MOSQUE BUILDING PROGRAMME (Progress report)

Encik Othman bin Haron Eusofe asked the Minister for the Environment if he will (i) report on the progress of the mosques to be developed under Phase Two of the Mosque Building Fund Programme and (ii) consider allowing funds available in the Mosque Building Fund, after the completion of the Phase Two mosques, to be used for renovations and improvements to the older mosques.

The Minister for the Environment (Dr Ahmad Mattar): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, nine mosques have been planned under Phase II of the Mosque Building Programme. Two have been completed and are in use, namely, Masjid En-Naeem at Hougang and Masjid Darul Aman at Kampong Ubi. Two more mosques will be completed by the third quarter of this year. They are Masjid Darul Makmur at Yishun and Masjid Al-Mukminin at Jurong East. Another two mosques are under construction and will be completed in 1988, namely, Masjid Darussalam at Clementi and Masjid Al-Amin at Telok Blangah.

Tenders have been called for the construction of Masjid Darul Ghufran at Tampines New Town and the HDB is finalizing the designs of the remaining two mosques at Siglap and Bukit Batok. Tenders are scheduled to be called this year and we can expect the mosques to be completed by 1989.

Sir, the request of the Member for Geylang Serai to allow funds available in the Mosque Building Fund to be used for renovations and improvements to the old mosques cannot be considered. This is because the Administration of Muslim Law Act provides that the monies in the Mosque Building Fund shall be used for the purpose of building mosques only. I would also like to add, Sir, that on completion of Phase II of the Mosque Building Programme, MUIS will embark on Phase III as there are new HDB estates which have to be provided with mosques for its Muslim residents.

Encik Othman bin Haron Eusofe (Geylang Serai): Sir, I would like to ask some supplementary questions on the development of Masjid Darul Ghufran in Tampines. Is the Minister aware that the Darul Ghufran Building Committee has expressed great unhappiness over the architectural designs of the Darul Ghufran Mosque? Is he also aware that, after several discussions with MUIS and also with the architects in charge of the project, they have submitted proposals to improve the architectural designs? Up to this date, I think there has been no reply from the HDB. Would the Minister assist the Committee in asking MUIS, as well as the architects in charge, to consider the proposed architectural designs positively and expeditiously? In my view, the designs would help enhance the architecture of the Mosque.

Dr Ahmad Mattar: Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Mosque Building Committee of Masjid Darul Ghufran in Tampines have asked for the inclusion of minarets and Islamic motifs for the windows. They have also asked for the open space on the second storey of the mosque to be covered to provide a larger prayer area for the ladies. Sir, I am told that the HDB is prepared to consider favourably the inclusion of a minaret and Islamic motifs for the square windows but they cannot accede to the request to cover the open space on the second storey because this would give rise to ventilation problems.