KUALA LUMPUR: The six-day 61st International Al-Quran Recital and Memorisation Assembly which begins on April 15 will see the participation of 70 countries, including seven nations which are joining it for the first time.
These seven nations are Azerbaijan, Montenegro, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Sweden, Norway and Austria.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa said the participation of these seven countries, including non-Muslim ones, proved that the government was committed to bringing the message of peace to the world.
Speaking to reporters at the pre-launch of the 61st International Al-Quran Recital and Memorisation Assembly here today, Mujahid said 106 participants, will take part in the event this year with the theme ‘Menyantuni Umat Membawa Rahmat’.
This includes 59 who will participate in the recital category and 47 in the memorisation category.
Malaysia will be represented by this year’s national champion Abdul Khair Jalil from Selangor and Farhatul Fairuzah Panut from Negeri Sembilan in the recital category, and Abdullah Ulwan Ismail from Kelantan and Raudah Abdul Razak from Kedah in the memorisation category.
Mujahid said there will be 14 jury members from various countries including Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Singapore and Brunei.
The winners in the Al-Quran recital category will take home gold bars worth RM70,000 sponsored by the Malaysian Islamic Economic Development Foundation (YaPEIM), a trophy and cash prize of RM40,000 while those in the memorisation category will take home gold bars worth RM70,000 sponsored by YaPEIM, a trophy and cash prize of RM25,000.
The event to be held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre is scheduled to be officiated by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah. – Bernama
