KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 3 (Bernama) -- A total of 92 mosque construction projects involving RM160.82 million in allocations have been approved nationwide from 2023 until June this year, with 54 completed and 16 currently under construction.
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Senator Marhamah Rosli said the remaining 22 projects were at the pre-implementation stage or undergoing the procurement process.
"Approval for the construction of new mosques is based on recommendations and confirmation from state religious authorities, taking into account factors such as the increase and density of the Muslim population in an area, the capacity and distance of existing mosques, suitability of the sites, land status and the state government’s funding commitment," she said in the Dewan Negara today.
She was replying to a question from Senator Mohd Hasbie Muda on the number of new mosques that had been built or were being constructed during the Malaysia MADANI era, and the extent to which their construction met the needs arising from the growing Muslim community.
Marhamah said in line with the decision of the 139th Meeting of Menteri Besar and Chief Ministers on June 28, 2022, the cost of mosque development had been agreed to be jointly borne by the federal and state governments.
In response to a supplementary question from Mohd Hasbie on the role of mosques in reaching out to the homeless, urban poor and low-income groups, she said various welfare initiatives were being carried out through collaboration between the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM), state Islamic religious departments and councils, non-governmental organisations and other relevant parties.
These initiatives included distributing aid to asnaf groups, providing food baskets, community kitchen programmes, emergency financial and education assistance, counselling services, funeral management and temporary shelter facilities.
"Approval for the construction of new mosques is based on recommendations and confirmation from state religious authorities, taking into account factors such as the increase and density of the Muslim population in an area, the capacity and distance of existing mosques, suitability of the sites, land status and the state government’s funding commitment," she said in the Dewan Negara today.
She was replying to a question from Senator Mohd Hasbie Muda on the number of new mosques that had been built or were being constructed during the Malaysia MADANI era, and the extent to which their construction met the needs arising from the growing Muslim community.
Marhamah said in line with the decision of the 139th Meeting of Menteri Besar and Chief Ministers on June 28, 2022, the cost of mosque development had been agreed to be jointly borne by the federal and state governments.
In response to a supplementary question from Mohd Hasbie on the role of mosques in reaching out to the homeless, urban poor and low-income groups, she said various welfare initiatives were being carried out through collaboration between the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM), state Islamic religious departments and councils, non-governmental organisations and other relevant parties.
These initiatives included distributing aid to asnaf groups, providing food baskets, community kitchen programmes, emergency financial and education assistance, counselling services, funeral management and temporary shelter facilities.