Interview #6: Mr. Haady Mattar
The Sallim Mattar Mosque, a legacy of 91 years
This interview features Mr. Haady Mattar, a member of the Arab Network Association as well as the Under Youth Collective. He is also the descendant of the Mattar family in Singapore, with his great-great-grandfather, Mr. Sallim Mattar, being the primary benefactor of the mosque.
About This Interview
Mr. Haady Mattar reveals the backstory of the Sallim Mattar Mosque, including the periodic modernizations and upgrades the site has undergone.
Today’s interview explores the perspectives of local Singaporeans on religious heritage sites, especially the intersection of diverse groups in a communal space. As a mosque attendee himself, Mr. Haady Mattar provides a valuable primary perspective on both the historical and contemporary urbanization of Singapore, exploring how Singapore’s progressive nationalistic stance can run the risk of having diverse community members drift apart from their past.
Interview Details
Guest: Mr. Haady Mattar
Interviewer: Christine Oh
Date Recorded: August 15th, 2026
Location: Orchard, Singapore
Language: English
Duration: 25:04
Format: Video & Audio Recording
Interview Questions
Below are highlights from our conversation with Mr. Haady Mattar, a descendant of the Mattar family and a relative of the Sallim Mattar Mosque. The excerpt provides details about his perspective on Singaporeans’ awareness, acknowledgment, and admiration of local heritage, as well as the historical reasoning behind these sentiments.
What role does the mosque play in intersecting the Malay and Mattar communities at the site?
Mr. Haady Mattar: We have to first look at the role that the mosque plays in society, in the community, in the environment, in the city, town, or village, right? To us, Muslims, the mosque is more than just a place of worship, it's a place for communities, for youth to meet other youths who are like-minded, who are from the same religion. It's a place for us to network. It's a place for us to rest mentally as well. So those kinds of general services, or the space itself, provides an amenity for Muslims in general. But if we're talking about the historical context of Sallim Matar Mosque, it was built in the 1930s by Sallim Matar himself, who is my great-great-grandfather. So he sort of rallied the predominantly Malay Muslims living in the vicinity to raise funds, and he matched the same amount, so he could pool enough money and resources to build a mosque in the community. Because back then, there wasn't a proper mosque yet, and that is why the community decided to name the mosque after him, so it became sort of like a communal area, as well as a place of worship for the Malays, the Mattar families, and other Muslims who were living around the area and settling there around that time.
In my research, I found that around the 1930s, the British colonial government developed Kallang Airport, which led many Malay residents to resettle in the area around Mattar & Sallim Roads. So, how do you think this historical development influenced the establishment of the mosque, or the communities around that area?
Mr. Haady Mattar: Actually, I came across that when I was doing my own research regarding my family…while asking my elders, based on their experience, those who have lived through the days, mainly my grandfather, who was the oldest. So he shared with me how the community within the mosque actually changed throughout the years. So when we look at when the British were trying to build the airport, they had to clear a lot of residential areas because, as you know, an airport takes a lot of land space, right? To be fair, many people were compensated, including the Malays and members of my family. Personally, for my family, we were compensated and had to move to the Geylang area, which is not too far from the initial space. However, the mosque and its surroundings were still preserved. So, to this day, the mosque is still there in the same spot, as is the orphanage beside it, which was previously owned by my great-great-grandfather. So…the environment or the landscape has changed from being sort of like a residential area/estate to a more industrial-like space (like, at first, the airport). And when we look at [the Mattar area] now, it predominantly consists of factories. You do have some residential areas, but [it’s mostly] offices and factories, and a lot of working spaces. So that will naturally change the attendees at the mosque, and then you will see a huge shift from maybe residential locals to a good mix of locals as well as foreigners, people who are working—not those who are living there—who are attending the mosque’s events, as well as Friday prayers.
I also noticed that the mosque itself has undergone several upgrades since its founding. So, how do you think this modernization affects the cultures, memories, or even the people who visit the site itself?
Mr. Haady Mattar: In general, the mosque tends to be upgraded around every 15 to 20 years. So, since I was born around 25 years ago, there has been at least one major renovation of the mosque itself. If you visit the mosque now, the compound is not as large as other mosques, nor is its capacity as large. If there are more attendees or greater use of a certain mosque, there's more demand for space. When there's greater demand for space, they will try to maximize capacity and construction during the renovation to accommodate more people. An example would be the [Masjid Darul] Ghufran mosque in Tampines. It is the only mosque in Tampines, and Tampines has a large Muslim population. So, the recent renovation dates back around 5 to 7 years. It was a huge renovation that consumed a bit more land than it used to, and then because of that, it became the largest mosque in Singapore. Previously, it was the Sultan Mosque, which is also a tourist attraction. But now it is the Ghufran due to demand. So if you apply the same thinking and analogy back to Sallim Mattar Mosque, because there are fewer residential areas, there will naturally be fewer attendees, and there is less capacity or less demand for a larger capacity. That’s why, to this day, even after renovation, it is not huge. It's not huge by Singapore's standards, but it's still spacious. If I remember correctly, it's three levels of prayer space. We do have a fourth, but mainly for classrooms, learning, and students.
Are you in support or against the modernizations of the mosque?
Mr. Haady Mattar: I think that's a very interesting question because for me it really depends, if I’m being honest. If you're talking about the Sallim Mattar Mosque specifically, then I am actually for renovation and changes, as repairs bring about reinforcement of the foundation, since I'm sure things will start breaking down. It could be the pipes, the electricity, or the wires, and I'm happy that, at the site, Singapore takes pride in maintaining its structures; they're rebuilt every few years. I think that is a testament to how forward-progressing Singapore is. You know, as we say in Singapore, "Majulah Singapura" ("onward Singapore"), and it's a testament to how Singapore and Singaporeans are always looking forward. We're always changing, and if we compare that to what we're talking about regarding the renovation of the mosque and it changing, we compare to the country where it's residing. The country itself changes rapidly every 5 to 10 years, you know. So I would say it's on par with how much [Singapore is] progressing, but there is a downside for sure. I think nostalgia really plays a huge part, but growing up in Singapore, you tend to figure it out or learn that it's something we just have to let go of because everything changes around us. So it's something we just have to accept and live with. But we do reminisce; we do miss the times, and for us, optimistic Singaporeans (who are not a lot, actually), we do make the effort to see the good in these changes, which bring about a lot of cleanliness. I think a major reason Singapore is known as a very clean country is all these changes, renovations, and improvements to its structures and environment.
It's interesting how, even years after the mosque was built, the “Mattar” name has remained tightly attached and is closely associated with the mosque. So why do you think this name or association has been preserved for so long?
Mr. Haady Mattar: Okay, so for that, we have to look at how mosques in Singapore are named, right? There are mainly two ways in which a mosque is named after something or someone. We have mosques with general names like Sultan Mosque or Ghufran mosque, and these usually come up when there are multiple benefactors or contributors to the building itself. If it's an even more communal effort, and maybe even if it's a governmental association or organization-initiated, then they would adopt a general name. Some benefactors, even though they contribute greatly, do not want to be known. But if you look at a mosque with the name of people in it, it is usually because they are the greatest benefactors. For example, for the Sallim Mattar Mosque, Sallim Mattar contributed not only financially but also with his time and effort. More than 50% of the cost for the initial construction was borne by him. He also has experience in planning the construction of a mosque. The community insisted on naming the mosque after him because of his contributions not only in the village itself but across Singapore. He served on multiple boards and organizations; notably, the board of trustees for the Sultan Mosque; he was actually one of the four Muslims and one of the four community leaders who were in charge of designing the current layout of the Sultan Mosque. They did hire foreign architects—I think Dutch or French—but obviously, in the end, you know, these four leaders were the ones piloting it and everything. They just didn't have the technical knowledge to execute it, so they had to hire people with specialized expertise, but it was mainly this group that was the driving force behind what became the Sultan Mosque layout today. So you can see the difference between his contributions to the Sallim Mattar Mosque and the Sultan Mosque, because the Sultan Mosque was more of a collaborative effort compared to the former.
Even when the physical building is still very much alive, do you think the mosque's intangible memories and contexts are disappearing or being overlooked over time?
Mr. Haady Mattar: If we're looking at the preservation of the historical context or the heritage, honestly, there is not much. The only thing generally preserved is the name. Everything changes from the structure, to the community, the people residing, and the people managing it. Everything has changed. You can use the analogy of the Ship of Theseus, where everything is being replaced, and everything is new. Is it still the same mosque? So, that is why it is so important to maintain the name itself, because it serves as a reminder to the community that contributed to the mosque. You know why this mosque was here, and it can serve not only as a reminder but also as a prompt for people who are new and want to learn about the historical context of buildings, the names we are preserving in Singapore, and everything that has changed—from the structure to the people who reside in or use the space. So the only thing that is constant is the name. And when you are entering a different space, or it's your first time visiting a place, you can be curious about the name of the place, you know, especially if it's named after someone. Like, okay, “Who is this?”, and that kind of prompts you to dig into the historical context. Additionally, I think Singaporeans are not, in general, particularly keen on knowing the historical context or heritage, unless they have a kind of familial affiliation or association with a place. They also must have the innate drive to look for it because I do have friends whose families have histories in different places, but they still don't have the interest or the push to find out more about it. That's why I want to commend you on trying to find out more about different places, even though they’re not related to you.
Do you think one reason Singaporeans are distant from their past is Singapore's emphasis on progressive mindsets?
Mr. Haady Mattar: Yeah, I think that is definitely a major factor in why the newer generation is not thinking about preserving heritage, because they are not at the age yet where they (the younger generation) are questioning things. So, for example, right now we do have groups or associations that are interested in this sort of history. And we are questioning the elders right now to find out more about certain things, and they are able to answer because they have lived through it. They have lived through the construction, the modernization, the industrialization of Singapore—they've seen it with their own eyes, so they're able to answer that. But when it comes to maybe taking their place as the older generations, we're going to be dumbfounded. We're going to be awestruck when the newer generations ask us, like, how does this place need to be? Why is this place like this? And that is why a few of my friends and I, or the people that I know who are interested, we take it upon ourselves to sort of learn about our own heritage or our own areas. So it's sort of a preservation of memory. And thankfully, we are born in the era of the Internet. So it's really easy to exchange information, preserve information, and things like that. Whereas, when we were doing research with our elders, and we're asking them everything they know, it's all in their heads. They don't keep it in a book or something, you know. Which, to me, is really dangerous, if I'm being honest. I don't know whether the mindset of the younger Singaporeans or Singaporeans of my generation will change their outlook towards heritage and history. I think Singaporeans are very future-minded, career-minded, and forward-thinking, and that is their priority in life. It's always a rat race. So, I feel there's an even greater need for people like you and me to learn about the historical context of buildings and places in Singapore to help preserve them.
What do you think are the differences between how an expat could look at Singaporean heritage versus how a local Singaporean can look at it?
Mr. Haady Mattar: For me, I've been in Singapore my whole life. I was born and raised here. My family has been here for six generations on my dad's side. So yeah, I think I can speak pretty well on behalf of Singaporeans. I will be comparing based on my friends or those who come here (as expats). So I do have quite a few international friends who like to travel, and I met them during my travels. And the first thing on my priority list is always to showcase and explain Singapore's heritage [through answering questiosn like]: What kind of ethnic groups are there? Why do we have this diversity? That kind of explains how we have such a wide variety of food, why there are so many different ethnicities, and how race is also a huge factor in how our society functions. So it's a good gateway for explaining how Singapore works in general.
So, as a Singaporean, I think growing up in Singapore, surrounded by many cultures, religions, and races, we tend to overlook and underappreciate the diversity and the rich history we have. You know, because we take it for granted. We've always had that. We've always seen it growing up, and that's something I realized when when my friends come over, and they realize there's not many places outside of of Southeast Asia or even Singapore that is like Singapore, a place where where many people of different backgrounds are working together in a progressive society, a society that functions really well in general. They are really awestruck and they keep commenting about how how nice it is and how it’s like a dream to live or work here. Whereas I think Singaporeans tend to complain about the high cost of living, or the dense population, and things like that. Whereas foreigners, tourists, or expats, people who are not native, when they come here, they are more appreciative, or they realize how beautiful Singapore is. I think a classic example could be how my friend from the UK came a couple of months back, and her favorite activity to do in Singapore was to run in the central area because she mentioned how nice it is, how walkable the city is! I think we really take that for granted. But not only that, but also how diverse the architecture is. We have really modern buildings. We have classic shop houses. We have a lot of temples, mosques, and churches all in a row. And to them, or to her, and my friends, it's something kind of unorthodox, whereas for us it's such a norm.
