The ash of materials and texts containing verses of the Holy Quran being released into the South China Sea off Kuching waters during the ceremony.
KUCHING (June 20): A total of 1,802 kilogrammes (kg) of ash materials and texts containing verses of the Holy Quran were released into the South China Sea off Kuching waters today.
The materials, packed into 212 eco-friendly AQ-01 special paper bags, were the result of the purification process carried out at Quran purification centres across Sarawak.
Sarawak Islamic Religious Department (Jais) Quran Unit head Abdul Rahim Rashid said the release was part of a routine programme conducted based on the decision of the Muzakarah of the National Fatwa Committee to preserve the sanctity of damaged Quranic materials in accordance with Islamic rulings.
“This is a Quran ash release programme that is routinely carried out based on the decision of the Muzakarah of the National Fatwa Committee in efforts to preserve the sanctity of the Quranic materials that have been damaged,” he said when met at the ceremony held at Pending Ferry Terminal here.
Abdul Rahim said Sarawak’s method of releasing Quran ash differs from practices in other states as Jais uses specially developed eco-friendly AQ-01 paper bags.
“Other states release the ash directly into the sea or freeze it first. Our method not only complies with Islamic requirements but also takes environmental factors into consideration,” he said.
He added that each bag weighs about 8.5kg and is designed to sink and fully decompose in less than four minutes, ensuring the disposal process is carried out in an orderly, respectful and environmentally friendly manner.
The ash was collected from Quran purification centres at SK Agama Majlis Islam Sarawak (MIS) in Sibu, Masjid Al-Muttaqin Sarikei, An Naim Purification Centre, and Masjid Ikhwanul Islam in Taman Sukma, Kuching.
The large-scale ceremony, the first of its kind in southern Sarawak, was attended by Sarawak Mufti Department director Ahmad Sukarno Saini, Sarawak Coastguard Assistant director Paul Khiu Khon Khiang, Marine Police Force Region 5 Sarawak Head of Intelligence Operations DSP Mohd Noor Mohd Yassin, and Sarawak Ministry of Home Affairs Enforcement and Control Division director Asydidi Hamzah.
The programme was organised by Jais in collaboration with the Sarawak Rivers Board (LSS), Marine Police Force Region 5 Sarawak, Malaysian Fisheries Department Sarawak, Sarawak Enforcement and Security Unit (UKPS), Malaysian Maritime Department Sarawak Region, and Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (APMM) Sarawak Region.
Meanwhile, MIS in a statement said the four Quran purification centres in Sarawak, including the As-Syakirin Quran Purification Centre in Bintulu which has operated since 2016, continue to face constraints in meeting increasing demand.
MIS hopes more parties establish Quran purification centres across Sarawak to ensure the sanctity of Quranic materials continues to be preserved.
