Batam to get first Koranic Center

BATAM, Riau: Minister of Religious Affairs Said Aqil Hussein Al-Munawwar inaugurated the Rp 3.3 billion (US$400,000) Batam Koranic Center project in Sekupang, Batam, on Wednesday.

The center, standing on a 4,000 square-meter plot of land, will be able to accommodate up to 160 students, who will recite and memorize the Koran. It will also be equipped with a language laboratory.

Construction is scheduled to be completed in August.

The center would be the pride of Indonesia as it would be the first center of its kind in the country, Said said.

"We hope the Koranic Center will be useful for neighboring countries like Singapore and Malaysia. We will pay serious attention to its development," he said.

During the event, the minister donated Rp 100 million for initial funding and would allocate a further Rp 1 billion for the second stage, he said,

Other funding came from the Batam municipal administration, the Batam Authority Board and the Indonesian Pilgrims Association. --JP