Azan Academy aims to groom more young muazzins
KUCHING: The Azan Academy in the Satok constituency here aims to groom more young ‘muazzins’ among the local community.
In Islam, a ‘muazzin’ is an official tasked with the duty of making the call at a mosque or a surau when it is time for Muslims to pray.
In highlighting this, Satok assemblyman Dato Ibrahim Baki said the academy’s ‘muazzin’ programme also aims to develop the character of the youths and inculcate in them good moral values.
“It is hoped that the academy could improve the quality of ‘azan’ (call for prayer) recitation through this programme, and I also hope that it would continue to be supported by schools and the parents,” he said in launching the programme and also an ‘azan’ recitation event at SK Rakyat Jalan Haji Bolhassan here yesterday.
Ibrahim went on to commend the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Satok’s Education Bureau for organising the programme, adding that the bureau had been instrumental in ensuring the continuity of education development in the constituency.
“Our Education Bureau is actively engaging with the community in running activities meant to contribute towards academic improvements of the children in Satok,” he pointed out.
According to Ibrahim, the role of the bureau was highlighted when it conducted recovery courses after the height of Covid-19 pandemic, upon having discovered that a number of primary schoolchildren were not able to keep up due to not being able to attend physical classes.
“Thankfully, all of them were able to catch up and now, they are equipped with these basic skills,” he added.
Fourteen pupils from SK Rakyat Jalan Haji Bolhassan, SK Merpati Jepang and SK Combined took part in the ‘azan’ reciting event, which was divided into two categories – ‘Hopeful’ and ‘Beginner’.
Muhammad Ruzain Dzulkarnain Abdullah of SK Rakyat came out tops in the ‘Hopeful’ category, bringing home a cash prize RM700, a trophy and a certificate, while Fikri Ilham Mohd Faizal Abdullah shone in the ‘Beginner’ category, walking away with RM500, a trophy and a certificate.
Ibrahim presented the prizes. Also present yesterday was a political secretary to Sarawak Premier, Abdul Samat Gany, also PBB Satok Education Bureau chairman.