Institutions need to evolve to changing needs but core values, purpose should endure: Zaqy Mohamad

(From left) Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Zaqy Mohamad, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education and National Development Syed Harun Alhabsyi, and West Coast-Jurong West GRC Hamid Razak at the opening of .Jamae Chulia Heritage on Oct 24 October in Chinatown.

PHOTO: BERITA HARIAN

Published Oct 25, 2026, 11:55 AM

Updated Oct 25, 2026, 11:56 AM

SINGAPORE – Institutions and assets must respond to changing needs even as their core values and purpose remain, said Acting Minister for Muslim Affairs Zaqy Mohamad.

Speaking at the opening of Jamae Chulia Heritage on Oct 24, Zaqy also said it is the responsibility of each generation to preserve and renew what has been entrusted to them.

“What is entrusted to us is an Amanah , and good stewardship means ensuring it continues to serve its purpose. A confident community must know what should endure, and what must evolve,” he said.

Addressing an audience of about 300 community leaders, partners, and stakeholders, Zaqy said respecting inheritance “does not mean keeping everything exactly as we found it”.

“The form may change. The purpose endures,” he added.

A mural depicting the spice journey of early Indian Muslim settlers to Singapore was also unveiled.

Located between Mosque Street and Pagoda Street, the new development sits on wakaf (endowment land) entrusted to the mosque by earlier generations of Muslims. It comprises a 90-key serviced residence managed by The Ascott Limited under its lyf Chinatown brand.

In a statement on Oct 24, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) said the development brings together heritage, hospitality, and community spaces, revitalising the wakaf asset to sustain its benefits for future generations.

Developed by WJC Heritage – a wholly owned subsidiary of endowment asset management company Warees Investments—in a joint venture with MUIS-managed wakafs , Jamae Chulia Heritage is the fourth development under the Wakaf Revitalisation Scheme. The scheme enables wakaf properties to be renewed to meet modern needs while preserving their original purpose of providing lasting benefits to beneficiaries.

Established by early Muslim settlers such as the Chulias, the Wakaf Jamae continues to support three longstanding Indian Muslim institutions: Jamae Chulia Mosque, Al-Abrar Mosque, and the Nagore Dargah Indian Muslim Heritage Centre.

Praising the foresight of the early settlers, Zaqy said: “They did more than build livelihoods. They built a community.” He added that subsequent generations of trustees, mosque leaders, donors, and volunteers have continued caring for these institutions, ensuring they remain relevant today.

Pointing out that Masjid Jamae (Chulia) and the Sri Mariamman Temple are housed along the same stretch of South Bridge Road, Zaqy added that Singapore’s diversity is not new.

“Our roots and our openness to others do not compete. They strengthen one another,” he said.

Speaking to Tamil Murasu on the sidelines, Adam Huzaifah Alaiman, assistant vice-president of commercial assets and fund at Warees Investments, said: “When determining the highest and best use, this development was conceptualised as a serviced residence with a retail area.”

He added that Warees works closely with stakeholders such as the mosque, Chinatown, and the URA conservation team to ensure that the property maintains the sensitivities, heritage, and culture of the environment.

Describing the Indian Muslim community as “small but significant,” West Coast-Jurong West GRC MP Hamid Razak called the launch ceremony an important moment for the community.

“Today we celebrate the transformation of one of these wakaf assets in the launch of the Jamae Chulia Heritage, where it will continue to give to various entities today and also tomorrow, and I think it’s something that the community can feel really proud of,” he said.

Nagore Dargah Indian Muslim Heritage Centre adviser Nazir Ghani, who was among those at the launch ceremony, said he hopes the heritage panels and mural placed at the complex would inform and educate visitors about two centuries of the community’s heritage in Singapore.

He said: “Building the necessary facilities, remembering the work done by our ancestors and depicting that history beautifully here is truly moving.

“It is something we welcome, and we hope such good initiatives reach many of our people.”

（从左至右）负责穆斯林事务的代理部长扎基·穆罕默德、教育及国家发展部高级政务次长赛义德·哈伦·阿尔哈布西和西海岸-裕廊西集选区议员哈米德·拉扎克于 10 月 24 日在牛车水为 .Jamae Chulia Heritage 揭幕。

图片来源：《每日新闻》

发布于 2026 年 10 月 25 日上午 11:55

更新于2026年10月25日上午11:56

新加坡——代理穆斯林事务部长扎基·穆罕默德表示，机构和资产必须对不断变化的需求做出反应，即使它们的核心价值观和宗旨保持不变。

10月24日，扎基在贾梅·丘利亚遗产中心开幕式上发表讲话时还表示，每一代人都有责任保护和更新托付给他们的东西。

他说：“我们所受托的是一份信托，而良好的管理意味着确保它继续发挥其作用。一个充满信心的社群必须知道哪些应该保留，哪些必须变革。”

Zaqy 在向大约 300 位社区领袖、合作伙伴和利益相关者发表讲话时表示，尊重遗产“并不意味着要把一切都保持原样”。

“形式或许会改变，但目的永存，”他补充道。

同时还揭幕了一幅描绘早期印度穆斯林移民前往新加坡的香料之旅的壁画。

该新开发项目位于清真寺街和宝塔街之间，坐落于由早期穆斯林捐赠给清真寺的瓦卡夫（捐赠土地）之上。项目包括一座拥有90间客房的服务式公寓，由雅诗阁有限公司以其lyf Chinatown品牌进行管理。

新加坡伊斯兰宗教理事会（MUIS）在 10 月 24 日的一份声明中表示，该项目将遗产、酒店和社区空间结合在一起，重振了瓦卡夫资产，使其能够持续造福子孙后代。

Jamae Chulia Heritage由Warees Investments（一家捐赠资产管理公司）的全资子公司WJC Heritage与新加坡伊斯兰宗教理事会（MUIS）管理的瓦卡夫基金会合作开发，是瓦卡夫基金会振兴计划下的第四个开发项目。该计划旨在使瓦卡夫基金会的房产焕然一新，以满足现代需求，同时保留其为受益人提供持久利益的初衷。

由早期穆斯林定居者（如丘利亚家族）建立的瓦卡夫·贾迈基金会，继续支持着三个历史悠久的印度穆斯林机构：贾迈·丘利亚清真寺、阿布拉尔清真寺和纳戈尔达尔加印度穆斯林遗产中心。

扎基赞扬了早期定居者的远见卓识，他说：“他们不仅创造了生计，更建立了一个社区。”他还补充道，此后几代受托人、清真寺领袖、捐赠者和志愿者一直悉心照料着这些机构，确保它们至今仍发挥着重要作用。

Zaqy 指出，Masjid Jamae (Chulia) 和 Sri Mariamman Temple 都位于 South Bridge Road 的同一段路上，并补充说，新加坡的多元化并非新鲜事。

他说：“我们的根基和我们对其他事物的开放态度并不冲突，它们相辅相成。”

Warees Investments 商业资产和基金助理副总裁 Adam Huzaifah Alaiman 在接受 Tamil Murasu 的采访时表示：“在确定最高和最佳用途时，该开发项目被构思为带有零售区的服务式住宅。”

他还补充说，Warees 与清真寺、唐人街和市区重建局保育团队等利益相关者密切合作，以确保该物业保持环境的敏感性、遗产和文化。

西海岸-裕廊西集选区议员哈米德·拉扎克称印度穆斯林社区“规模虽小但意义重大”，并称此次启动仪式对该社区而言是一个重要的时刻。

“今天，我们庆祝其中一项瓦卡夫资产的转型，即启动 Jamae Chulia Heritage 项目。该项目现在和将来都将继续为各个机构提供资金，我认为这是社区可以感到非常自豪的事情，”他说。

出席启动仪式的纳戈尔达尔加印度穆斯林遗产中心顾问纳齐尔·加尼表示，他希望放置在该建筑群中的遗产展板和壁画能够向游客介绍新加坡两百年来该社群的遗产。

他说：“建造必要的设施，铭记先辈们所做的工作，并在这里优美地展现这段历史，这真的很令人感动。”

“我们对此表示欢迎，并希望此类良好的举措能够惠及更多民众。”