Aid always extended to imam, religious teachers

New Straits Times
05-08-2011
Aid always extended to imam, religious teachers
Edition: New Sunday Times
Section: Main Section

PONTIAN: The government is aware of the welfare and needs of mosque administrators, imam and religious teachers and have taken steps to address them.

"For instance, beginning this year, the monthly allowance for imam was increased from RM450 to RM750 while the allowance for religious teachers was increased to RM800 from RM500," said Datuk Jailani Ngah, political secretary to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, at the opening of the southern region "mosques of excellence" seminar here yesterday.
"We are also looking into increasing the allowance for bilal nationwide."

Some 700 participants from Johor, Malacca and Negri Sembilan attended the seminar.

Jailani also urged mosque administrators to embrace information technology as part of efforts to attract more people, especially the younger generation, to mosques.

"There should be an ICT committee at each mosque. Mosques should provide free Internet access for the community," said Jailani, adding that any announcement on their activities could be made via the Net.

He urged mosque officials to organise more community-based activities, such as sporting events, tuition and bazaars.

"By having these activities, people would go to mosques more often and not go just to perform their daily prayers."

(Copyright 2011)
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