Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg officiated the new Darul Khairat Mosque in Bakam after  performing Tarawih prayers last night.

The new Dairul Khairat Mosque is its second construction and was built to cater for the growing Muslim population in the Bakam area.

Its first construction was on one-acre of land and cost RM80,000 but in 2018, the state government approved a RM6.74 million project to rebuild the mosque, with the funding coming from the state government as well as through wakaf and infaq of the mosque congregation.

The mosque was upgraded from time to time, and now sits on 3.4 acres of land, and can accommodate up to 1,150 people at any one time.

The first mosque for Kampung Bakam was built in 1930 but as the population of the village grew, another mosque, the Ikhwanul Mukminin Mosque, was built in 1977.

On August 19, 1992, the old Darul Khairat Mosque was built along the coastal area and catered for residents from nearby villages such as Kampung Raan, Kampung Pusil, Kampung Siwak Jaya, Kampung Bakam and Kampung Nelayan Kuala Bakam.

Abang Johari (third left) handing over the RM250,000 allocation for mosques and suraus in Bakam to Ripin.

At the same ceremony, Abang Johari also presented a government grant totalling RM250,000 for mosques and suraus in the Lambir constituency to Lambir assemblyman and Deputy Minister of Youth, Sports and Entrepreneur Development Dr Ripin Lamat.

Among those present at the officiating ceremony were Minister of Transport, Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin; Deputy Minister of Utility and Telecommunication Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi; Deputy Women, Childhood and Community Well-being Development, Datuk Rosey Yunus; Deputy Minister of Education, Innovation and Talent Development, Dr Annuar Rapa’ee; Deputy Minister of Community Well-being Development Mohamad Razi Sitam; Sibuti MP Lukanisman Awang Sauni; chairman of Sarawak Islamic Council, Datu Misnu Taha and Baitulmal Sarawak general manager Datu Shibli Abang Mohd Nailie.

Also present were Miri Resident, Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusuf; chairman of Lembaga Amanah Kebajikan Islam Bakam, Julani Mokhtar as well as chairman of Darul  Khairat Mosque Bakam, Mokhtar Ree.

Source:
courtesy of THE BORNEO POST

by JACQUELINE RAPHAEL

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