BY NUR SHAZREENA ALI ON MARCH 11, 2023,
The atmosphere inside the newly built Ikhwanul Islam mosque, Taman Sukma.
KUCHING (March 11): Inspired by the dome of the Nabawi Mosque in Madinah, the newly-launched Masjid Ikhwanul Islam at Taman Sukma here has officially opened its doors to the public.
According to Deputy Prime Minister Dato Seri Fadillah Yusof, the mosque can accommodate up to 3,000 worshippers at one time.
“This mosque was built to replace the old mosque, which could only accommodate up to 800 worshippers.
“Alhamdulillah (Thank God), with the state government’s contribution of RM8 million, RM5 million from the federal government, endowments as well as corporate and public donations, we are able to be here today in this new mosque,” he said during the opening ceremony of the mosque on Friday night.
Fadillah said the mosque was scheduled for completion within 18 months after it began construction in 2019 but due to the Covid-19 pandemic, construction was delayed.
While describing the mosque as having contemporary interior decoration equipped with modern faciltiies, the Petra Jaya MP said the mosque is also built with a 30-metre tall minaret.
In this regard, he hoped the Muslim community nearby would regularly organise religious activities aside from congregational prayers.
“The mosque has been built – the challenge now is how we want to continue to prosper the mosque and maintain the number of worshippers in the mosque.
“If you see, it is built with the concept of ‘Nur’, which means light. During the day, you can see the sunlight coming through the window. So, I hope this mosque will be the light to enlighten the Muslims here,” he said.
Fadillah hits the ‘bedok’ (drum) as a gimmick to launch the opening of the new mosque.
When asked if there were any plans for the previous mosque, Fadillah said he personally wants it redeveloped as an Islamic studies centre.
“However, this is subject to the state government’s approval. If approved, we will demolish, rebuild and turn it into an Islamic Studies Centre that includes a madrasah, accommodation for imams, ustaz and guest speakers and turn it into a place to gain knowledge.