By Asmahanim Amir
Pix Abd Raai Osman, Shahiddan Saidi, Izwan Azman

BANGI, 28 Jan 2016 – The National University of Malaysia (UKM) has launched an   Islamic Knowledge Development and Expansion Research Fund to elevate the role of the UKM Islamic Centre on the international stage.

Vice-Chancellor, Prof Datuk Dr Noor Azlan Ghazali said the endowment is aimed at enhancing the role of the UKM Islamic Centre comparable to that of the Oxford Islamic Centre as an international reference centre.

“I hope the research is not limited to revealed knowledge only but also involves    Akliah (physical or acquired) knowledge and related fields in order to enhance the role of the mosque and Islamic Centre in the community,” he said in his speech at the Maulidur Rasul or Prophet’s Birthday Celebration here yesterday.

He said the research covers all the fields and faculties at UKM including medicine,  which can give ideas and expertise to human development through the Islamic Centre as a platform.

“We want to empower the Islamic Centre. The Islamic Centre is not only to perform  Majlis korban (sacrificial rituals), managing charity drives and religious-related activities on campus, but the Islamic Centre should also be a centre that is scholarly,” he said.

Prof Noor Azlan said in that context, he wants faculties at UKM such as Faculty of Law to review legal knowledge in the context of Islam, Faculty of Science and Technology to revise the sciences based on the religion of Allah.

“Hopefully, the results will give an effective impact on UKM, society and the nation,” he said.

In his address, he also reminded UKM staff to give new impetus to the Maulidur Rasul celebration in order to forge ahead.

“It is our intention that when we do something with full faith, piety, conformity to God and obedience to the Prophet, InsyaAllah, we will not be deflected,” he said.

At the ceremony, Prof Noor Azlan also presented prizes to the winners of the Al-Quran recitation contest, Calligraphy competition, literary summaries and the best  Maulidur Rasul Procession group

For the Maulidur Rasul Procession, thetop prize wento to the Registrar Department,  second place to the Faculty of Science and Technology and third was Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities.