OPENING REMARKS BY MTFA VICE PRESIDENT MR ABDUL RAHMAN AT MTFA ‘IN BLOOM’ 2022

SATURDAY, 29 OCTOBER 2022, 8PM, AT FLOWER FIELD HALL, GARDENS BY THE BAY

President Halimah Yacob

Mr Mohamed Abdullah Alhabshee

Mr Waseem Majid, President of MTFA

Management Council of MTFA

Distinguished Guests

MTFA Staff

Good evening.

I am heartened to see all of you at this gala dinner to celebrate Muslimin Trust Fund Association’s 118 years of community service.

I am also pleased to share with you that this year, 2022, marks Darul Ihsan Orphanage’s 60th anniversary. Our 7 founders established MTFA with the mission to help the poor Muslims in Singapore. MTFA has come a long way since 1904 and I am proud to represent and serve the organisation as Vice President for the past 3 years out of the last 12 years of being a council member. Running the organisation was only made possible with the support of our council members and staff. On behalf of the council members, I would like to thank all staff for your dedication and unending efforts to improve our organisation. Thank you.

MTFA is the oldest Muslim organisation, if not, one of the earliest Muslim organisations set up in Singapore. Despite this, for a long time we have done work in the background without always showcasing ourselves in the public domain.

Be that as it may, last year, during the blessed month of Ramadan, we announced the official rebranding of MTFA and its subsidiaries, adopting a fresh, new image. We decided that we wanted greater involvement and support from the public as to the many initiatives we oversee. And as such, the rebranding was one that was timely.

Our new tagline, ‘Towards a sincere pursuit of Ihsan’, serves as a reminder of our purpose, to continue delivering excellent service to those who need us. We also hope that we are able to extend our hands to even more people . We want to ensure that no one is left behind.

Besides reengineering our logo, MTFA as a whole, has added several improvements and services. MTFA now has 4 subsidiaries under its wing.

In 2018, we opened MTFA Ihsan Kidney Care, then known as MTFA Dialysis Centre, to provide subsidised dialysis services for kidney disease patients who cannot afford treatment. Now, as of October 2022, our first centre is at full capacity and we have been receiving more requests from the public for subsidised dialysis treatment. I am pleased to share that we are currently working on opening additional centres across Singapore since our flag day last September. Getting funds for this project is not an easy task. Hence, I appeal to you to join us in building more dialysis centres so that more patients can afford dialysis treatment.

In 2020, we started MTFA Ihsan Casket, our first social enterprise to provide affordable Islamic burial services, where all of its proceeds finance the free burial services for indigent Muslims in Singapore.

Another milestone to add to our list, is setting up a pilot programme called the MTFA Ihsan Living. Our residents from Darul Ihsan Orphanage come from underprivileged backgrounds. Some of them are orphans, and some are youths-at-risk. Even after they age out of our residential care, we would like to ensure that they continue to have support. This also helps our residents through their transitioning phase as they integrate back into society. Before Ihsan Living, residents without a next-of-kin or a safe environment at home to return to did not have anywhere to go and had to survive on their own without proper guidance. We strive to assist them to overcome this hurdle.

It is imperative for charities such as us to explore collaborations with other partners to organise even more impactful and innovative programmes for our beneficiaries. For many decades, our welfare aid team has been providing food and financial support to the indigent. Recently, MTFA explored working with several specialised agencies to develop our own unique Empowerment Programme aimed at low-income individuals seeking self-sufficiency. Through this program, participants will be taught a variety of life skills including bolstering self-confidence, how to craft a practical business or career plan, as well as basic management skills.

I am pleased to share that our first batch of empowerment programme graduates are here with us today. In fact, one of them baked the delicious tarts you see on your tables tonight, and I hear that she has begun taking orders now. I applaud these participants of the MTFA Empowerment Program for taking the first step towards achieving greater financial security. I take this opportunity to invite more agencies to also approach us with innovative ideas on how we could work together for the greater good of our people.

I would also like to draw your attention to the left of the stage. As you may wonder why there is a tree in this event, I’d like to introduce to you, on my left near the stage, The MTFA Tree. The theme ‘Bloom With Us’ symbolises the growth of our organisation, nourished by the support of our donors, volunteers, and staff handling its daily operations. This tree is tonight’s highlight. You may write messages of your support and encouragement to our organisation and its staff, residents, and beneficiaries on the leaf shaped card prepared at your seats.

Despite being more than a century old, MTFA is still growing. We are continuously looking for more beneficiaries to help, and for more ways to expand its services. As we grow, we are continuing what our founding fathers started 118 years ago. Alhamdulillah, as of the year 2022, we have helped 1182 beneficiaries, funded the dialysis treatment of 35 kidney patients on a monthly average, and financed the education of over 500 students.

With this, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our donors, supporters, and volunteers. As the saying goes, ‘It takes a village to raise a child’. Surely, we need more than a village to raise the children and youths under our care and the whole community to help our people in need.

Thank you.

Mr Abdul Rahman Bin Mohamed Hanipah

Vice President

MTFA