Haji Abu Bakar Maidin 

was concerned about Welfare Homes for the 

destitute without family support and those who 

needed protracted nursing care and medical 

attention. His appeals received the attention of 

both non-Muslim and Muslim philanthropists 

such as Master Chin Kong, Abdul Jalil, Ong Chu 

Poh and Capt Kassim, not forgetting the Shaw 

Foundation, the Lee Foundation, and the Mohd 

Jalil Foundation. 

56 57



V. Conclusion 

Jamiyah Singapore regularly invites and hosts visits by the Senior Management Officials of its community partners and ambassadors from various embassies to its headquarters to 

strengthen existing ties of friendship and collaboration. 

Jamiyah’s Contributions Towards 

Peace And Harmony In Multi-Religious 

Singapore – Then And Now 

ny serious discussion about inter-faith or interreligious 

relations in Singapore will be incomplete 

if the role and contributions of Jamiyah 

Singapore are not highlighted for mention. After 

all, the history and background in the genesis 

and development of inter-religious cooperation 

in this Republic since the 1940s owe some of its 

significant turning points to Jamiyah Singapore, 

especially to its founder, Maulana Abdul Aleem 

Siddique. 

As an Islamic Dakwah organisation, 

Jamiyah’s pioneers and founders were well aware 

of the need to spread the message of Islam from a 

universal lens, specifically, Islam as Rahmatan lil’ 

Alamin (“Blessings to the World”), encompassing 

values of love and compassion among humans 

and all of God’s creatures. This entails inviting 

humanity (of all races and faiths) to join together 

to pursue of the common good. These universal 

values benefit not just Muslims but also all 

humanity and other creatures, underscoring the 

assurance that Islam preaches to its followers to 

live in peace and harmony in this diverse world, a 

world deliberately made heterogeneous by Allah 

s.w.t. Thus, the idea of building bridges and 

pulling down walls between various communities 

in Singapore and elsewhere has been an initiative 

spearheaded by Jamiyah Singapore ever since its 

early history and establishment in 1932. Over 

the years, this inter-racial and inter-faith mission 

has been manifestly reflected in the organisation’s 

numerous activities, projects, and events. 

Pioneering Inter-Faith Figure 

As the founding father of this missionary 

movement and one who was later widely 

dubbed a ‘Global Peace Ambassador’, Maulana 

Abdul Aleem Siddique had envisioned Jamiyah 

58 59



Dr. H M Saleem, Senior Vice President I of Jamiyah Singapore, attended the Inter-religious Christmas gathering at the invitation of Archbishop Dr William Goh. The celebration was 

held at the Church of the Transfiguration, Punggol Central, attended by leaders of different faith communities in Singapore. 

Singapore providing welfare services to the 

unfortunate and the disadvantaged, irrespective 

of race or faith. His idea of the need for all 

communities and faiths to band together for the 

common good and to spread goodwill quickly 

resonated with other prominent community and 

faith leaders of that time, including the British 

representatives in colonial Singapore. With 

the wide support of other Jamiyah leaders, his 

mission gained momentum with the hosting of 

many inter-faith meetings aimed at collaborating 

towards a common stand on pertinent issues of 

the day. This was deemed necessary given the 

circumstances of the time – when the many ethnic 

communities were socially and geographically 

segregated by colonial design. In one of the 

gatherings with these religious leaders, the 

Maulana said that “all religions of the world are 

united as far as fundamental universal principles 

are concerned”. Having won their hearts on the 

message of ‘unity in diversity’, on the 18th of 

March 1949, the Inter-Religious Organisation of 

Singapore and Johore Baharu (IRO) was formed. 

Aided by other Jamiyah pioneers, especially 

Dato Syed Ibrahim Omar Alsagoff, the Maulana 

influenced successive Jamiyah stalwarts to adopt a 

similarly broad and open-minded approach when 

dealing with non-Muslim communities. In the 

decades that followed, many of these faith leaders 

joined hands with Jamiyah in moments of natural 

disasters, poverty and other calamities suffered 

by various communities – first in Singapore and 

then throughout the region, especially when 

there were difficulties and suffering, poverty and 

community divisiveness along the line of race 

and religion. 

For the IRO itself, since its inception 

and post-Independence Singapore when its 

operations were confined to the Republic, 

Jamiyah persuaded various religious organisations 

to work under its banner. As an umbrella body, 

its membership has expanded from the original 

six to 10 different religious groups – Islam, 

Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, 

Judaism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism, Baha’i and 

Jainism. While not forgetting its original mission 

to uphold the Islamic principles when cementing 

mutual understanding and tolerance with non- 

Muslim organisations in Singapore, Jamiyah 

was also actively engaging and strengthening its 

collaborations with Muslim bodies locally and 

abroad. 

Under the stewardship of the late Haji Abu 

Bakar Maidin, Jamiyah Singapore intensified 

its inter-faith collaboration beyond Singapore. 

The list of these global collaborations is long 

and places Jamiyah as the trailblazer and key 

promoter in international peace conferences and 

gatherings spanning many decades. Many of 

these collaborations were with similar-minded 

overseas partners such as the Rabitah Alam Islami, 

the Muktamar Islam, the Asian Conference of 

Religions for Peace, and the International Islamic 

Foundation for Dialogue based in Saudi Arabia. 

More than a dozen of these seminars and interfaith 

peace gatherings were held in Singapore 

and hosted by Jamiyah. Locally, other faith and 

welfare organisations, such as the Singapore 

Buddhist Lodge, joined hands with Jamiyah 

to organise a series of inter-faith seminars and 

dialogues in this Republic and nearby countries, 

including Cambodia and Sri Lanka. 

Jamiyah continued its inter-faith 

commitment when Prof (Adj) Datuk Dr Mohd 

Hasbi Abu Bakar became the President in 2012. 

Since then, many projects and events have been 

initiated to further strengthen racial and religious 

relations in Singapore and overseas. In this 

regard, during his decade-long leadership tenure, 

Jamiyah participated in at least four major areas 

of inter-faith collaboration. 

60 61



Jamiyahʼs delegates attended the Peace Forum in Chile. Jamiyahʼs team (Third from left): Datuk Dr Mohd Hasbi, Ustaz Andi and Dr Saleem. 

These include networking with fraternal 

inter-faith and inter-racial organisations, such as 

close collaboration with the Singapore Buddhist 

Lodge in offering bursary and financial donations 

to the disadvantaged and in need. Closer rapport 

was also established with other faith organisations 

such as the Singapore Soka Gakkai Association 

and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day 

Saints. Jamiyah was also active in either hosting 

seminars and conferences on the theme of peace 

and inter-faith understanding or participating 

in these gatherings, both locally and abroad. 

Overseas organisers were reputable institutions, 

including universities in Asia-Pacific, the Middle 

East and Europe. (Chronological details of 

these seminars and conferences since 2012 are 

mentioned in this book). 

Yet another contribution of Prof (Adj) 

Datuk Dr Mohd Hasbi is his encouragement 

to publish subjects of art, culture and interracial 

and inter-faith harmony. Inakkam, a 

compendium of ‘peace and harmony poems’ 

in Tamil, was presented at Jamiyah’s Prophet 

Muhammad Birthday Celebrations in 2019 

and published in print, e-book and audio-book 

versions. Jamiyah opened its doors to artists, 

poets and writers to present their works to a 

larger audience, especially works that bespeak 

harmony in our communities. Finally, utmost 

efforts were made to build community capacity 

for peace, especially involving youths, both in 

Singapore and the ASEAN region. In 2015, 

Jamiyah and the Singapore Kadayanallur Muslim 

League held a youth seminar at which 20 Muslim 

Youth ambassadors of peace were appointed 

to promote peace activities. This initiative was 

further expanded to the ASEAN region when 

Jamiyah held an international conference with 

ISESCO on the theme of ‘Religion and Peace’, 

at which 12 youths from the ASEAN region were 

appointed as International Youth Ambassadors 

of Peace to spread peace activities in their 

communities. 

Future of Inter-Faith Collaboration: 

Jamiyah’s Continuing Role in Singapore 

and Beyond 

The current relative peace and harmony 

amongst Singapore’s diverse and plural 

population owe its success to many factors. It is 

here that perhaps the role and contributions of 

religious leaders cannot be ignored. Their tireless 

efforts, either individually or collectively through 

agencies such as the IRO, have been publicly 

lauded by all government leaders. For the IRO, 

as it stands tall today, the early and significant 

Jamiyah was also active 

in either hosting seminars 

and conferences on the 

theme of peace and 

inter-faith understanding 

or participating in these 

gatherings, both locally 

and abroad. 

62 63



contributions of Jamiyah Singapore in fostering 

its formation and later, steady progress, is a 

manifest legacy for all to reminisce. However, 

the IRO, like Jamiyah, cannot rest on its laurels 

since new and more difficult challenges are 

appearing on the horizon. Extreme populist 

nationalism, xenophobia, and global extremist 

trends by individuals and groups of all faiths 

calls for continuing vigilance and readiness to 

adopt common standpoints as and when such 

incidences recur. 

Jamiyah leaders fully realize that the 

ongoing fragility and sensitivity of inter-racial 

and inter-faith relations not just in Singapore 

but also in other parts of the world, require 

continuing efforts to narrow down differences 

that have divided nations into racial, cultural 

and religious denominations and groups. 

Hence, the Singapore government’s officiallysanctioned 

state ideologies of ‘multi-racialism’ 

and ‘meritocracy’ that have been generally 

translated into government policies, received 

Jamiyah’s endorsement. The equal treatment of 

all citizens irrespective of race or religion, and the 

cherishing of their unique cultural traditions and 

practices are to be supported. At the same time, 

Singaporeans are goaded to expand their mutual 

and common spaces to strengthen the Republic’s 

national integration quest. Over the years, 

many policy initiatives have been introduced to 

forge a common national identity, whereupon 

Singaporeans of all races and religions pledge 

themselves – in schools and workplaces – to foster 

an integrated society. Even with the country’s 

open-door policy to attract talents globally, efforts 

are seriously being fostered to “increase awareness 

of the importance of integration, adaptation 

to the Singaporean way of life, and facilitating 

formation of friendships and shared experience 

between Singaporeans and non-locals”. 

Such an equitable inter-racial and interfaith 

framework has seen Singapore becoming a 

haven of racial and religious peace when many 

plural countries are beset by divisive ethnoreligious 

stresses and strains. Today, Singapore’s 

racial and religious landscape today has been 

radically transformed from being a disparate and 

segregated ethnic emporium during the British 

colonial rule from 1819 to 1959 to a more united 

and cohesive multi-racial and multi-religious 

country ever since independence in 1965. Much 

was done and continues to be implemented by the 

Singapore government and organisations such 

as Jamiyah, to ensure that the hard-worn task 

of turning a disparate population into a united 

nation-in-the-making will not be derailed. 

On 23 November 2021, Jamiyah Singapore welcomed a delegation from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS). Elder Peter.F. Meurs (Asia Area Presidency) from 

Hong Kong paid a courtesy visit to Jamiyah Singapore. He was accompanied by Mr Jean-Luc Butel (Stake President of LDS Singapore) and Mr Michael Ang (LDS Singapore). 

Jamiyah's Senior Management Officials - Dr H M Saleem (Senior Vice President I), along with Dr Isa Hassan (Senior Vice President III) and Mr Abdul Malik Abu Bakar (Director, 

Organisations & Inter-Faith Relations) received the guests and introduced Jamiyah’s service mission and programmes to Elder Meurs. 

64 65 

REFERENCES: 

https://www.islamicity.org/65378/prophet-muhammads-attributes-as-rahmatanlitaken 

l-alamin/ (Access date: 24.09.2021) 

Jamiyah Singapore, June 2012, Abu Bakar Maidin – Singapore Global Muslim: 

His Life, Times and Deeds, Jamiyah Global Pte Ltd, Republic of Singapore. 

Jamiyah Singapore, October, 27, 2007, 75 Years of Jamiyah Singapore (1932- 

2007) 

Deeds Inspired, Hopes Exalted, Republic of Singapore.Jamiyah Singapore, (n. d.). 

Sejarah dan Kegiatan-kegiatan Jamiyah Singapura (History and activities of 

Jamiyah Singapore), Republic of Singapore. (n.d.). 

Lai Ah Heng (Editor), 2008, Religious Diversity in Singapore, Institute of 

Southeast Asian Studies, Pasir Panjang, Republic of Singapore. 

https://jamiyah.org.sg/international-webminar/ (Access date: 28.03.2021). 

https://jamiyah.org.sg (Access date: 23.03.2021). 

https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_2014-12-09_125938.html 

(Access date: 23.03.2021).



VI. APPENDICES 

Pictorial History 

The late Tuan Haji Abu Bakar Maidin with then 

Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. 

Maulid procession was one way Jamiyah Singapore tried to inculcate the love of the Prophet Muhammad 

P.B.U.H. within the Muslim community in Singapore, especially the younger generation. 

As part of the International Inter-Religious Movement for Harmony, the IRO was invited to the World Conference of Religions and 

Peace (WCRP) first assembly, Kyoto, 1970. 

Mr Wan Hussin Haji Zoohri (then Parliamentary Secretary to Minister for Communications and Information) and 

Jamiyah officials headed a walkathon, Jamiyah’s experimenting strategy for fundraisng. 

The then Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr Lee Kuan Yew 

visited Jamiyah Singapore. 

66 67



Jamiyah Singapore 

organised Nuzul 

Quran by bringing 

reciters from all 

over the world, 

2017 

His Excellency Prof Dr Hamid Bin Ahmad Al-Rifaie, 

President, International Islamic Forum for Dialogue, Saudi 

Arabia addressed the delegates at the Harmony, Peace 

and Universal Values,: Islamic and Buddhist Perspectivesʼ 

held at Jamiyah Singapore, 2008. 

Jamiyah Singapore together with Dunia Melayu Dunia 

Islam (DMDI) introduced the Diploma Islamiyah Law ̶ 

a course that focuses on Islamic rulings from Quranic 

verses and Hadith sources. 

Voice of Islam 2018 publication reiterates Multi-Culturalism. 

On May 27, 2019 Iftar was a historic occasion for Islam 

and Christianity. It was their first time jointly holding Iftar in 

a Christian meeting house, supported by religious leaders 

from various faiths in Singapore. 

Participants of Inter-Religious Organisation Day 2018. 

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Dialogue session organised by Jamiyah on Youth of Different Faiths, 2005. 

Awakening Your Heart & Soul, a three-day exhibition featuring the “Artefacts of Rasulullah S.A.W & His Companions R.A ”, received an overwhelming 

response. The Exhibition also featured performances and talks in 2019. 

Singapore Soka Association hosted Inter-Faith Seminar by Jamiyah Singapore and SimplyIslam.sg. 

(23rd December 2015). 

Dr H M Saleem, Senior Vice President-I and Dr Isa Hassan, 

Senior Vice President-III of Jamiyah Singapore, were 

among the many delegates who attended the Focus Group 

Discussion (FGD) to discuss various aspects of bilateral 

cooperation on counter-terrorism held at Hotel Marina 

Mandarin on Monday, 16th May 2016. 

In 2015, Jamiyah 

Singapore presented 

ʻGENERASI MUAZ- 

Inspiration of the 

Preacher Generationʼ, 

a Special Mentoring 

Programme for 

Singaporean missionaries 

in the arena of preaching 

creativity. 

70 71



Government officials, 

diplomats, grassroots leaders 

and religious leaders from 

various faiths in Singapore 

attended a historic Iftar on 

May 27, 2019. 

A delegation from Kathankudi Municipal Town Council, Sri Lanka, 

visited Jamiyah Singapore on 16th May 2018 headed by the Deputy 

High Commissioner of Sri Lanka in Singapore Mr O.L Ameerajwad. 

They were shown Jamiyah FoodBank's service programmes and were 

briefed about other services. 

Dr H.M.Saleem, Senior Vice President I of Jamiyah, presented a gift to Ervad 

Rustam Ghadali during a Felicitation Hi-Tea for Ervad Rustom Ghadiali organised 

by Jamiyah Singapore on Friday, 23 November 2018. Mr Rustom served the Inter- 

Religious Organization (IRO) for more than 30 years and was also the President of 

IRO for three terms (2000,2009, and 2017). 

Jamiyah Singapore 

organised a webinar on 

̔Covid-19 Pandemic Crisis 

and Role of Faith Leadersʼ, 

September 2020. 

Delegates of Sahid Husnul Khatimah Waqf Foundation (Indonesia) came for a 

courtesy visit to Jamiyah Singapore on Thursday, 22 March 2018. 

The combined children's choir of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Jamiyah Singapore kicked off 

the jointly organised iftar on May 27, 2019. 

72 73



In a Media Briefing: (from left) Dr Hussin Mutalib; 

Jamiyah President, Prof (Adj) Datuk Dr Mohd 

Hasbi Abu Bakar; and Senior Vice President, 

Dr H.M. Saleem at a press conference on the 

forum ʽThe Role of Muslim NGOs in Promoting 

a Culture of Peace: Challenges and Prospectsʼ, 

2017 (Photo: Jamiyah Singapore. Excerpt 

Courtesy of beritaharian.sg) 

Prof (Adj) Datuk Dr Mohd Hasbi Abu Bakar, President of Jamiyah 

Singapore made a courtesy call to His Excellency Ambassador 

Abdullah Mohammed AlMadhi, the new Ambassador of the 

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Singapore at His Excellency’s office 

on 25 October 2021. 

Jamiyah Singapore held 

an Inter-Racial Harmony 

Seminar on 17 July 2021. 

74 

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Jamiyah Islamic Centre 

31 Lorong 12 Geylang, 

Singapore 399006 

jamiyahsg 

jamiyahsg 

6743 1211 

jamiyahsg 

jamiyah.org.sg 

© 2022 JAMIYAH SINGAPORE. 

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Inter-Faith Harmony: Jamiyah's Role & Contributions

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