Answer to Oral Question PL256
QUESTION
Yang Berhormat Awang Haji Mohamad Danial @ Tekpin bin Ya'akub
YANG BERHORMAT AWANG HAJI MOHAMAD DANIAL @ TEKPIN BIN YA’AKUB asks the Yang Berhormat Menteri Hal Ehwal Ugama to state what efforts and plans the Ministry has in addressing the issue of the shortage of imams or mosque officers and whether there is any specific programme consistently established to encourage the community, especially youths, to be interested in those positions?
ANSWER
Yang Berhormat Menteri Hal Ehwal Ugama
In addressing the issue of the shortage of imams or mosque officers for mosques throughout the country, several initiatives have been implemented as follows:
- Determining the staffing numbers for mosque officers according to mosque categories as follows:
| No. | Mosque Category | Imam | Bilal | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | National Mosque | • 1 Imam Special Grade B3 • 7 Imam Grade I | - | 8 |
| 2 | Main Mosque | • 1 Imam Special Grade B3 • 1 Imam Grade I • 1 Imam Grade II | • 1 Bilal Grade I • 1 Bilal Grade II | 5 |
| 3 | Mukim Mosque | • 1 Imam Special Grade B3 • 1 Imam Grade I | • 1 Bilal Grade I • 1 Bilal Grade II | 4 |
| 4 | Kampong Mosque | • 1 Imam Grade I • 1 Imam Grade III | • 1 Bilal Grade I | 3 |
| 5 | Surau | • 1 Imam Grade I • 1 Imam Grade III | • 1 Bilal Grade II | 3 |
| 6 | Balai Ibadat | • 1 Imam Grade I • 1 Imam Grade IV | • 1 Bilal Grade II | 3 |
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Implementing the filling of positions in a planned and orderly manner by processing mosque officer positions that will retire within the next 6 months to ensure that vacancies can be filled upon retirement. At present, there are 23 vacant mosque officer positions, all of which are currently being processed to be filled.
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Placing 65 SkiPPA apprentices in the Department of Mosque Affairs to meet the needs of mosque officers throughout the country.
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In addition, the Department of Mosque Affairs' further effort to meet the need for imams and bilal is through the approach of appointing Pelapis Imam and Pelapis Bilal, whether from among the Bilal themselves or the public, especially unemployed graduates in the field of religion.
The Department of Mosque Affairs has organised programmes, courses and workshops for Pelapis Imam and Bilal among congregants and mosque youths as guidance and encouragement for them to become Imams or Bilal.
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