SHAH ALAM, Feb 1 — Malaysia has been recognised as one of the top five countries actively involved in the global Wakaf Quran programme, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.
As patron of the national Wakaf Quran programme, Zahid attributed this recognition to efforts led by Yayasan Restu and state Islamic Religious Councils, which have contributed more than 100,000 copies of the Quran to other nations including Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, China and South Africa.
In Malaysia, over 500,000 copies have been endowed via various institutions and organisations since 2007, with the goal of providing Quran copies to underprivileged communities.
“This shows Malaysia is not only committed to strengthening wakaf Quran locally, but also plays a key role in promoting and distributing the holy book on a global scale,” he said.
He said this when launching the 13th National Wakaf Quran programme in conjunction with the Restu International Quran Arts Festival 2025 at the Selangor International Islamic Arts Complex here yesterday.
Zahid said as a progressive Islamic country, Malaysia has great potential to become the largest Quran printing and distribution hub in Asean.
“With the presence of the Nasyrul Quran Complex in Putrajaya, Malaysia now has world-class facilities capable of printing millions of Quran copies annually.
“Let us all work together towards this mission. With determination and commitment, we can establish Malaysia as a model nation in strengthening wakaf institutions and Islamic education,” he said.
Zahid also noted that the government, through the Islamic Development Department and state Islamic Religious Councils, allocates over RM50 million annually for Islamic education wakaf programmes, including wakaf Quran.
He also praised Yayasan Restu’s initiative of introducing an electronic payment system for wakaf Quran, calling it a significant digital innovation that simplifies and expands access to wakaf contributions.
— Bernama