IPOH: The government will continue to strengthen religious schools and pondok schools nationwide, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said that the government remained committed to improving the institutions and would continue providing financial assistance as long as the country’s economy remained strong.
“I give my assurance that, God willing, if our health and the economy remain good, we will continue to elevate and strengthen religious schools and pondok schools throughout the country,” he said when officiating the Perak Pondok and Religious Schools gathering at Sekolah Agama Bantuan Kebajaan Maahad Al-Ummah, Chemor on Sunday (July 19).
Also present were Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad and Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Senator Dr Zulkifli Hasan.
Anwar said that about RM15mil is allocated this year for pondok schools in Perak. He added that he would also seek an audience with the Sultan of Perak to discuss the matter and consider providing further assistance where necessary.
“I will seek the consent of His Royal Highness the Sultan of Perak to visit Madrasah Idrisiah, reminisce about the past and provide whatever assistance is needed,” he said.
Anwar also called on the students to study diligently and prove that religious schools were capable of producing graduates who excelled not only in Islamic studies but also in modern fields.
“Show that sekolah pondok, madrasah and maahad can produce students who are intelligent, resilient and capable, not only in syariah, Arabic and other disciplines, but also in new areas of knowledge.
“In the past, pondok institutions played an important role but eventually lagged behind because changes happened so rapidly and they were unable to keep pace with developments in other fields of knowledge.
"I am proud that the ustaz, teachers and leaders of these institutions are not only preserving Islamic traditions and classical texts but are also embracing new disciplines such as computers, artificial intelligence and other emerging fields,” he said.
Anwar also allocated RM300,000 to the school he was visiting during the event, Sekolah Agama Bantuan Kerajaan Maahad Al-Ummah.
Meanwhile, Zulkifli said that the allocations reflected the government’s commitment to further develop and strengthen religious schools and pondok schools nationwide.
“We will identify the needs of each school and carry out improvements, particularly regarding existing facilities,” he said.
