Kota Kinabalu: Tahfiz institutions in Sabah are being encouraged to engage in modern agriculture, particularly through the “Greenhouse” concept, to generate additional income for their institutions.
Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry of Sabah, Datuk Ruslan Muharam, said through this initiative, the institutions will not only produce Hafiz and Hafiza (Quran memorisers) but also successful Muslim entrepreneurs in the future.
He said exposure to agriculture can provide students with opportunities for recreational activities while enhancing their life skills, noting that many tahfiz institutions in Sabah have land, particularly waqf (endowment) land, which, although not very large, has the potential to be developed for modern agricultural activities.
“With the large number of students in tahfiz institutions, the available land can be utilised for agricultural activities that add value to the institutions. At the same time, this programme will give tahfiz students the opportunity to learn two fields of knowledge simultaneously: Quranic studies and modern agricultural knowledge.
“Eventually, they can produce agricultural products with strong potential, thereby generating income for the tahfiz institutions,” he said when met after launching the Tahfiz Agriculture Module and attending a breaking-of-fast event organised by the Sabah Islamic Education Development Organisation (PISA) here.
Also present were PISA Chairman Ustaz Mohd Anuar Ali, Malaysian Ulama Association Sabah Branch representative Dr Zainuddin Md Rasip and Malaysian Muslim Cooperative Sabah Branch representative Dr Surail Abd Kahar.
Ruslan said the effort aligns with the State Government’s direction to strengthen the agricultural sector as one of the economic drivers of Sabah.
He added that the ministry provides assistance to parties, particularly tahfiz institutions and madrasahs, interested in undertaking modern agriculture through the establishment of Greenhouses.
He mentioned that the cost of building a greenhouse is estimated between RM300,000 and RM500,000, depending on the size of the area and the technology facilities used.
He explained that modern technologies such as hydroponic systems and automated smart-control technology enable crops to be managed more efficiently.
“It is appropriate for all Maahad Tahfiz to seize this opportunity because with this technology, watering, fertilising, and monitoring crops can be carried out automatically using digital systems,” he said.
Meanwhile, PISA Chairman Anuar said the organisation has implemented a pilot project for the Smart Agriculture Module involving three tahfiz institutions under its organisation.
He said the first institution, Tahfiz Kampung Binsulok, is actively planting pandan coconuts and Harumanis mango, while the second, located in Ranau, is cultivating rambutan and Harumanis mango.
“The third pilot project is a tahfiz in Kota Belud, which focuses on durian cultivation and freshwater fish pond farming, covering an area of about 14 acres for all three tahfiz institutions.
Therefore, we will further expand the Tahfiz Agriculture Module based on modern agriculture to all tahfiz institutions in Sabah to ensure these institutions can continue to be self-reliant,” he said.
