Yusof Ishak Mosque to reach out to non-Muslims
Dr Yaacob Ibrahim (Minister for Communications and Information and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs), unveils the design for Yusof Ishak mosque with (centre back) Haji Mohamed Ayub Johari (Chairman of Mosque Building Committee) at An-Nur Mosque on Friday, 22 Aug 2014.
The new Yusof Ishak Mosque in Woodlands will embody the same values that the former president often stressed: racial harmony and multi-culturalism.
Besides serving as a place of worship for the Muslim community, it will also hold programmes that reach out to other communities and enhance understanding and social cohesion.
The proposed design of the mosque in Woodlands Drive 17 was unveiled at a roadshow yesterday at the An-Nur Mosque in Admiralty Road, after its name was first revealed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the National Day Rally on Sunday.
Describing Singapore's first head of state as an outstanding member of the pioneer generation, PM Lee said Mr Yusof had been a president for all Singaporeans and stood for enduring values that underpinned Singapore's success: meritocracy, multiracialism and modernisation.
At yesterday's event, Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim said the mosque will work to carry on this legacy.
"The primary function of a mosque is obviously to serve the needs of a religious community, in this case the Malay-Muslim community. But having named the mosque after him, it's also important that we try and encourage as many programmes as possible to bring non-Muslims closer to the mosque. I'm sure he will want that to happen, because having his name there, it's almost a national institution," he added.
The design of the $15 million mosque, which sits on a 2,500 sq m site and has capacity for 4,200 worshippers, draws inspiration from Mr Yusof's official and private residences and will feature eaves, a verandah and balustrades that are distinctive of a tropical Malay house. It will also have a pitch roof instead of grand domes, an auditorium, a cafe and an IT corner.
Mufti Mohamed Fatris Bakaram, Singapore's highest Islamic authority, added that he hopes the mosque will instil the values that the former president held dear: piousness, community spirit, and the motivation to do better.
"(These are) values significant in the life of Yusof Ishak that need to be developed further and instilled in the hearts and minds of the next generation," he said.
Together with the 4,500-capacity Maarof Mosque in Jurong West that was announced in June, the Yusof Ishak Mosque will ease overcrowding at the An-Nur Mosque, which is currently the only mosque serving Woodlands and Marsiling. Both new mosques are expected be ready in 2016.
Woodlands resident Mohammad Hisham Hairi, 46, said the Yusof Ishak Mosque will be more convenient for him to worship at because it will be closer to home.
The taxi driver, who has lived for 14 years in the area, now alternates between An-Nur and mosques in Sembawang, which he said are packed at peak timings.
"I'm sure more Woodlands residents will go (to the Yusof Ishak Mosque) instead of Sembawang or Marsiling, so there will be less spillover," he said. "It's nice that we've got another place for us to pray and get near to Allah."
yanliang@sph.com.sg
- wong chee tat :)
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Yusof Ishak Mosque to be completed by end 2016
Yusof Ishak Mosque to be completed by end 2016
New mosque will house 4,200 worshippers and cost S$15 million to build
BY
TAN SHI WEI
tanshiwei@mediacorp.com.sgPUBLISHED: 2:44 PM, AUGUST 22, 2014 UPDATED: 10:17 PM, AUGUST 22, 2014
SINGAPORE — Preliminary plans for the new Yusof Ishak Mosque were unveiled yesterday (Aug 22) at the launch of a two-week design roadshow to gather feedback from congregants and the community at large about the building’s design, facilities and services.
Once completed, the mosque will be one of the bigger mosques out of the current 68 in Singapore. It is also the 26th satellite mosque to be funded by the community through the Mosque Building and Mendaki Fund (MBMF). The structure, which would cost S$15 million to construct, will be able to accomodate up to 4,200 worshippers.
Speaking to the media at the event, Minister in-charge of Muslim Affairs, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, said he hopes the new mosque would be able to run programmes that involve the community at large and, in so doing, promote social cohesion and racial harmony in Singapore.
“Clearly, our late President (Yusof Ishak) was a pillar in terms of the values he held dear, especially in terms of multi-racialism and inclusiveness. By having named the mosque after him, it is also important that we try and encourage as many programmes as possible to bring non-Muslims closer to the mosque,” said Dr Yaacob, who is also the Minister for Communications and Information.
A total of S$1 million, out of a targeted S$2.5 million, has been raised by the Mosque Building Committee (JPM) to furnish it. Work on the new mosque is slated to begin in the first quarter of next year and will be completed at the end of 2016.
Occupying a 2,500sqm site along Woodlands Drive 17, the mosque’s design will be a blend of traditional mosque characteristics and Malay heritage, incorporating distinctive features of a tropical Malay house, such as overhangs and a verandah. Elder-friendly facilities such as lifts and ramps will also be built to cater to the increasing number of elderly congregants.
Natural ventilation and lighting will also be used to attain sustainability. The building will be opened more towards prevailing winds, while windows with etched glass patterns and aluminium fins will be used to help reduce glare and heat.
As it aims to become a place for the community, non-Muslim residents in the vicinity would be welcomed to utilise its facilities such as the auditorium and conference room.
Asked about the significance having a mosque named after the Republic’s first President, Mufti Dr Mohamed Fatris Bakaram highlighted the late President’s drive and perserverance, as well as his good attitude and righteous nature as learning points for the young. “(These) are (the) few values that were significant in the life of Yusof Ishak that need to be developed further and instilled in the hearts and minds of the next generation.”
Plans to build the mosque were first announced in 2010 as a measure to meet increasing demand for prayer spaces. Currently, An-Nur Mosque at Admiralty Road is the only mosque in the Woodlands vicinity.
The public is encouraged to pen down their thoughts, ideas and suggestions and submit them at the roadshow at An-Nur Mosque which will run until Sept 5.
- wong chee tat :)
New mosque will house 4,200 worshippers and cost S$15 million to build
BY
TAN SHI WEI
tanshiwei@mediacorp.com.sgPUBLISHED: 2:44 PM, AUGUST 22, 2014 UPDATED: 10:17 PM, AUGUST 22, 2014
SINGAPORE — Preliminary plans for the new Yusof Ishak Mosque were unveiled yesterday (Aug 22) at the launch of a two-week design roadshow to gather feedback from congregants and the community at large about the building’s design, facilities and services.
Once completed, the mosque will be one of the bigger mosques out of the current 68 in Singapore. It is also the 26th satellite mosque to be funded by the community through the Mosque Building and Mendaki Fund (MBMF). The structure, which would cost S$15 million to construct, will be able to accomodate up to 4,200 worshippers.
Speaking to the media at the event, Minister in-charge of Muslim Affairs, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, said he hopes the new mosque would be able to run programmes that involve the community at large and, in so doing, promote social cohesion and racial harmony in Singapore.
“Clearly, our late President (Yusof Ishak) was a pillar in terms of the values he held dear, especially in terms of multi-racialism and inclusiveness. By having named the mosque after him, it is also important that we try and encourage as many programmes as possible to bring non-Muslims closer to the mosque,” said Dr Yaacob, who is also the Minister for Communications and Information.
A total of S$1 million, out of a targeted S$2.5 million, has been raised by the Mosque Building Committee (JPM) to furnish it. Work on the new mosque is slated to begin in the first quarter of next year and will be completed at the end of 2016.
Occupying a 2,500sqm site along Woodlands Drive 17, the mosque’s design will be a blend of traditional mosque characteristics and Malay heritage, incorporating distinctive features of a tropical Malay house, such as overhangs and a verandah. Elder-friendly facilities such as lifts and ramps will also be built to cater to the increasing number of elderly congregants.
Natural ventilation and lighting will also be used to attain sustainability. The building will be opened more towards prevailing winds, while windows with etched glass patterns and aluminium fins will be used to help reduce glare and heat.
As it aims to become a place for the community, non-Muslim residents in the vicinity would be welcomed to utilise its facilities such as the auditorium and conference room.
Asked about the significance having a mosque named after the Republic’s first President, Mufti Dr Mohamed Fatris Bakaram highlighted the late President’s drive and perserverance, as well as his good attitude and righteous nature as learning points for the young. “(These) are (the) few values that were significant in the life of Yusof Ishak that need to be developed further and instilled in the hearts and minds of the next generation.”
Plans to build the mosque were first announced in 2010 as a measure to meet increasing demand for prayer spaces. Currently, An-Nur Mosque at Admiralty Road is the only mosque in the Woodlands vicinity.
The public is encouraged to pen down their thoughts, ideas and suggestions and submit them at the roadshow at An-Nur Mosque which will run until Sept 5.
- wong chee tat :)
MAS to stop Singapore dollar from rising in surprise easing of monetary policy
MAS to stop Singapore dollar from rising in surprise easing of monetary policy
The move comes as a surprise as most analysts had expected the central bank to maintain its policy of allowing a modest, gradual appreciation of the Singapore dollar.
Posted 14 Apr 2016 08:18 Updated 14 Apr 2016 15:32
SINGAPORE: The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said on Thursday (Apr 14) that it will ease its monetary policy by not allowing the Singapore dollar to appreciate.
The move came as a surprise as most analysts had expected the central bank to maintain its policy of allowing a "modest, gradual appreciation" of the Singapore dollar.
"This is not a policy to depreciate the domestic currency, and only removes the modest and gradual appreciation path of the Singapore dollar nominal effective exchange rate (S$NEER) policy band that was in place," MAS said in its half-yearly Monetary Policy Statement.
“The width of the policy band and the level at which it is centred will be unchanged,” it added.
The central bank's announcement sent the Singapore dollar tumbling 0.9 per cent to S$1.3626 against the US dollar as of 8.35am, the biggest fall since November.
MAS manages monetary policy by letting the Singapore dollar rise or fall against an undisclosed basket of currencies of its main trading partners.
Singapore's economy expanded by 1.8 per cent in the first quarter of this year, but growth was flat on a quarter-on-quarter basis in contrast to the 6.2 per cent growth in the previous quarter, according to advance estimates released by the Ministry of Trade and Industry on Thursday.
“The Singapore economy is projected to expand at a more modest pace in 2016 than envisaged in the October policy review. MAS Core Inflation should also pick up more gradually over the course of 2016 than previously anticipated, and is now likely to fall below 2 per cent on average over the medium term,” MAS said.
The MAS last shifted its currency policy to a neutral policy stance of "zero per cent appreciation" in October 2008 during the global financial crisis. It lowered the rate of appreciation of the policy band twice last year, in January and October.
“The actual outcome of S$NEER movements over the six months since October 2015 has in fact been a 'zero per cent appreciation' compared to the preceding six-month period. The cumulative effects of past S$NEER movements and the new policy path will continue to ensure price stability over the medium term,” it said.
"RIGHT POLICY MOVE": ANALYST
A Credit Suisse analyst said the decision was the right move, given the weakening outlook for growth prospects in Singapore.
“We had been arguing that the central bank could have eased more during the last meeting in October, bringing the slope to zero per cent. Instead, it seems that MAS took a more gradual approach, delaying half of the easing then, to add another half now,” said Mr Michael Wan, an analyst for Asia Ex-Japan Economics at Credit Suisse.
Looking forward, front-end interest rates such as the Singapore interbank offered rate (SIBOR), which is used to price home loans, are likely to rise while the Singapore dollar is expected to weaken further, he said.
“However, the extent of the Singapore dollar’s underperformance will also be dependent on Singapore and global risk sentiment, and whether dollar weakness is sustained from here,” he added.
DBS’ senior currency strategist Philip Wee said the outlook for the Singapore dollar against the US dollar will still be dictated by the greenback’s direction against its trade-weighted basket of currencies.
“Looking ahead, we will probably need to pay more attention to the Fed,” he said, adding that two Federal Reserve presidents – John Williams and Jeffrey Lacker – have suggested that the market may be too “dovish” in their expectations for an interest hike.
- CNA/cy
- wong chee tat :)
The move comes as a surprise as most analysts had expected the central bank to maintain its policy of allowing a modest, gradual appreciation of the Singapore dollar.
Posted 14 Apr 2016 08:18 Updated 14 Apr 2016 15:32
SINGAPORE: The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) said on Thursday (Apr 14) that it will ease its monetary policy by not allowing the Singapore dollar to appreciate.
The move came as a surprise as most analysts had expected the central bank to maintain its policy of allowing a "modest, gradual appreciation" of the Singapore dollar.
"This is not a policy to depreciate the domestic currency, and only removes the modest and gradual appreciation path of the Singapore dollar nominal effective exchange rate (S$NEER) policy band that was in place," MAS said in its half-yearly Monetary Policy Statement.
“The width of the policy band and the level at which it is centred will be unchanged,” it added.
The central bank's announcement sent the Singapore dollar tumbling 0.9 per cent to S$1.3626 against the US dollar as of 8.35am, the biggest fall since November.
MAS manages monetary policy by letting the Singapore dollar rise or fall against an undisclosed basket of currencies of its main trading partners.
Singapore's economy expanded by 1.8 per cent in the first quarter of this year, but growth was flat on a quarter-on-quarter basis in contrast to the 6.2 per cent growth in the previous quarter, according to advance estimates released by the Ministry of Trade and Industry on Thursday.
“The Singapore economy is projected to expand at a more modest pace in 2016 than envisaged in the October policy review. MAS Core Inflation should also pick up more gradually over the course of 2016 than previously anticipated, and is now likely to fall below 2 per cent on average over the medium term,” MAS said.
The MAS last shifted its currency policy to a neutral policy stance of "zero per cent appreciation" in October 2008 during the global financial crisis. It lowered the rate of appreciation of the policy band twice last year, in January and October.
“The actual outcome of S$NEER movements over the six months since October 2015 has in fact been a 'zero per cent appreciation' compared to the preceding six-month period. The cumulative effects of past S$NEER movements and the new policy path will continue to ensure price stability over the medium term,” it said.
"RIGHT POLICY MOVE": ANALYST
A Credit Suisse analyst said the decision was the right move, given the weakening outlook for growth prospects in Singapore.
“We had been arguing that the central bank could have eased more during the last meeting in October, bringing the slope to zero per cent. Instead, it seems that MAS took a more gradual approach, delaying half of the easing then, to add another half now,” said Mr Michael Wan, an analyst for Asia Ex-Japan Economics at Credit Suisse.
Looking forward, front-end interest rates such as the Singapore interbank offered rate (SIBOR), which is used to price home loans, are likely to rise while the Singapore dollar is expected to weaken further, he said.
“However, the extent of the Singapore dollar’s underperformance will also be dependent on Singapore and global risk sentiment, and whether dollar weakness is sustained from here,” he added.
DBS’ senior currency strategist Philip Wee said the outlook for the Singapore dollar against the US dollar will still be dictated by the greenback’s direction against its trade-weighted basket of currencies.
“Looking ahead, we will probably need to pay more attention to the Fed,” he said, adding that two Federal Reserve presidents – John Williams and Jeffrey Lacker – have suggested that the market may be too “dovish” in their expectations for an interest hike.
- CNA/cy
- wong chee tat :)
Nearly 25,000 more Muslim prayer spaces by 2018: Yaacob
Nearly 25,000 more Muslim prayer spaces by 2018: Yaacob
The increase will come from the upgrading of 5 mosques under MUP Phase 2, including the redevelopment of Darul Ghufran Mosque, the completion of Maarof Mosque in Jurong West later this year and Yusof Ishak Mosque in Woodlands in early 2017.
Posted 14 Apr 2016 12:27 Updated 14 Apr 2016 21:47
SINGAPORE: By 2018, there will be an increase of 24,700 Muslim prayer spaces since 2009, said Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim on Thursday (April 14).
This will come from the upgrading of 5 mosques under MUP Phase 2, including the redevelopment of Darul Ghufran Mosque, the completion of Maarof Mosque in Jurong West later this year and Yusof Ishak Mosque in Woodlands in early 2017.
Last month, Dr Yaacob announced that monthly contributions by Muslims to the Mosque Building and Mendaki Fund (MBMF) will be raised by between S$1 and S$10 beginning June 1. “This was necessary to meet the critical needs of our community,” he said, noting that since 2009, two mosques have been built and 17 upgraded.
Dr Yaacob also announced that a temporary covered prayer space catering for 500 congregants will be built opposite Al-Istighfar Mosque later this year, to relieve the “space crunch” there. In the long term, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) will upgrade the mosque, he said.
He added: “Last year, I shared our long term plans to build a new mosque in Tampines North. Over the past year, we have been working with government agencies to identify a suitable location for the mosque, bearing in mind the needs of the future neighbourhood town.
“I am happy to announce that we have safeguarded a site along Avenue 10, and in the heart of the future Tampines North town. The mosque will serve residents and workers there, and will also be accessible to those in Pasir Ris West and Punggol.”
- CNA/jo
- wong chee tat :)
The increase will come from the upgrading of 5 mosques under MUP Phase 2, including the redevelopment of Darul Ghufran Mosque, the completion of Maarof Mosque in Jurong West later this year and Yusof Ishak Mosque in Woodlands in early 2017.
Posted 14 Apr 2016 12:27 Updated 14 Apr 2016 21:47
SINGAPORE: By 2018, there will be an increase of 24,700 Muslim prayer spaces since 2009, said Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim on Thursday (April 14).
This will come from the upgrading of 5 mosques under MUP Phase 2, including the redevelopment of Darul Ghufran Mosque, the completion of Maarof Mosque in Jurong West later this year and Yusof Ishak Mosque in Woodlands in early 2017.
Last month, Dr Yaacob announced that monthly contributions by Muslims to the Mosque Building and Mendaki Fund (MBMF) will be raised by between S$1 and S$10 beginning June 1. “This was necessary to meet the critical needs of our community,” he said, noting that since 2009, two mosques have been built and 17 upgraded.
Dr Yaacob also announced that a temporary covered prayer space catering for 500 congregants will be built opposite Al-Istighfar Mosque later this year, to relieve the “space crunch” there. In the long term, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) will upgrade the mosque, he said.
He added: “Last year, I shared our long term plans to build a new mosque in Tampines North. Over the past year, we have been working with government agencies to identify a suitable location for the mosque, bearing in mind the needs of the future neighbourhood town.
“I am happy to announce that we have safeguarded a site along Avenue 10, and in the heart of the future Tampines North town. The mosque will serve residents and workers there, and will also be accessible to those in Pasir Ris West and Punggol.”
- CNA/jo
- wong chee tat :)
Fungi
XKCD posted this strip some days ago. Somehow, I thought of the horrible worms that strike fear in the colonists in the game Alpha Centauri.
From wiki:
The dominant native life form of Planet is the mind worm, a horrid-looking little parasitic carnivore about 10 cm long. A single mind worm is a dangerous pest, able to burrow into a human brain and devour it, while the victim succumbs to violent delusions or dangerous fantasies, or lives out his deepest terrors.
Far worse than a single worm, mind worms are known to form vast mobile colonies, called “boils”, which can overwhelm a military unit or a whole human base.
With proper breeding and bonding techniques, Mind Worms can also be bred in captivity and controlled by skilled brood trainers.
- XKCD
- alphacentauri2.info/wiki/Mind_Worms
- wong chee tat :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)