KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 — Mosques and surau throughout the country resonated with the readings of the Quran in conjunction with the Malaysia #QuranHour.

The third edition of the one-hour programme, which is being held during the last 10 days of Ramadan, began at noon today and received over-whelming response from Muslims in the country.

With the theme “Courteous and Loving Race” the programme was organised on a large-scale at the Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Mosque in Putrajaya, as well as several other locations throughout the country.

In Putrajaya, about 5,000 people gathered in the mosque for the programme which was also attended by the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Muizzudin Shah.

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Meanwhile in Kuala Lumpur, more than 200 staff and students of the International Islamic University also read the Quran in the Haji Ahmad Shah Mosque in the campus in Gombak.

Also taking part in the programme is the public library throughout the country which organised the programme #MalaysiaNgaji bersempena Malaysia #QuranHour which involved various strata of the society including school children.

The Director-General of the National Library, Datuk Nafisah Ahmad said the second edition of the programme, which was being held to strengthen the culture of Quran reading, targeted one million participants to take part.

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He said 739,645 participants took part in the inaugural programme held on June 29 last year.

In Pahang, Assistant Director of the Mosque and Surau Management Division of the Pahang Islamic Religious Department (JAIP), Nik Ibrahim Nik Abdullah said almost 2,000 mosques and surau throughout the state participated in the Malaysia #QuranHour.

He said he had informed 604 mosques and 1,327 surau throughout the state to join in the Holy Quran reading programme.

In Negri Sembilan, more than 1,000 joined the programme at the state level held at the Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) in Nilai.

The Seremban Muslim Welfare Organisation (Perkim) Women’s Chairman Gharizah Hashim said those who participated in the programme included USIM staff and students, converts, Orang Asli representatives as well as handicapped persons.

She said the programme was also held in mosques in the state, the Negeri Sembilan Public Library, the official residence of the Johol Territorial Chief (Undang Luak Johol) and the Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) campus in Kuala Pilah and Seremban 3.

In Perak, at least 10,000 people including members of the public took part in the programme which was held throughout the state today.

Chairman of the Perak Caring Women’s Association Datin Normah Hanum Ibrahim said these included staff of government agencies, private sector, non-governmental organisations and students.

She said this was the second time the Malaysia #QuranHour programme was held in Perak after last year.

In Perlis, Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azlan Man launched the #MalaysiaNgaji programme in conjunction with the state Malaysia #QuranHour organised by the Perlis Public Library and the Perlis Mufti Department at the Alwi Mosque here.

An estimated 11,000 to 15,000 recited the Quran simultaneously at the State library, three branch libraries, one urban library and more than 30 village libraries.

In Kedah, 200 people joined the #QuranHour programme organised for the second time by the Kedah Public Library Corporation.

Chairman of the corporation, Datuk Aminuddin Omar said the programme was an effort by the library to develop the spiritual strength of the people by returning to the Quran.

Aminuddin who is also Chairman of the state Youth and Sports, Arts, Culture and Human Development Committee, said the programme should be held each year in Ramadan so that the practice of reading the Quran could build noble values.

In Terengganu, the MALAYSIA #QuranHour programme not only involved mosques and surau, but also the State Education Department, the State Library as well as hotels.

About 250 joined the programme held at the State Library, with the majority being students and government officers.

Director of the State Library Marzialina Mohamed said last year, there were 250,000 participants for the programme and the number is expected to be more this year.

She said this was due to the effort by various parties including the religious department to draw the attention of the public to the programme including through the social media.

“Most of the people joined the programme voluntarily, and today alone, seven schools in Terengganu were involved, including from the Institut Al Quran Terengganu,” she said.

Meanwhile, in Johor Baru, about 1,500 participants of various ages took part in the Malaysia #QuranHour programme held at the Sultan Iskandar Mosque in Bandar Dato Onn, near here today.

According to Shamsudin Ismail, chairman of the Rumah Ngaji Negeri Johor which is organising it for the third time, the programme this year includes government and non-governmental organisations, the handicapped, converts, students and the public.

Meanwhile, in Selangor, at the Malaysia International Islamic University, the programme saw the participation of staff, students and the local community, who recited the Quran at the Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah Mosque at the university.

UIAM Mosque director, associate professor Dr Abdul Salam Muhamad Shukri said besides the main campus in Gombak, the university also organised the event in the mosques in its Kuantan and Gambang campuses in Pahang as well as in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, with a total of more than 1,500 participants.

This year, he said, UIAM Gombak was also given the responsibility of organising the World #QuranHour and chosen as the main location for Malaysia for the event to be held on August 31.

The World #QuranHour has also the support of UIAM Global Alumni all over the world including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Bosnia Herzegovina, he said. — Bernama