The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj, today officiated at the renaming of Masjid Jamek Kuala Lumpur as Masjid Jamek Sultan Abdul Samad.

His Royal Highness arrived at this oldest mosque in the capital city at 12.45 pm and was welcomed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Also present were Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom and Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali.

Tengku Adnan said in a statement that it was the desire of the sultan to rename the mosque that was built in 1909 and had become an iconic building in the federal capital because the mosque was on a site that was originally a part of Selangor.

He also said that it was an initiative to preserve one of the nation's treasures that had developed into a national tourism icon.

The sultan, joined by Najib and other worshippers, performed the Friday prayers which were led by Jamil Khir.

In his sermon, Jamil Khir said the mosque, located in Jalan Tun Perak at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers, was opened during the reign of the fifth sultan of Selangor, the late Sultan Ala''eddin Suleiman Shah.

He said this reflected the emphasis the Malay rulers placed on the development of Islam, particularly the construction of mosques.

He said the mosque enhanced the status of Kuala Lumpur as the capital of Selangor then and became a landmark for the growth of Islam.

"This is among the strong evidence that economic growth and prosperity are closely linked to the construction of mosques," he said.

Jamil Khir said records showed that the mosque was the oldest in Kuala Lumpur and became the main mosque for Friday prayers and Islamic activities before the National Mosque was built in 1967.

He also said that the mosque was built in nine months at a cost of RM32,615 with funds from the government and donations from worshippers.

-- BERNAMA