BERNAMA – The Malaysian Home Ministry anticipates collecting 150,000 damaged copies of Al-Quran from the flood-affected states of Kelantan, Terengganu, and Kedah for proper disposal in accordance with Islamic law.
Its Enforcement and Control Division secretary, Nik Yusaimi Yussof, said 55,000 damaged copies have already been collected and will be handled with due respect as prescribed by Islamic tradition.
The initiative, part of the Jom Exchange al-Quran (JEQ) programme, is being carried out in collaboration with the Kelantan Islamic Affairs Department (JAHEAIK), the State Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (MAIK) and local authorities.
Launched on December 4, the programme is expected to run until the end of the Northeast Monsoon. Collection centres have been established in flood-affected areas such as Tumpat, Pasir Puteh, and Bachok, facilitating the community’s participation in the initiative.
“To date, 25,000 damaged Al-Quran have been collected in Kelantan alone,” he told reporters at a Jom Exchange Al-Quran programme at Taman Maka Utama Mosque yesterday.
Nik Yusaimi said the damaged Al-Quran are being disposed of through methods that comply with Islamic law, including drying and converting the paper into ash or removing the ink for recycling. In return, affected communities are being provided with new
Al-Quran, certified by the KDN, at no cost. However, he expressed concern over improper disposal practices, such as sending
Al-Quran to recycling centres. He urged the public to refrain from this and to cooperate with recycling centres to ensure that Al-Quran are treated with the appropriate reverence.