Long-serving imam lauded for strengthening interfaith harmony
Imam Syed Hassan Mohammad Al-Attas was lauded for his efforts to strengthen interfaith harmony and social cohesion on Nov 3, receiving a top national award in a ceremony held at ITE College Central in Ang Mo Kio.
Also known as Habib Hassan, he was one of six Singaporeans who were presented with the Distinguished Service Order by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam at the National Awards Investiture.
This is one of the top honours in the National Awards.
Habib Hassan is one of the longest-serving imams and head of the Ba’alwie Mosque in Bukit Timah. He has led initiatives to raise awareness and appreciation of Singapore’s multicultural harmony and strengthened cohesion among communities. As head of the mosque, he has hosted learning journeys for local and international visitors at its interfaith museum.
In a Facebook post, President Tharman said Habib Hassan grew up with Catholics and Hindus as neighbours, and has made it his mission to build mutual understanding among all Singaporeans. “One of the longest-serving imams in Singapore, Habib Hassan has been a pillar of strength in Singapore’s inter-religious community,” he said.
The other recipients of the Distinguished Service Order award were Ms Jennie Chua, Mr Hsieh Fu Hua, Mr Peter Ong, Mr Phillip Tan and Mr Teo Ming Kian.
This year’s highest award, the Order of Nila Utama (with High Distinction) was given to Mr Peter Ho for his contributions to Singapore for over 50 years.
During his career, the retired top civil servant served as the permanent secretary of both the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and was head of the civil service.
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