Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Faishal Ibrahim aims to strengthen networks
Newly appointed Acting Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs Faishal Ibrahim says he wants to strengthen networks, especially in the Malay-Muslim community. One way is through broadening outreach by engaging more informal groups. Dr Faishal was speaking at two community events – a cycling programme and a Malay language Scrabble competition. Muhammad Bahajjaj with more.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Paper
7 hours ago
- New Paper
Nee Soon mosque reopens on Hari Raya Haji after $15m facelift
The $15 million facelift to spruce up Masjid Darul Makmur has not only refreshed an icon in Nee Soon, but the process has also strengthened the local community spirit, said Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Faishal Ibrahim. At the mosque's reopening on June 7 - Hari Raya Haji - Associate Professor Faishal noted that the Muslim community had put up with inconveniences during the two-year renovation, which included having to conduct their religious rites at a temporary site. Agreeing, Nee Soon GRC MP Syed Harun Alhabsyi, who was also at the event, said the upgrading involved a lot of logistics, as well as support from the Singapore Land Authority and the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis). Prof Faishal said: "This is the pride of Nee Soon residents, whereby with the strong community spirit, with the right support from grassroots organisations and government agencies, I think we can achieve better," he said. Darul Makmur mosque was first opened in 1987. After it closed in April 2023 for upgrading, the former North View Secondary School in Yishun Ring Road was designated as a temporary prayer site for congregants. The completion of upgrading works means the mosque can now accommodate 4,000 worshippers, up from 3,000 previously. Barrier-free access with ramps and a new lift were also added. Speaking to the media after Hari Raya Aidiladha prayers, Prof Faishal urged the Malay/Muslim community here to continue to feel blessed in Singapore, where there is harmony and they can perform their religious rites with peace of mind anywhere in the country. "This is something not available in many parts of the world," said Prof Faishal, who was an MP for Nee Soon GRC from 2011 to 2025. He was fielded in Marine Parade-Braddell Heights GRC at the recent general election, which the PAP retained in a walkover. Echoing a sermon delivered earlier by Mufti Nazirudin Mohd Nasir, he also urged the community to have the notion of gratitude, and to continue playing its part in Singapore's quest to develop as a nation. As part of Singapore's humanitarian efforts for Gaza, more than 10 tonnes of korban meat will be channelled to Palestinians there, said Prof Faishal. Meanwhile, the meat that will be sent to Singapore will be distributed to the less privileged in the community, including zakat beneficiaries, families of incarcerated individuals, and migrant transient workers. Korban refers to the Islamic ritual of slaughtering farm animals such as sheep and lambs, followed by the distribution of the meat to worshippers and the needy. Prof Faishal noted that this year's Hari Raya Haji korban had 5,700 orders for overseas livestock on SalamSG, a platform for key mosque programmes. This is about a 20 per cent increase from 2024. Prof Faishal Ibrahim (right) greets congregants before the Hari Raya Aidiladha prayer at the recently upgraded Masjid Darul Makmur. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG The livestock will be slaughtered in Australia before the meat is chilled, packed and sent to Singapore - an arrangement that began in 2020 due to the pandemic. At the event, Prof Faishal also gave an update on Singaporean pilgrims in Mecca. He said all of them are doing well amid the intense heatwave. "I urge them to keep looking out for one another. I also urge them to look at their health, and also ensure that they drink lots of water and also (have a) good rest," he said. (From left) Nee Soon GRC MP Syed Harun Alhabsyi; Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Faishal Ibrahim; executive chairman of Masjid Darul Makmur Mohd Fairus Abdul Manaf; and Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam greet a congregant after Hari Raya Aidiladha prayers. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG Temperatures in Mecca exceeded 40 deg C this week as more than a million Muslim pilgrims poured into the holy city for the annual haj. In 2024, at least 1,300 pilgrims died after temperatures soared to 51.8 deg C. "We pray that they continue to remain safe and able to do their religious deeds... I look forward to welcoming them when they come back," said Prof Faishal. Besides Prof Faishal and Dr Syed Harun, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam also attended the mosque's reopening. In the afternoon, Prof Faishal observed a live korban at Pertapis Halfway House in Geylang, where more than 120 goats were sacrificed. The korban meat was distributed to 500 lower-income families at the event, with each household receiving 2kg of meat. The beneficiaries also received other essential items and cash vouchers.
CNA
11 hours ago
- CNA
China says it may speed up rare earths application approvals from EU
SHANGHAI: China is willing to accelerate the examination and approval of rare earth exports to European Union firms and will also deliver a verdict on its trade investigation of EU brandy imports by July 5, its commerce ministry said on Saturday (Jun 7). Price commitment consultations between China and the EU on Chinese-made electric vehicles exported to the EU have also entered a final stage but efforts from both sides are still needed, according to a statement on the Chinese Commerce Ministry's website. The issues were discussed between Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic in Paris on Tuesday, according to the statement. Most recently, China's decision in April to suspend exports of a wide range of rare earths and related magnets has upended the supply chains central to automakers, aerospace manufacturers, semiconductor companies and military contractors around the world. The ministry said China attached great importance to the EU's concerns and "was willing to establish a green channel for qualified applications to speed up the approval process". In a separate statement the commerce ministry issued later on Saturday, it said China was willing to further strengthen communication and dialogue with relevant countries on rare earth export controls as it recognised that demand from sectors such as robotics and electric vehicles had risen. BRANDY, EVS The ministry earlier said that Commerce Minister Wang during the meeting "expressed the hope that the EU will meet us halfway and take effective measures to facilitate, safeguard and promote compliant trade in high-tech products to China". Chinese anti-dumping measures that applied duties of up to 39 per cent on imports of European brandy - with French cognac bearing the brunt - have also strained relations between Paris and Beijing. The brandy duties were enforced days after the EU took action against Chinese-made electric vehicle imports to shield its local industry, prompting France's President Emmanuel Macron to accuse Beijing of "pure retaliation". The Chinese duties have dented sales of brands including LVMH's Hennessy, Pernod Ricard's Martell and Remy Cointreau. Beijing was initially meant to make a final decision on the brandy duties by January, but extended the deadline to April and then again to July 5. China's Commerce Ministry said on Saturday that French companies and relevant associations had proactively submitted applications on price commitments for brandy to China and that Chinese investigators had reached an agreement with them on the core terms. Chinese authorities were now reviewing the complete text on those commitments and would issue a final announcement before July 5, it said. In April, the European Commission said the EU and China had also agreed to look into setting minimum prices of Chinese-made electric vehicles instead of tariffs imposed by the EU last year.
CNA
20 hours ago
- CNA
BOJ must ensure fiscal considerations don't overtake mandate, deputy governor says
TOKYO :The Bank of Japan should make clear it is not monetising government debt by ensuring that fiscal considerations do not take precedence over its goal of achieving price stability, Deputy Governor Shinichi Uchida said on Saturday. Central banks can theoretically print unlimited amounts of money and completely finance government debt, which poses delicate questions around their huge government bond purchases conducted to revive their economies, Uchida said. Central banks see "monetising," or directly financing government deficits, as taboo, as doing so risks letting inflation get out of control and potentially eroding their independence. Such unconventional monetary easing steps taken since the 2008 financial crisis present a challenge for central banks across the globe, he said in a speech. The BOJ's monetary easing, for its part, was aimed at achieving its 2 per cent inflation target, and not at funding government debt, Uchida said. "In considering what constitutes monetary financing or not, the important question is whether monetary policy is compromised by fiscal considerations," Uchida said. In deploying and rolling back monetary easing, the BOJ must focus on achieving its economic and price mandate. "The result must be that the Bank does not deviate from such policy conduct out of fiscal considerations," he said. "In its future conduct of monetary policy, the Bank should make it clear that it is not engaging in monetary financing." The remarks come against the backdrop of growing pressure from opposition and ruling parties on Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to increase budget spending ahead of an upper house election due next month. Some analysts have blamed concerns over Japan's worsening finances for pushing up super-long bond yields to record highs last month, and complicating the BOJ's efforts to taper its huge bond purchases. Under a radical monetary easing programme deployed in 2013, the BOJ increased purchases of government bonds and adopted a policy of capping long-term interest rates around zero. While the BOJ ended the policy last year, its short-term policy rate is still at 0.5 per cent. The central bank plans to lay out in June a new bond tapering plan for fiscal 2026 and beyond as part of its effort to normalise monetary policy.
