Masjid Petempatan Melayu Sembawang

location

27B Jalan Mempurong
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Opened in 1963, Masjid Petempatan Melayu Sembawang was built by the residents of Kampong Tengah, a village which occupied this corner of Sembawang until the mid-1980s. The mosque also served the Muslim community in nearby former villages such as Kampong Wak Hassan and Kampong Tanjong Irau.

The building of the mosque was a community effort, with each household in the area contributing a small monthly sum until there were sufficient funds to buy building materials. Local youths helped to raise funds by performing marhaban and berzanji (songs in praise of Prophet Muhammad) at homes in the villages. The Lee Foundation also donated $10,000 to the cause.

The building is a surviving example of traditional Malay mosque design in Singapore. Elements of this design can be seen in the prayer hall, which is supported by a central carved wooden pillar known as a tiang seri. At the entrance, there is a kentong or wooden slit-drum, which was struck as a call to prayer.

Next to the mosque building is a large rubber tree, which is believed to be at least a century old and possibly the oldest surviving rubber tree in Singapore. Today, the mosque continues to serve as an important religious and social space for the Muslim community in Sembawang.