Kota Kinabalu: The Federal Government has allocated RM1.525 million to five tahfiz institutions in Sabah to support their development and strengthen operations.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced the allocation on Sunday during a breaking of fast event at Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), naming the beneficiaries as Pondok Pesantren Nurul Ihsan Sandakan, Sekolah Pondok Miftahussalam Sandakan, Pondok Al-Hasyimi Al-Qadri Kudat, Pusat Pengajian Tahfiz Al Quran Babussalam Matunggong in Kudat, and Pondok Fii Dzilalil Quran Kota Belud.
Anwar said the funds would be used to upgrade infrastructure and introduce digital education and artificial intelligence at the institutions.
He highlighted that tahfiz enrolment nationwide had reached about 400,000 students, emphasizing the role of these institutions in shaping character and religious values among youth.
He also noted that financial assistance to community religious schools had been cut in 2003, making the current allocation a reversal of that policy.
Anwar stressed that the government would not interfere with the curriculum or teaching methods of tahfiz institutions, including Quran memorisation or traditional religious texts.
However, he added that students should also acquire certain educational fundamentals, such as proficiency in Malay and knowledge of national history, to understand the foundations of nation-building and national identity.
