200 Rohingya refugees to join event

SHAH ALAM: The World #QuranHour and Merdeka#QuranHour programmes, set to take place at Dataran Merdeka this Thursday, will see the participation of 200 Rohingya refugees.

The men and women, who had been calling Malaysia their home after fleeing Myanmar, will join Malaysians and others from around the world to recite the Quran.

The programme is aimed at encouraging the reading, understanding and discussions of the holy scripture among Muslims.

Among the refugees, who are under the care of Humanitarian Aid Selangor, are 15 students of Pelangi Kasih School in Selayang. The rest will be from homes for refugees around the Klang Valley.

One of the participants, Abdul Razak Abdul Mubin, 6, said he was excited as this would be his first time participating in such a major event.

“I am excited because this is my first time going out of the school. At the same time, I am also nervous because I have never sat in front of a large crowd reading the Quran,” he said.

Razak, who can read the surah Yassin fluently, has been living in Malaysia with his family since 2013.

Warisan Ummah Ikhlas Foundation chief executive officer Marhaini Yusoff said Muslims in Malaysia should grab the opportunity to take part in the programme.

The World #QuranHour and Merdeka#QuranHour will be held in conjunction with the wuquf in Arafah, Mecca, on the 9th day of Zulhijjah of the Islamic calendar, which coincidentally falls on the same day as National Day on Aug 31. Some 3,000 locations, or hotspots, around Malaysia are expected to play host to the programmes.