Ministry of Religious Affairs Finalises Preparations for National MTQ in Semarang

The Ministry of Religious Affairs, together with the Central Java Provincial Government, is continuing to finalise preparations for the 31st National Musabaqah Tilawatil Quran (MTQ), which will be held in Semarang in September 2026. “We hope the National MTQ in Central Java can proceed well, with success in organisation, achievement, administration, and all aspects of its implementation,” said the Director General of Islamic Community Guidance at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Abu Rokhmad, on Monday. Abu stated that the National MTQ is not merely a competition, but also a momentum to strengthen the propagation of the Quran and foster public love for the values of the holy book. In line with the direction of Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar, Abu said the MTQ must be a means to build a Quranic generation and actualise the values of the Quran in daily life. “This National MTQ is a competition that is carried out truly objectively. Even in the recitation category, the general public can assess and feel the quality of the participants’ performances,” he said. Regarding participant development, Abu Rokhmad requested that the training centre (TC) be conducted more intensively and continuously, accompanied by regular health monitoring of the participants. “If possible, the training centre should be conducted more intensively. Participants’ health must also be monitored properly. The key is continuous and sustainable training,” he said. He also invited all parties to view the MTQ like a major competition that requires a mature strategy and careful mapping of participants’ potential. “I have repeatedly said that we must be sharp and see this MTQ like the World Cup. Coaches must be able to see which categories have the potential to yield medals. From now on, there must be realistic targets to achieve,” he said. Meanwhile, the Head of the Sub-directorate of Tilawah Institutions and MTQ at the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Rijal Ahmad Rangkuty, stressed the importance of synchronisation between the central and regional committees, especially in aligning the duties of registrars and masters of ceremony (MC). “The registrar has a crucial role in ensuring the conformity between the participant performing and their sequence number. Therefore, we will synchronise the central and provincial committees through a special coordination meeting between registrars and MCs,” said Rijal. Furthermore, he asked the committee to ensure optimal guest services, liaison officer (LO) assistance, and venue readiness. According to him, all parties need to learn from the experience of previous MTQ events so that various obstacles can be anticipated early on.