Mr Azmi Kassim, 54, has been going to the Al-Huda Mosque in Bukit Timah for as long as he can remember, and says it is the symbol of his childhood.

Although Mr Azmi, who teaches Quran reading, moved to Jurong in 1999, he still returns to the mosque every Friday for prayers. Yesterday, he was at the mosque's reopening after the completion of a year-long $1.1-million upgrading.

The mosque in Sixth Avenue, whose history dates back to 1905, has now expanded its capacity from 200 to 350 prayer spaces. The upgrade is the first for the mosque since 1966.

The mosque boasts, among other things, a heritage gallery featuring old items from the kampung it used to serve. At yesterday's event, the Minister for Communications and Information, and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, Dr Yaacob Ibrahim, said:

"This is our history and our past, and I hope that when families come, they bring their younger children. This is how we educate and pass on the stories and heritage that are a part of our community."