Bandar Seri Begawan - The completion of reciting the Al-Quran 42 times and a special talk by the State Mufti was delivered yesterday at Omar All Saifuddien Mosque in the heart of the capital.

This was to celebrate the capital's 42nd anniversary of the changing of the name Bandar Brunei to Bandar Seri Begawan, organised by the BSB Municipal Department.

Present as guest of honour was Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Hj Awg Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Hj Awg Othman.

Also present were students from Seri Begawan Religious Teachers University College, who also took part in enlivening the ceremony.

The purpose of the Khatam Al-Quran ceremony was to get blessings from Allah the Almighty.

This initiative was a manifestation of the love of the Qur'an, and more significant was that the event took place in the middle of the capital's city centre, where it is commonly busy with worldly affairs.

This initiative was also to expand ongoing efforts to provide the Islamic character of the capital with good and beautiful images, even more so in accordance with its nature as a Malay Islamic Monarchy and a Zikir Nation.

The event began with the mass recitation of the Khatam Al-Quran 42 times, lead by Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Hj Awg Badaruddin, the Minister of Home Affairs.

At yesterday's event, not only officers and staff of the Ministry of Home Affairs and the departments under it were involved, but it also saw the involvement of the BSB Municipal Board members, village consultative councils, villagers around the Bandar Seri Begawan area, and students from the Institut Tahfiz Al-Quran Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah.

Also present were Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Hj Awg Halbi bin Hj Mohd Yussof, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, members of the Legislative Council, permanent secretaries, deputy permanent secretaries, directors, heads of department, senior officers and staff under the ministry.

--Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin