Our History

History and Background of The Association since 1965 

The Formation

The Association was inaugurated on 10 Jul 1965 at Marine Base, Customs Harbour Division. At the initial stage, a group of Singapore Customs and Marine Staff with the assistance of the founder, Senior Supt of Customs Hj Rahman Bin Husin approached then “Comptroller of Customs & Excise Department” for support and approval to form a benevolent society for the well-being of Muslim officers. “Lembaga Khairat Kematian Kakitangan Muslimin Jabatan Kastam Singapura” was established and registered with the Registrar of Mutual Benefit Organisations (RMBO) on 19 July 1965 and given the registration No. 424/65. (Please see Annex A)

The “Comptroller of Customs & Excise Department” was patron of the organisation. The Association’s by-laws stipulated that the appointment of Advisor shall be made by the Committee in concurrence with the Director-General of Customs & Excise prior to a general meeting.

The organisation was allocated an office space at Customs Ports Branch HQ, 21 Keppel Road with the approval from MOF, with a nominal rental of $20.00 monthly, excluding $0.50 of monthly electricity fees to Customs & Excise Department (CED). (Please see Annex B)

A monthly subscription of $0.50 was collected from each officer in the organisation, to serve as a pool for grants to defray funeral expenses resulting from the death of a member or members’ registered dependants. Payment of monthly subscription fees through salary is assisted and maintained by Salary (Payroll Section) of CED.

On 23 Jun 1980, the organisation’s by-laws were amended and the organisation was renamed “Lembaga Kebajikan Pekerja-Pekerja Islam Kastam Singapura” or “The Singapore Customs Muslim Staff Benevolent Association [Please refer Annex C for Certificate of Registration (Change of Registered Name)].

Subsequently, the monthly subscription fee was increased to $3.00 and more benefits were given to members. The kind support from CED and Pay Office, Ministry of Finance, enabled the Association to collect members’ subscription fees through salary deduction. The Association also paid a nominal service fee to Pay Office/Vital Office.

Challenging Times

Due to the change of Ports Branch’s operations in 2000, the organisation had to vacate its office space. The restructuring of the CED, Singapore Immigration & Registration (SIR) and subsequent establishment of Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) on 1 April 2003, has resulted in the inevitable splitting of the Association’s members.  

Since then, the Association’s Secretaries have been using their residence addresses for mailing correspondence purposes during the various periods of their tenure of office, namely, Hj Saidi Bin Satiman (2000-2003), Hj Mohd Salehan Bin Hj Abdul Rahim (2004-2011) & Ghazali Bin Ibad (2011-2018). 

A Registered Office

Under Section 10 of Mutual Benefit Organisations Act, Cap 191, it is a requirement for an association to have a registered Office.  For the Association to carry on having a registered office to operate, the Association looked out for Regus Virtual Office at Tampines Junction 300 Tampines Ave 5 #09-02 S529653 in June 2015.  The monthly rental of virtual office was about $62.06. The purpose of the Association office was for management of Association’s correspondence with our stakeholders, although the main reason was to meet the requirements of the MBO rulings, which does not allow for a HDB dwelling to be used as registered office.

With the aim of being prudent with our spending, the Association discovered that another association under MCCY was using a P.O. Box as its registered office, sometime in April 2017. 

Since 18 May 2017, the Association was allocated with a mailing address of P.O. Box 238 Tanjong Pagar Post Office S910808 as was permitted by the Registrar MBO. This helped to reduce the operating costs of the Association. There was a savings of $530.00 per year. 

Problems and Issues

Non-submission of Yearly Return to RMBO posed a problem

The organisation faced challenges partly due to inexperience in managing and coordination of Management Committees. The organisation’s statement of accounts and Lists of Office Bearers for FY 1998/1999 and 1999/2000 were not ready for submission to RMBO, as required under Section 14 of Mutual Benefit Organisations Act, Cap 191. The organisation’s failure to submit yearly return of audited Financial Statements and Office Bearers between 1998 and 2022 despite several reminders by Registrar MBO would deem the organisation liable to be deregistered.

The restructuring has resulted in the inevitable splitting of the Association’s members that remain with Singapore Customs (CED has been renamed) and members that were transferred to a newly formed Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA). Out of the total of 206 members, 70% of them are made up of ICA officers while the rest remained with the Singapore Customs. In addition, officers who have retired from service remained as Associate members. Serving officers paid monthly subscription fees via salary deduction while Associate members were making direct payments to the Association since such fee deduction was terminated once they retired from service.

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The lack of recognition of the Association has contributed to spells of inactivity after the merger. During the above-mentioned period, there was a lack of active recruitment, resulting in stagnation in the number of officers in the Association’s ranks. In the late 2012, the registration of new members was suspended, pending the Association’s aim to gain recognition from the Senior Managements. It became of paramount importance for the Association to be officially recognised by ICA and SC, to allow for resumption of the Association’s activities, such as the registration of new members. 

We faced many challenges at that time, however, our committee members persevered. Management of our administration was achieved by every elected Secretary from home. Success was made possible through the fortitude of our elected Secretary and committee members, who never gave up despite the lack of direction.

Efforts made to Gain Official Support

During AGM 2013, the committee reached a common objective of reviving the Singapore Customs Muslim Staff Benevolent Association (SCMSBA). Efforts were made to meet up with the Senior Management from both the departments. The Association would strive to gain official support.

When Singapore Customs ceased patronage, the committee members comprised Ghazali Bin Ibad, Mohamed Yahaya Bin Kadri, Hj Mukthar s/o Musha Balwan, Abdul Aziz Hashim and Ibrahim bin Khamis, took the opportunity to meet up with the Commissioner ICA and his two Deputies Commissioner during its Meet the Senior Management on 11 Jan 2014. The administration of ICA resolved it to be a liberated Association. 

Allah SWT willed the good intentions of the Association for the welfare of our members. Effort to rebuilt and boost activities of our Association begun to succeed. The renaming of the Association to SCIMSBA in Oct 2017 has brought about continuous support of HR SC and ICA HRM when there was revised subscription fee from $3.00 to $8.00 that took effect in Feb 2018 involving a total of 269 members of the Association, i.e. 218 from ICA and 51 from SC.

With the assistance and cooperation of Singapore Customs HR, Vital accepted the motion to continue the deduction of subscription fee, through salary deductions, for our new members. The Association pays a nominal service fee to ADG. Although it was challenging to obtain approval from the HRM of ICA, with the perseverance of our Honorary Secretary, Ghazali Bin Ibad, the motion was approved. We are grateful for the grace of Allah. 

In 2015, we officially opened a new chapter with 97 new members from Singapore Customs and ICA paying subscription fees through salary deductions.

The success portrays the diligent efforts of our committee members, together with volunteers, who tirelessly approached and recruited officers from the Singapore Customs and ICA.

Transition

Transition from an association that adopted conventional management methods to digitalisation

• Move from manual application & processing of membership form, receipt for payment of subscription fees by Associate members in January 2019 onwards, instead use of e-Receipt and e-Membership Card and send to them via desktop WhatsApp. 
• Memberplanet’s multi-function Apps such as member database, group posting, and member profiles updates allows different administrators to access it using web browser or I-phone.
• Online poll to gauge result replaced manual ones.
• The memberplanet App can protect the transmission of our organisation information well and safely and facilitate our management.
• Use of infographics enhances the flow of information
• The first official Association’s website (Sgcustomsmsba.org) created in 2015 to collect materials such as Certificate of Registration, photo of previous pioneers and leaders as well as activities carried out, was revamped in 2017 (memberplanet.com/scimsba).  
• We plan to create a new website to automate issuance of membership card as well as other applications – hospitalisation subsidy, passing of members/dependents & payment of monthly fees module. Automate payment & issuance of receipts besides Comprehensive membership database module, a newsletter & Notice board module.

Wellbeing of members

Continuous Efforts to Enhance Wellbeing of members

In 2000, the change in Ports Branch’s operations has resulted in the Association had to vacate its leased office space. The restructuring of the Singapore Customs & Singapore Immigration & Registration (SIR) departments in April 2003 resulted in the Association no longer being under the patronage of Singapore Customs. Therefore, the Association’s by-laws Rule no. 7 was amended on 13 October 2017 to include any Muslim age 21 years and above as Associated Member of the Association. This was to assist all Muslim community besides the already defined members.  

In our continuous efforts to enhance the benefits of our members and keeping up with digitalisation, the management committee has initiated several proposed amendments to our Association’s rules by-laws. Subsequently, we began another process of proposed Amendment to the By-law’s rules on 26 January 2021.

We highlight 3 major changes to the rules, as follows: – 

1. Change the name of Association towards helping all Muslim communities.
2. Abolish 2 categories of membership to harmonize the equal rights for all members, and
3. Introduce the new financial hardship scheme for members who are incapacitated.

The name change is supported by most members as can be seen from the online poll of 87.9 % voted, conducted on 7 April 2021, 

Today, the Association, which was registered under the Registry of Mutual Benefit Organisations on 19 July 1965, has been renamed as The Muslim Community Benevolent Association of Singapore (TMCBAS). The renaming of the Association reflects its aspirations. It is now expanding its membership to include the wider Muslim community.