Speech by Chief Executive of Muis, Mr Kadir Maideen at Muis Awards 2022 Ceremony

Her Excellency, Mdm Halimah Yacob, President of the Republic of Singapore,

Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for Social and Family Development, Second Minister for Health & Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs

Mr Mohamed Saat, Muis President

Sohibus Samahah, Dr Nazirudin Mohd Nasir, Mufti of Singapore

Past and Present Muis Council members,

Muis Awards Recipients and family members

Ladies and Gentlemen

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

A very good afternoon to everyone and allow me to extend my deepest appreciation to all of you for making the time to attend Muis Awards 2022 ceremony. We are deeply grateful to our Guest of Honour, Madam President, to grace the ceremony. We are also thankful to Madam President for extending the invite to last year’s recipients to be here at the Istana. I am certain this has brought joy and smiles to everyone present and I am very happy to see such many happy faces.

2 It is our great pleasure to meet everyone in person here, unlike last year where this ceremony had to be held virtually. This year, with the grace of Allah s.w.t, Muis has organised a number of physical events, with recent ones being the International Conference of Community of Success (ICCOS), and the Rahmatan Lil ‘Alamin Day. On that note I am happy to announce that the Rahmatan Lil ‘Alamin Foundation has raised $70,259 for the President’s Charity.

3 Today’s ceremony is a celebration of 9 outstanding individuals and their service to the community. I would like to add that beyond this, the Muis Awards, is a celebration of values. Each year, for the past 30 years, we have gathered to honour and celebrate values such as selflessness, sense of civic responsibility, determination, and resilience demonstrated by outstanding individuals who have given so much of their time to serve the community. Today, 9 volunteers will join the ranks of more than 150 individuals who have been conferred the Muis Awards since 1991. Our recipients symbolise our community’s spirit of bringing goodness and compassion to others in the community, as well as our wider society. The ceremony today is a platform to acknowledge these individuals who have made significant contributions to the community.

4 Our Muis Award recipients come from a diverse pool. We have board representatives from our Muslim Organisations as well as from the various Mosques, many of whom serve across multiple institutions. Among them is a long standing MMB member who had helped to establish Darul Quran at Masjid Kampung Siglap, as well as a mosque volunteer who not only helped to strengthen the governance of three mosques, but contributed beyond her scope of duties to empower women and reach out to low-income families, migrant workers and domestic helpers; and also a religious counsellor from FITRAH, guiding our offenders, ex-offenders and their families – just to name a few. The majority of our recipients have been in the volunteering field for at least two decades, and some even started way earlier in the 1970s and even 1960s. Remarkably, these individuals are still actively contributing their time to our Muslim community up until today.

5 The immense time and effort sacrificed by our award recipients to serve and uplift our community is exemplary. Their commitment and purity of purpose is well personified by our Jasa Cemerlang recipient this year. He has already received a Pingat Bakti Masyarakat and has been dedicating 40 years of service in various community and national organisations. These organisations include Darul Arqam, AMP Singapore and Muis. While serving at the Centre for Research on Islamic and Malay Affairs (RIMA), AMP’s research subsidiary, he has directed several research projects on socio-economic issues relating to the educational upliftment of Malay/Muslim students. Last June he published a book on “Indian Muslims in Singapore: History, Heritage and Contributions”. In recognition of all these endeavours, Muis reserves its highest accolades to Dr Abdul Razak Chanbasha to be our Jasa Cemerlang recipient for 2022. Dr Razak, on everyone’s behalf, we thank you for your efforts and may Allah reward your deeds.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

6 Our institutions are only as strong as the people supporting them. Our volunteers are one such key pillar of strength. We hope their stories and recognition will inspire and reinvigorate all of us here today to contribute in our own ways and capacity for the upliftment of our community. We hope that in their able hands, they can guide the next group of volunteers to be their worthy successors. We hope, with this continuous renewal and progress, we march towards our aspirations of being a Community of Success and a blessing to many.

Thank you very much, Wabilllahi Taufiq walhidayah, Wassalamualaikum Wr Wb

Allow me to say a few words in Malay. 

Tuan Puan yang saya hormati

7 Anugerah Muis merupakan sebuah acara tahunan sebagai wadah untuk menghargai dedikasi dan sumbangan individu-individu cemerlang yang sudah berdekad lamanya menabur bakti kepada masyarakat kita selama ini. Setelah melalui cabaran pandemik, alhamdulillah hari ini, kita dapat bersua muka meraikan jasa bakti 9 individu cemerlang. Majlis hari ini turut diserikan juga dengan kehadiran penerima-penerima Anugerah Muis dua ribu dua-puluh satu, yang terpaksa diraikan secara dalam talian pada tahun lepas. Saya mewakili seluruh kepimpinan dan warga Muis, ingin merakamkan setinggi-tinggi perhargaan kami kepada kesemua penerima anugerah.

8 Setiap tahun, para penerima Anugerah Muis mewakili ratusan relawan yang bertungkus lumus menyumbang kepada pelbagai institusi masyarakat, di dalam dan luar masjid dan juga pertubuhan-pertubuhan Islam. Kami amat sanjungi dan menghargai jasa mereka selama ini. Sumbangan murni mereka, digandingkan dengan sokongan padu daripada masyarakat, membolehkan kita menghadapi segala cabaran dengan tenang dan bersatu hati. Semoga penghargaan ini memberi inspirasi demi melahirkan generasi baru relawan yang bakal tampil menabur bakti memperkukuh institusi kemasyarakatan yang kita cintai.

9 Semoga Allah s.w.t. terus menyatukan hati-hati kita agar Muis dan masyarakat dapat terus bekerjasama dengan erat dan kita bersama-sama menjadi cerminan sebuah masyarakat gemilang yang terus menyumbang kepada perpaduan agama dan negara, Insya Allah.

Sekian, terima kasih.

Wabilllahi Taufiq walhidayah, Wassalamualaikum Wr Wb