Sabah religious authority joins hands with Al-Azhar University to fill Islamic Library with reference materials

KOTA KINABALU - With the Sabah Islamic Library opening soon, Sabah Islamic Affairs Department (JHEAINS) and the Al-Azhar University are working together to acquire copies of theses to be used as reference for the library.

The state’s Special Tasks Minister Datuk Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif said, at the moment, a huge portion of Islamic reading materials which will be placed at the library are already available.

“The materials are here, but there are just a couple of modifications that we need to do, including the calligraphic gallery to exhibit all the best calligraphy masterpieces at the Asean level.

"In the meantime, the upper floor of the library will be used as a book collection area for reading materials related to literature that can be used as reference as well as books written by famous scholars, besides working with the Al-Azhar University to get doctoral thesis," he said.

He was speaking to reporters at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC), here, today.

Commenting further on the library, he said it will be fully operational in April.

“Insya-ALLAH, we will execute the launch this year because we already have the materials, except for those that needed to be imported.

“It (library) is expected to open in Ramadhan,”he said.

Meanwhile, asked to comment on the development of the Kota Kinabalu Syariah Court, he said he hoped that the transfer process would be completed within the next two months.

He said the building was ready, but the moving process was still ongoing.

"I hope in a month or two, it will start operating," he said.