Mohamed Abdul Jaleel

Mohamed Abdul Jaleel (b. 1958) is a renowned Singaporean Tamil philanthropist and cultural patron. His generosity has benefited many in the fields of education, welfare, and language and cultural promotion. He is the founder of the SM Jaleel Foundation, which provides support to all Singaporeans and, within the Tamil community, is a leading benefactor.

Jaleel‘s family moved from Chennai, India, to Singapore when he was five years old. He helped his father run a small convenience store and took on odd menial jobs to make ends meet.  From such humble beginnings, Jaleel went on to establish Mini Environment Service (MES) in 1977, which has since evolved into a multi-business conglomerate. Its interests include logistics, hospitality as well as operations of migrant worker dormitories. MES has been operating migrant worker’s dormitory since 1994.

While Jaleel has achieved remarkable business success, he is most admired for his impactful philanthropy, which has a broad and deep footprint. His donations to various causes, ranging from education to community welfare. A long-standing supporter of The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund, he has contributed over S$6 million since 2010, directly benefiting thousands of students from underprivileged backgrounds by providing daily allowances for food, transport, and essential school needs. Additionally, Jaleel has funded scholarships for higher education, particularly for students in Singapore and Tamil Nadu, India, covering both tuition and living costs. He also supports local tuition centres, after-school care programmes, and digital literacy initiatives for low-income families.

Believing in giving second chances, he has donated $209,000 to support the vocational and skills training of ex-offenders, helping them build meaningful careers and live independently.

Jaleel is deeply committed to promoting Tamil culture and language. He was the lead donor for the Tamil Digital Heritage Project, which in 2015 digitised over 350 Singapore Tamil literature books, published between 1965 and 2015.

His contributions have also supported Tamil literary festivals, performing arts, and community media, demonstrating his belief that cultural heritage must be nurtured alongside economic development.

In recognition of his philanthropy, Jaleel has received many awards, including the Community Champion Award from Singapore Press Holdings and the President’s Volunteerism & Philanthropy Award in 2022 for his far-reaching contributions to Singapore society.



For more information
Singapore Medical Journal Foundation. Accessed 1 August 2025. https://www.smjfl.com.sg/about-us. 

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The information in this article is valid as of August 2025 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. If you have any feedback on this article, please submit here.