Singapore (4 July 2022) – Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura (Singapore Islamic Council) announced recently (22 June 2022) it is disbursing more than SGD 4.1m of income derived from wakaf properties to various beneficiaries this year. The disbursements represent a 3% increase from last year.
Notwithstanding the challenges arising from Covid 19 pandemic, income from its wakaf properties rose last year enabling Muis to disburse more. Income grew as a direct consequence of the initiatives undertaken by Warees Investments, MUIS wholly owned property manager. Initiatives include flexible tenancies, short-term leases, pegging rates to market and screening tenants.
Of the SGD 4.1m, SGD 403,000 will go to Muslim organisations and charities, up 40% from last year. The larger disbursement will provide more support for these organisations to run their programmes and initiatives.
A total of 21 mosques in Singapore will receive SGD 1.2m for upgrading projects, run programmes and meet daily operational expenses. This disbursement will supplement other funding supports they receive such as from the Mosque Building and Mendaki Fund (MBMF) and general donations.
The six full-time madrasahs (religious schools) and part-time mosque madrasahs will receive more than SGD 480,000. The funds will go towards “developing future religious leaders of the community and upgrading of facilities.”
Mr Kadir Maideen, MUIS CEO said Muis is adopting “a multi-faceted” approach this year – by spreading the wakaf income across five major areas of the community needs – namely shelter; physical and mental well-being; social empowerment; rehabilitation; as well as sustenance and humanitarian aid.
Examples of organisations benefitting from the disbursements include:
– the Jamiyah Food Bank, which has been helping the elderly, special needs persons, poor and needy families, low-income workers and the unemployed through food donations
– the Club Heal for their efforts in empowering persons with mental health challenges
– the Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation, which provides digital learning and support for senior citizens and others.
Some SGD 100,000 will be allocated to provide free burial services for the poor and needy.
Mr Kadir also said Muis witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Wakaf Sheriffa Zain Alsharoff Alsagoff and the Muslimin Trust Fund Association (MTFA) in May this year. The partnership will sponsor medication for the poor and the low-income regardless of race and religion through the setting up of Al-Taha Dispensary.
These disbursements are made possible by Allah’s grace and benevolence as well as the foresight of the Muslim community’s philanthropists and forefathers. In its efforts to continue the legacy, Muis will this year set up the “Wakaf Masyarakat Singapura (WMS)” akin to an endowment fund that will generate sustainable income for the community’s long-term needs. Muis will create a digital platform by end 2022 to equip the community with the knowledge and skills on wealth and estate planning as part of a wider public education efforts on WMS. More pathways will be made available for the creation of wakaf through WMS “by the community, for the community,” said Mr Kadir.
Muis Zakat Collection Up 14.9% To SGD 59.5m
In its Annual Report released earlier, Muis said it collected SGD 59.5m of zakat funds in 2021, up 14.9% from SGD 51.8m collected in 2020.
Some SGD 2.4m was disbursed during Ramadan, up 19% from 2020, while 7,800 low-income households received SGD 3.5m, the highest amount ever given out, the report said.
Muis also spent SGD 28.6m zakat collected on its various programmes, while SGD 22.6m was spent on zakat financial assistance.-/- www.halaluniverse.net
