| Nazrin Asyraf & Wani Roslan |
THE Bandar Seri Begawan Municipal Department in collaboration with the Brunei-Muara District Office, Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) yesterday organised the 46-times Khatam Al-Quran to commemorate the 46th anniversary of the renaming of Bandar Brunei as Bandar Seri Begawan and Ma’al Hijrah 1438 at Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Mosque in the capital.
The guest of honour was Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong, Minister of Home Affairs.
The ceremony gathered about 1,486 attendees comprising government employees, senior officials, students from higher education institutions, penghulus, village heads and private sector employees. The purpose of the event was to collectively seek blessings from Allah the Almighty.
The ceremony was also organised to promote and strengthen Islam in Bandar Seri Begawan through positive representation of Islam. It was also intended to help fulfil Brunei’s vision of being a Zikir Nation.
The ceremony began with a mass recitation of Surah Al-Fatihah led by the guest of honour, followed by the reading of Takhtim and Doa Khatam by Mudim Haji Amran bin Haji Md Salleh and continued with the recitation of Doa Kesyukuran in conjunction with the 46th anniversary of renaming Bandar Brunei to Bandar Seri Begawan by Begawan Pehin Khatib Dato Paduka Awang Haji Hamidon bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Awang Haji Abdul Hamid.
Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong, Minister of Home Affairs, reciting verses from Al-Quran during the Khatam Al-Quran ceremony.
The Khatam Al-Quran ceremony in progress. – PHOTOS: DEAN KASIM
The ceremony also saw the celebration of Ma’al Hijrah 1438 for MoHA and its departments, which had a special religious lecture delivered by Ustaz Isham bin Ismail, an invited speaker from Islamic Da’wah Centre.
Also in attendance were permanent and deputy permanent secretaries of the ministry, heads of departments, penghulus, village heads, members of the Mukim and Village Consultative Council, senior officials, officers and staff members of the ministry and its departments.
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