| Hakim Hayat |
HIS Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office officiated the final rounds of the National Al-Quran Reading Competition for Adults 1440 Hijrah yesterday evening.
His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Malik was also present at the event held at the International Convention Centre (ICC), Berakas.
Their Royal Highnesses were greeted by Minister of Religious Affairs Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman with the rest of the executive committee members.
Twelve Qaris and Qariahs will be competing in the three-day annual competition that concludes tomorrow.
The Minister of Religious Affairs in his speech said that slight changes were made in this year’s edition, where the competition began in the district and mosque levels and only those who attained at least 80 per cent in score qualified to enter the semi-finals.
He shared that 56 were eligible in the semi-finals including 10 participants selected from the finalists of last year’s competition and the champion Qari and Qariah from last year’s competition. They were later narrowed down in the semi-finals held in January.
The minister said one of the finalists was a participant of the Young Qari and Qariah Course organised by the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA). He said the course was incepted in 2015 to enhance the quality of Al-Quran reading in the country. One of them was a finalist in the Southeast Asian Youth Al-Quran Reading Competition in 2017.
The event last night saw performances by finalists Qaris Mohammad bin Ali and Haji Awang Muhd Fikri bin Haji Awang Metussin and Qariahs Dayangku Siti Ummi Syazana binti Pengiran Haji Marjuki and Siti Zahrina binti Abdul Wahab.
The event was also further enlivened with a nasyid performance Learn the Al-Quran from the Sautul Barakah Nasyid Group that comprised youth involved in religious programmes by MoRA and a recitation of the Sayyidul Istighfar led by students from Institut Tahfiz Al-Quran Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah.
The contest, which carries the theme ‘Empowering Al-Quran Learning’ this year, will continue tonight with the recitation from the remaining four Qaris and four Qariahs, to determine the champion Qari and Qariah that will be announced tomorrow evening.