BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

AK MUHAMMAD Adibul Amin Pg Hj Marjuki retained his championship title with his win in the male category of the National Musabaqah Al-Quran Reading Competition for Adults at the International Convention Centre (ICC) last night.

Winning the championship title in the female category of this year’s national Quran reading competition was Hjh Siti Noor Dzuhairah Hj Awang Damit, who last held the title 10 years ago. This year’s win is the fourth championship title win for Hjh Siti Noor Dzuhairah.

In an interview with The Brunei Times yesterday, Ak Muhd Adibul Amin said that the knowledge of the Quran “will always be practiced in our everyday life, whether it is for professional purposes or not”.

“We are always encouraged to pursue and improve such knowledge continuously by studying and at the same time, teaching and learning from others,” he added.

Ak Muhd Adibul Amin also advised those who aspired to become the next national champion to find top-calibre teachers and practice what is being taught consistently as the knowledge gained will last for a lifetime.

This year’s female champion, Hjh Siti Noor Dzuhairah who works as an Al-Quran teacher in a religious school, was very encouraging towards aspiring Qari and Qariah.

When interviewed, her advice for them was to not only find reliable teachers, but also to do their best in improving their recitals especially in their Tajwid (pronunciation). 

She said that they should also look into joining national level competitions to hone their skills and learn to be comfortable while performing live in front of an audience as this would help them achieve their goals further.

The closing ceremony yesterday also saw the awarding of second and third place winners in both male and female categories.

Second place in the male category went to Hj Mahrof Hj Chuchu followed by Ak Muhammad Amirul Aiman in third, while the female category second place went to Siti Huzaimah Yadey Hj Rosli and Norezah Hj Md Deli in third.

His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam who graced the closing ceremony with his presence yesterday, consented to award prizes and certificates to the winners, panel of judges and invited professional readers.

Accompanying His Majesty yesterday was His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, His Royal Highness Prince Haji Jefri Bolkiah, His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Malik and His Royal Highness Prince ‘Abdul Wakeel.

Also in attendance were cabinet ministers and other high ranking senior government officials.

The Brunei Times