Time to set up Al-Quran academy — minister

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah needs to set up an Al-Quran academy to empower the teaching of the Book of Allah among the younger generation.

Law and Native Affairs Minister Datuk Aidi Mokhtar said AlQuran academy would indeed produce more skillful qari (male Al-Quran reader) and qariah (female Al-Quran reader).

He stressed that many qari and qariah from Sabah had been representing the state in national level competitions, and some of them won.

With that positive development, Aidi said Sabah Islamic Religious Affairs Department (Jheains) needed to take a proactive action to make it a reality.

“I am suggesting to Jheais to study the need for Al-Quran academy to train our younger generation as early as below 15 years old.

“When they are trained for at least 10 years, I believe they will become skillful qari and qariah,” he said, adding that it would be an opportunity for them to be part of the Islamic development in the country.

Aidi said this to the media after officiating at the closing ceremony and prize presentation of State Prisons Department’s Quran Recital competition at KK Prison, yesterday.

Aidi said no Al-Quran academy had been set up in Sabah at the moment, except for some centres that were initiated by parents.

At the event, two representatives from KK Prison will be representing Sabah at the national level.

Also present yesterday were Sabah and Labuan Prisons Deputy Director Rosman Norman and Sabah State Mufti Datuk Bungsu @ Aziz Jaafar.