Sultan Iskandar Mosque is nation’s first tourism-friendly mosque

Landmark place of worship: Sultan Iskandar Mosque, which was built in 2013 and can accommodate 4,600 worshippers, is the sixth and biggest mosque under Waqaf An-Nur Corporation. — Bernama

JOHOR BARU: The Sultan Iskandar Mosque in Bandar Dato’ Onn has been declared Malaysia’s first tourism-friendly mosque following a Malaysia Tourism Quality Assurance (MyTQA) certificate given to it by the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry.

Datuk Kamaruzzaman Abu Kassim, who is Johor Corporation (JCorp) outgoing president and chief executive, as well as Waqaf An-Nur Corporation Bhd chairman, said it was JCorp’s core mission to promote a better understanding of Islam and also its aesthetic aspect through the mosque.

“We hope to attract 40,000 visitors to the mosque for Visit Johor Year 2020, ” he said at the proclamation ceremony cum Mutiara JCorp’s book launch of Warkah Untuk Ibu

(A Letter to Mother) and Setelah Nafas Terhenti (When Life Ends).

Mutiara JCorp is a women and wives of employees’ charitable services club.

JCorp acting president and chief executive Bukhari Abdul Rahman, Mutiara JCorp chairwoman Datin Noor Laila Yahaya, and the ministry’s industry development unit chief Zalina Misdi were also present.

Kamaruzzaman said in addition to having mosque employees play a tour guide role to provide insight on Islam, there are also the Galeri An-Nur and a theatre as well.

He also said that a mosque with a capacity for 750 worshippers would soon be built over a car park between Komtar and Menara Johor Land.

“The preliminary cost estimate is RM10mil and the project may take two to three years to complete, ” he said.

Sultan Iskandar Mosque, which was built in 2013 and can accommodate 4,600 worshippers, is the sixth and biggest mosque under Waqaf An-Nur Corporation. — Bernama