LUMUT: The basic Fardu Ain and al-Fatihah recitation proficiency test for admission into GiatMara Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions will be expanded to other Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) educational institutions.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the requirement should be supported by parents as it was believed to cultivate disciplined students with strong spiritual values.
"I support the proposal for this condition to be extended not only to GiatMara but also to other institutions like IKM (Mara Skills Institute). In Islam, matters of ‘syahadah’ are not a compulsion but an obligation. It would be ideal if, besides becoming professionals, they also become devout individuals," he said during a press conference after visiting Universiti Kuala Lumpur Malaysian Institute of Marine Engineering Technology (UniKL-MIMET) here on Friday (Jan 24).
On Thursday (Jan 23), the media reported Mara chairman Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki announcing that new students at 232 GiatMara TVET institutions were required to undergo basic Fardu Ain tests, including proficiency in reciting al-Fatihah.
Asyraf was quoted as saying that the test was introduced following concerns over students with weak Islamic foundations.
Meanwhile, Zahid, who is also the Rural and Regional Development Minister, said the requirement did not apply to students of other religions and was not compulsory for them, hence there should be no concerns from non-Muslim parents.
"La iqra hafiddin (there is no compulsion in religion (Islam), Lakum dinukum waliyadin - ‘to you your religion and to me mine’," he said.
Meanwhile, the National TVET Council chairman said that since last year, all Mara Junior Science Colleges had introduced the Ulul Albab programme without sidelining the importance of other subjects.
He said the programme had garnered parental support, producing students with better discipline, heightened spiritual awareness, and quicker learning capabilities. - Bernama
