ISKANDAR PUTERI: The Johor government will set up a committee on inter-religious harmony in an effort to foster and strengthen unity among the people in the state.
Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said a total of RM50,000 had been allocated under the 2023 Johor Budget to coordinate the establishment of the committee.
"This committee will be a platform to discuss and implement programmes aimed at fostering unity among Bangsa Johor," he said when tabling the 2023 State Budget in the State Legislative Assembly here on Thursday (Dec 1).
In order to safeguard the welfare of the Tiong Hua, Indian and other communities, Onn Hafiz said the state government had allocated RM12 million for the purpose of spiritual development.
In addition, he said the state government through the Johor Islamic Religious Department and the Johor Islamic Religious Council (MAIJ) had allocated a total of RM9.4 million for the maintenance and repair of religious school buildings throughout the state.
Onn Hafiz said a total of RM2.7 million had been allocated for the purpose of repairing and maintaining mosques and suraus in addition to an allocation of RM2.3 million for the development and maintenance of Muslim cemeteries in Johor.
He added that the state government aimed at producing 1,200 huffaz from the Kolej Pengajian Islam Johor (MARSAH) and private madrasah with an allocation of RM1.3 million to cover the tuition costs of 200 future huffaz in MARSAH.
Meanwhile, the state government through the Johor Islamic Corporation had allocated RM75,000 under the Tahfiz Intervention Programme and targeted 450 tahfiz students to sit for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) next year. - Bernama
