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Singapore. The man who was jailed a year for stealing $32 from a donation box at a mosque was a recalcitrant it had tried to help for years — without success.

Darussalam Mosque issued a statement yesterday to explain why Noraizam Abdullah was turned over to the police for what seemed a minor theft.

The 40-year-old told the court on Thursday he was jobless when he stole the money on Dec 11 last year to buy food for himself and his wheelchair-bound mother.

Although Noraizam was considered suitable for harsher punishments because of his past offences, District Judge Siva Shanmugam gave him an ordinary jail sentence. He said he had taken into consideration the amount of money he stole, and the fact that it was used to buy food.

Noraizam also said in court that he had gone to the mosque to seek financial help but was unsuccessful.

The mosque has a different account of what happened: Noraizam first went to the mosque, in Commonwealth Avenue West, in 2008. Claiming to be jobless and homeless, he asked for a job and a place to sleep at night. He also said he used to live with his sister, but was chased out after a family dispute.

“He did not reveal any information about his mother or her well-being,” said the mosque. “Out of compassion and goodwill, the mosque took care of him and provided some interim financial assistance.”

Its staff found him jobs, but he never lasted long and went missing from work all the time, said the statement.

Eventually, he was offered a job as an assistant caretaker of the mosque, and was supposed to take over the chores when the main caretaker fell ill.

If Noraizam appreciated the help, he did not demonstrate it through his actions, said the mosque.

On several occasions, he threatened colleagues, hurling vulgarities at them and acting aggressively. Although he received food, lodging and pocket money from the mosque, he continued to ask the staff and congregants for money.

“Darussalam Mosque had continually tried our best to help Noraizam Abdullah on many occasions over the past three years... encouraged him to leave his negative ways and turn over a new leaf,” said the mosque in its statement.

When these repeated attempts failed, and Noraizam stole again by forcing open the lock on the donation box, the mosque decided to make a police report.

It was the best course of action for him, and it was necessary to “protect the safety of the mosque staff and congregants,” the mosque said.

Noraizam has been jailed six times for theft since 1997. This includes being sentenced to five years of corrective training in 2002.

Before he stole the $32, he also approached the South West Community Development Council (CDC) for help, said a spokesman for the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports.

In September and October last year, the CDC found him a job through its ComCare Work Support programme. By the time he was arrested for theft, he had already lost that job and was jobless. A ministry spokesman said it would work with the CDC to help Noraizam’s mother.

Meanwhile, employees from the mosque visited her home yesterday afternoon, but did not manage to meet her.

“We are trying to establish if Noraizam’s mother is indeed in need of help, as he claimed. Should we find that she requires help, we would extend the necessary assistance,” the mosque said.

Reprinted courtesy of Straits Times Indonesia. To subscribe to Straits Times Indonesia and/or the Jakarta Globe call 021 2553 5055.