TAWAU: All madrasah and tahfiz centres in this district are reminded to register with the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) and the Sabah Islamic Religious Affairs Department (Jheains) to streamline government aid distribution.
Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister, Datuk Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan, said this aims to ensure all institutions receive necessary government support to facilitate their activities in nurturing future Qaris and Qariahs.
Nizam also encouraged Mosque and Surau Committees to establish additional religious classes and foster partnerships with madrasah and tahfiz centres to enhance Quranic literacy among youths.
“Our goal is to cultivate more accomplished Hafiz, Hafizah, Qari and Qariah from Tawau Division who can excel at district and state levels, with potential for national and international recognition,” he said after officiating the Majlis Hafazan dan Tilawah Al-Quran (MTHQ) at the Masjid Al-Kauthar foyer on Wednesday.
The Apas Assemblyman pointed out the importance of youth engagement in religious studies, noting that Tawau should be recognised not only for its singing talents but also for producing distinguished Qaris and Qariahs.
Also present were Balung Assemblyman, Datuk Hamild Awang, Tawau Municipal Council Deputy President, Mohd Shoffian Mohd Said and Tawau Jheains Religious Administrative Officer, Kahar Sundu.
Nizam hoped that Tawau Zone’s representatives would enhance their recitation skills for improved performance at the State level competition.
The ceremony saw siblings from Semporna claiming victory in both Qari and Qariah categories.
Abdullah Abdul Wahid, 46, a teacher at SK Tg Kapur and his sister Norasmah Abdul Wahid, 20, a Sabah Institute of Islamic Studies and Da’wah student, will represent Tawau at the State-level MTHQ competition in Kota Kinabalu from Feb 13-16.
Following their victory, Abdullah committed to refining his recitation technique while preparing mentally and spiritually for the State competition. Norasmah dedicated her achievement to her supportive family and teachers.
