By Shikin Louis
KUCHING, Feb 14: Doa reciter Suhaimi Mohamad, 37, created an extraordinary moment at the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Convention today when he recited the ‘doa’ (prayer) in nine languages, capturing the attention and admiration of the audience.
The Bukit Kota Branch Deputy Youth Chief and event crew member recited the prayer in Arabic, Malay, English, Iban, Melanau, Bisaya, Lun Bawang, Bidayuh, and Mandarin.
His performance was not only a focus-grabbing moment of the event but also received a resounding round of applause from attendees of diverse backgrounds.
Speaking to reporters afterwards, Suhaimi revealed that he took nearly a month to practice and perfect the pronunciation of all nine languages, especially Mandarin, which he found particularly challenging due to the differences between pronunciation and spelling.
“My tongue had difficulty adapting to Mandarin because the pronunciation and spelling are not the same. I learned from my Chinese friends and local business owners,” he said during the event held at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK).
He also shared that learning Lun Bawang was easier because he often interacted with the community.
Meanwhile, for Iban and Melanau, he sought guidance from native speakers to ensure accuracy.
According to Suhaimi, this initiative was entirely his own, as he wanted to introduce something unique and reflect the linguistic and cultural diversity of Sarawak.
“I have never seen anyone recite a prayer in multiple languages at events like this before.
“Sarawak is home to many ethnic groups and I wanted to feature as many languages as possible in the doa recital within the limited time available,” he explained.
He added that the prayer took about five minutes, and he practiced repeatedly to ensure a smooth delivery.
Beyond showcasing the uniqueness of Sarawak, Suhaimi emphasised that this initiative conveys the message that Islam transcends ethnicity and language.
“People often misunderstand and think that Islam is only for Malays.
“The truth is, there are Muslims among the Chinese, Iban, and other ethnic groups. When their languages are included in the prayer, they feel appreciated,” he said.
He also shared a memorable experience from a previous event where he recited a prayer in multiple languages, and the Chinese community applauded after he simply said ‘Xie Xie’ (thank you).
“They don’t need to understand the entire prayer, but hearing their language being acknowledged makes them feel happy and valued. That’s what matters,” he said. – DayakDaily
