The man who led an elite team of rescuers into a Circle Line construction site at Nicoll Highway when it collapsed in 2004 will be the next chief executive of the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis).
Mr Kadir Maideen, former assistant commissioner of the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and one-time commander of the Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team, will be appointed chief executive-designate of Muis from Sept 20.
The 54-year-old will helm Muis as its third chief executive from Nov 1, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) said in a statement yesterday.
Mr Kadir is currently the deputy chief executive of Muis and has more than 27 years of experience in the public service.
In January, he was seconded from the SCDF, where he was involved in the implementation of its transformation plans.
Mr Kadir is also the chairman of the M3 initiative in Bedok, which was launched in April 2019 to support the needs of the Malay/Muslim community in Bedok Town. M3 is a tie-up between Muis, self-help group Mendaki and the People's Association Malay Activity Executive Committees Council.
"He has built close connections with the community and mobilised stakeholders to undertake outreach and develop programmes," said the ministry.
Mr Kadir will be replacing Mr Esa Masood, 42, who was appointed chief executive of Muis on Jan 1, 2019.
Mr Esa, who was the youngest to be appointed as chief executive-designate of Muis in 2018, will be taking up another appointment in the public service.
"As chief executive, Mr Esa's biggest challenge was the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, which brought with it severe disruptions to the socio-religious life of the Muslim community," said the ministry.
Under his leadership, Muis adapted to the Covid-19 pandemic by pivoting religious content, practices and engagement to the digital domain.
Mr Esa also led the Committee on Future Asatizah, setting the direction for efforts to strengthen and uplift the development of asatizahs, or religious teachers.
Notably, he helped implement the Postgraduate Certificate in Islam in Contemporary Societies programme, said MCCY.
The programme is a collaboration between Muis and local and overseas academic institutions to equip asatizahs with the knowledge and skills to apply their Islamic knowledge and provide religious guidance in the Singapore context.
