Zulkifli: Send qualified mualaf students for further study in the Middle East

KUALA LUMPUR, July 15 – The Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department (JAWI) and Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) should consider qualified mualaf from new convert classes for enrolment in Middle Eastern universities like the Islamic University of Madinah, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (religious affairs), Datuk Dr Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri.

“If they meet all the requirements, I wouldn’t hesitate to nominate them for enrolment at the University of Madinah,” he said, while adding that Muslim converts have proved themselves to be high-calibre preachers.

Athough just certificate-holders, the mualaf can be enrolled in JAWI and MAIWP learning institutions before they are sent to the Middle East to enhance their Islamic knowledge, he said at a press conference after officiating at an appreciation ceremony for the new convert class session of 2019/20 at Dewan Seminar Saidina Abu Bakar, Kompleks Darul Hidayah today. 

Earlier, 61 outstanding mualaf students from a group of 200 advanced stage course certificate recipients were celebrated at the JAWI ceremony.

Datuk Zukilfi, a University of Madinah Syariah degree-holder, said: “We have the Pondok Moden al-Abaqirah MAIWP (a madrasah), Sekolah Menengah Integrasi Sains Tahfiz (SMISTA) and several other types of schools that only require a Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) certificate and basic Arabic.

“Efforts to ensure the mualaf are not left behind should be continued by JAWI and MAIWP,” he said.

This year, MAIWP was allocated RM2.9 million by JAWI for mualaf welfare and education programmes at Kompleks Darul Hidayah in Sentul.

-- BERNAMA