Turn mosques into places of life-long learning - Ahmad Zahid

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said mosques must be turned into an institution of life-long learning and not a place to fete differences of opinion.

He said, despite ideological and party differences among worshippers, they had to be overcome in a civilised manner.

"Mosques are places of worship, places of unity to glean knowledge, places to be enhanced and not only for prayers," he said in his speech at an Instilling Noble Values During Ramadan programme at Idris Iskandar Shah Jamek Mosque, Sungai Rokam here, Monday night.

During the ceremony, Ahmad Zahid also announced a RM3.5 million allocation to upgrade the mosque. Of the total sum, RM2.5 million was from the federal government and the rest from the state government.

"The upgrading, among others, involves expanding the mosque and installing air-conditioning. It is expected to be completed in 18 months," he said.

According to Ahmad Zahid, the mosque was a familiar place to him as, when he was studying at Sekolah Menengah Agama Izzuddin Shah here from 1966 to 1971, he often performed the Friday prayers there.

Earlier, Ahmad Zahid performed the Isyak and Tarawih prayers with 1,000 other worshippers headed by an imam from Makkah Sheikh Dr Idris Al-Misrafi

Ahmad Zahid, who arrived at 8.35 pm, was accompanied by Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir and Home Ministry secretary general Datuk Seri Alwi Ibrahim.

After the tarawih prayers, he shook hands and mingled with the local worshippers and partook in the feast.

-- BERNAMA