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About MBMF
An overview of MBMF, which finances the development of mosques in Singapore and supports Mendaki’s educational initiatives, benefiting the Muslim community through improved facilities and programmes.
Last updated 21 February 2025
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History of the Mosque Building and Mendaki Fund
1975 - Launch of the Mosque Building Fund (MBF) 1975
1984 - MBF expands into Mosque Building & Mendaki Fund (MBMF)
2009 - MBMF supports Mosque Upgrading and Religious Education initiatives
During Singapore’s period of rapid urbanisation and development in the early 1970s, Muslims were resettled from their villages into Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats at new housing estates. Arising from this was the urgent need to raise funds to build mosques in these new estates.
Whilst the community was willing to contribute, traditional fundraising methods were too slow. An efficient way to raise a community fund from Muslim workers was then devised through the Central Provident Fund Board's collection system.
Every working Muslim in Singapore, including foreign workers and permanent residents, are to contribute to a community fund – the Mosque Building Fund. The MBF had one key purpose: to build a mosque in every new town.
In 1984, with the establishment of the MENDAKI Foundation, the MBF was then expanded to support Yayasan MENDAKI's educational and social programmes for the community and was renamed the Mosque Building and Mendaki Fund (MBMF).
MBMF's role was further refined in 2009 to support religious education initiatives, as well as to include upgrading and revitalising older mosques.
Why do we contribute?
With each monthly contribution, you are extending a helping hand to build our mosques, grow our religious programmes and uplift Muslim families. Through this mechanism, there is a sustainable cycle of giving from the community, to the community.
Who benefits from MBMF?
Our mosques, madrasahs and families in need are the key beneficiaries. The MBMF supports the building of new mosques and upgrading of older mosques, religious education initiatives, and MENDAKI’s educational and social programmes to strengthen and uplift Malay/Muslim families.
Why is there an increase to the MBMF contribution rates?
With an expanding Muslim population, coupled with the escalating costs of education and construction, there is a need to review how to best harness and use our community's resources. MBMF contribution rates will therefore be revised to ensure the availability of funds to support the growing socio-religious needs of our community.
Maintaining the current rates will lead to a deficit and thus delay the progress of our mosques, the madrasah sector and MENDAKI’s programmes.
This is particularly true for the building of new mosques and rejuvenation of older mosques in order to meet the increasing prayer space needs. For our madrasahs, even with the revised rates, the component for religious education will still be insufficient to cover the sector’s projected needs over the next five years. These institutions will still need to find other means to meet the shortfall, through a gradual increase in school fees and zakat collections. In fact, since 2013, MENDAKI has had to dip into its reserves to fund its educational programmes, namely the MTS, whilst ensuring that its pedagogy remains up to date and greater support is provided for parents with young children.
Since its introduction in 1975, the MBMF rates were reviewed in 1977, 1984, 1991, 1995, 2005 and 2009.
Table 1: Revision of MBMF rates
Monthly Total Wages | 1975 | 1977 | 1984 | 1991 | 1995 | 2005 | 2009 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
< $1,000 | $0.50 | $1.00 | $1.50 | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.00 | $2.00 |
$1,001 to < $2,001 | $0.50 | $1.00 | $1.50 | $2.00 | $3.00 | $3.00 | $3.50 |
$2,001 to < $3,001 | $0.50 | $1.00 | $1.50 | $2.00 | $3.00 | $4.00 | $5.00 |
$3,001 to < $4,001 | $0.50 | $1.00 | $1.50 | $2.00 | $5.00 | $8.50 | $12.50 |
> $4,001 | $0.50 | $1.00 | $1.50 | $2.00 | $5.00 | $11.00 | $16.00 |
What is the new contribution rate?
The new MBMF contribution rates will take effect on 1 June 2016.
Table 2: New MBMF contribution rates
Total Monthly Wage of Muslim Employee | Current Monthly Contribution | New Rate Change | Revised Monthly Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
< $1,000 | $2.00 | + $1.00 | $3.00 |
> $1,000 to $2,000 | $3.50 | + $1.00 | $4.50 |
> $2,000 to $3,000 | $5.00 | + $1.50 | $6.50 |
> $3,000 to $4,000 | $12.50 | + $2.50 | $15.00 |
> $4,000 to $6,000 | $16.00 | + $3.50 | $19.50 |
> $6,000 to $8,000 | $16.00 | + $6.00 | $22.00 |
> $8,000 to $10,000 | $16.00 | + $8.00 | $24.00 |
> $10,000 | $16.00 | + $10.00 | $26.00 |
Contact us
Want to know more about the MBMF? We can be contacted through the following:
MBMF hotline: 63591459
For employers: 63591459
Email: mbmf@muis.gov.sg