By Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, March 11: The newly launched Masjid Ikhwanul Islam at Taman Sukma here is not just for admiration, but for the use of local Muslim communities to regularly organise religious activities, says Deputy Prime Minister Dato Sri Fadillah Yusof.
As the one who proposed the project, Fadillah said the new mosque can accommodate 3,000 congregates at one time and comes with a contemporary interior design.
“I don’t want to see people come in big numbers today and slowly sidetrack away from their religious obligation. That is not the way we practice our faith. We must come together and pray together.
“The mosque is where we congregate and pray to God. This a place where we could foster a good relationship among our Muslim brothers and sisters and practice what is taught in our faith,” he said when launching the new mosque last night (March 10).
Later, when asked about the old mosque building, Fadillah revealed that it would be demolished to give way for a new building, but it all depends on how the Sarawak Government wants to manage it.
“The new building would partly include a shop on the ground floor, a religious school, accommodation for religious teachers, offices, and a hostel for the students.
“That is the suggestion, and it is also a place to organise religious activities and the centre to link with other religious bodies and institutions in Indonesia, Peninsular Malaysia and other places. It will be a centre of knowledge for religious studies.
“All this can be done once we have approval and the right planning to do it,” he said.
Among those also present at the event were Deputy Minister in the Premier’s Department (Law, MA63 and State-Federal Relations) Datuk Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali and Sarawak Islamic Council president Datuk Misnu Taha. — Dayakdaily
