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Two more senior Islamic teachers appointed to oversee recognition scheme

(Left to right): Ustaz Mokson Mahori of Madrasah Aljunied; Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs; Ustaz Ali Haji Mohamad, chairman of Asatizah Recognition Board; and Ustaz Ziyaudeen Ahmed Sirajuddeen of Darul Makmur mosque.
(Left to right): Ustaz Mokson Mahori of Madrasah Aljunied; Ustaz Ali Haji Mohamad, chairman of Asatizah Recognition Board; Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs; and Ustaz Ziyaudeen Ahmed Sirajuddeen of Darul Makmur mosque.

The Islamic Council of Singapore (MUIS) has appointed two more senior religious teachers to a board that oversees a compulsory recognition scheme.

The appointment of Ustaz Mokson Mahori, 64, and Ustaz Ziyaudeen Ahmed Sirajuddeen, 34, brings the number of Asatizah Recognition Board (ARB) members to 12.

The Asatizah Recognition Scheme (ARS), which was made mandatory on 1 January, requires asatizah, or Islamic teachers, to be registered with MUIS. They have to do so by the end of March. Currently, 2,464 asatizah are registered under the ARS, which started as a voluntary scheme in 2005.

In his National Day Rally speech in August, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong spoke about the need to strengthen the ARS by making it compulsory, amid the threat of radicalism in the region.

Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for Communications and Information and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, presented certificates of appointment to Ustaz Mokson and Ustaz Ziyaudeen at a ceremony at the An-Nahdhah mosque on Tuesday (17 January).

Ustaz Mokson is the vice-principal of Madrasah Aljunied while Ustaz Ziyaudeen is a Mosque Religious Officer with the Darul Makmur mosque.

ARB chairman, Ustaz Ali Haji Mohamad, said he had received positive feedback from asatizah about the revised ARS.

“It is an opportunity for them to upgrade themselves by going for training and having discussions on contemporary issues,” Ustaz Ali said.

Ustaz Ziyaudeen, the youngest ever to sit on the ARB, said the ARS will strengthen the bonds between the asatizah and the Muslim community.

“The community will have more faith with our asatizah and that they (the asatizah) are getting their facts in the Singapore context, ” Ustaz Ziyaudeen said.