Date : 30 May 2009
The Straits Times - Upgrading for oldest mosque here
30 May 2009
SINGAPORE'S oldest mosque is set to get a $936,000 facelift over the next six months.
The 189-year-old Masjid Omar Kampong Melaka, or Omar Kampong Malacca Mosque, was built in 1820 by prominent philanthropist Syed Omar Ali Aljunied. It will have its roof replaced and get new classrooms and a women's prayer area.
When upgrading works are finished in December, the downtown mosque near Havelock Road will also feature a resource centre for both Muslims and non-Muslims to learn about the teachings of Islam.
Minister-in-Charge of Muslim Affairs and Environment and Water Resources Minister Yaacob Ibrahim said: 'I think this is a great opportunity for the community to show to our non-Muslim brothers and sisters what Islam is all about, what Muslims in Singapore practise and do, and what our aspirations are, which are no different from their own aspirations.'
He spoke at the mosque's upgrading launch ceremony yesterday, followed by Friday prayers.
The building, Singapore's oldest place of worship, began life as a wood-and-attap structure.
It underwent major reconstructions in 1855, when brick replaced the original structure, and in 1982 and 1985, when an office block and the dome-shaped minaret were added.
In 2001, it was declared a historic site by the National Heritage Board. Today, it has about 800 worshippers, but will be able to serve more than 1,000 after its refurbishment.
(With thanks to SPH - StraitsTimes.com)
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