Dignitaries pay tribute to social work veteran Abu Bakar Maidin

Dignitaries pay tribute to social work veteran Abu Bakar Maidin

SINGAPORE - Ministers, religious leaders and ambassadors gathered to pay their last respects to social work veteran Abu Bakar Maidin on Wednesday, after the 86-year-old died from a lung infection on Tuesday night.

A steady stream of dignitaries, including Speaker of Parliament Halimah Yacob, Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean and Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim, arrived at his Kembangan home over Monday night and Tuesday morning to bid farewell to this lion of the Malay community.

In a letter to his 78-year-old widow, which was released to the media, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that Haji Abu Bakar was a stalwart of the Malay community who devoted his life to the less privileged.

He called him an exemplar of public service and a role model for all Singaporeans.

Haji Abu Bakar built up welfare group Jamiyah from modest beginnings to become a well-respected and well-run organisation offering a comprehensive range of social services, noted PM Lee. He was driven by his belief in education as the key to improving lives.

He helmed Jamiyah for 40 years, and was still its special adviser when he died. Its various programmes now help more than 4,000 beneficiaries, about half of whom are non-Muslim.

"We will miss him dearly," wrote PM Lee.

Haji Abu Bakar was also the first chairman of self-help group Mendaki's Education Trust Fund in 2003, which has disbursed more than $10 million to low-income Malay-Muslim families.

He served on national bodies like the Public Service Commission and the Presidential Council for Minority Rights, and won the President's Social Service Award and the Public Service Award.

Mendaki chief executive Moliah Hashim said in a media statement on Wednesday that Haji Abu Bakar leaves a legacy that the community can be proud of.

"He will be remembered not only for his steadfast leadership, but also for his humility and spirit."

DPM Teo praised Haji Abu Bakar's role in fostering strong relationships with other religious groups and pioneering initiatives to help the needy, regardless of faith. He was president of the Inter-Religious Organisation from 2003 to 2004.

The pre-burial prayers at Jamiyah on Wednesday were attended by religious leaders from all faiths, including former Catholic archbishop Nicholas Chia, president of the Singapore Buddhist Lodge Lee Bock Guan and chairman of the Loyang Tua Pek Kong temple George Peh. The leaders asked for a minute of silent prayer after the Muslim prayers were finished.

Speaking before the minute of silence, former senior minister of state for foreign affairs Zainul Abidin Rasheed told the 200-strong crowd that Haji Abu Bakar "walked with princes, kings and world leaders".

As a member of the World Supreme Council for Mosques, he was one of Singapore's most famous Muslims, and Mr Zainul said that Middle Eastern leaders often asked after him.

Dr Yaacob, who is also Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, told reporters on Wednesday that he felt a deep sense of loss at the death of a personal mentor who was "dedicated to community and nation".

Close to tears, he revealed that it was through Haji Abu Bakar's personal efforts that he secured a scholarship to study for his PhD in civil engineering at Stanford University in 1989.

"I will always be in debt to him," said Dr Yaacob.

rchang@sph.com.sg


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