Muis has reorganised the current six Enhanced Mosque Clusters (EMCs) into the North, South, East, and West clusters, effective May 1, 2018. This revised cluster configuration takes into account all existing and planned mosques, and regroup thems for better balance and optimisation of resources. For example, mosques in the new North, East, and West clusters will run programmes that cater to congregants from the heartlands, whereas mosques in the South cluster within the city area cater to the working population there.
During a West cluster mosque investiture ceremony, some 174 volunteers from 16 mosques of the newly-formed West Mosque Cluster received their appointment letters as members of the respective Mosque Management Boards (MMBs). This is the first group of MMBs appointed under the new enhanced mosque cluster boundaries that were announced early in April at the Muis Work Plan Seminar.
"I am heartened that almost 25% appointed here today are appointed for the first time to the MMB. All of you will join another 600 other members of the Mosque Management Boards who are serving selflessly in our other 54 mosques. As you embark on your journey as mosque leaders, I applaud and thank you for coming forward to serve. It signifies your commitment to help administer our mosques and to serve the community," Chief Executive, Muis, HJ Abdul Razak Maricar said.
Muis will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2018, and organising the Muis Community Fest as part of the celebrations. The three-day community event in September this year at Our Tampines Hub will include the Mosque Convention 2018 (MC18). MC18 will help to refresh and chart a new blueprint for the mosque sector for the next five years.
"Through MC18, we will take stock of our achievements, and at the same time seek to revitalise our vision, refocus our activities and set clear goals for the future," HJ Abdul Razak said.
A number of ideas were mooted as part of the Muis50 conversations*, held since October 2017, he added. "Till date, there have been a total of eight sessions involving 278 staff and MMBs, and over 1,000 hours with more than 1,500 ideas and suggestions," he said. "Ideas such as One Mosque Sector, a call for closer collaborations for common growth and sustainability and working together in the area of human capital development for both staff and volunteers, designing and delivering of new key programmes, as well as long term financial sustainability.
"One Mosque Sector would also mean a common mosque culture in Singapore that will contribute more effectively to the development of the Muslim community and nation-building.
"Another big idea was the Mosque for All which calls for our mosques to be more embracing in the spirit of blessings to all and to reach out beyond the community, as well as to collaborate with other agencies on common programmes such as active ageing, fitness and wellbeing."
"There was also the suggestion to look at developing Impactful Collaborations," HJ Abdul Razak added. "This entails our mosques leaders to be collaborative leaders who are able to spiritualise and create the spirit of community conscientiousness and play a more active role in community building and develop partnership across sector. I understand this conversation is still continuing."
*The conversations were held along three tracks: Religious guidance for a diverse Muslim community in a multireligious Singapore; Strengthening delivery of full time and part time Islamic education so as to build a generation of connected and contributing youth; and Enhance the role of mosques to be community nodes for all ages.