Photo: Berita Harian
Remember learning about sekolah pondok in History lessons? The religious schools, which provided an Islam-centric education, will be turned into tourist spots.
According to Free Malaysia Today, Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Mohamaddin Ketapi said a study is being conducted to select the suitable schools for that purpose. He added that these schools should think about renting out rooms or homes for visitors to stay in, making the offer more attractive.
It was stated that the reason behind the decision is to strengthen Malaysia’s image in the eyes of the Islamic tourism market.
Photo: 123RF.com
Mohamaddin also said that five mosques including Masjid Negara, Masjid Putra and Masjid Selat Melaka were already well-recognised on Trip Advisor as tourist destinations and will be fiercely promoted to further encourage visits. Honestly, the stunning architecture of the mosques do make it worth a visit!
Islamic Tourism Centre (ITC) director-general Abdul Khani Daud shared his thoughts on the matter as well, saying that the potential for it was pretty high given our country has plenty of mosques.
At the moment, the ITC and JAKIM are coming up with guidelines for mosques to receive tourists. This is an effort to motivate more religious centres to welcome non-Muslims.
Sounds like a pretty great way to share culture and religion to us!
By: Celestine Foo
