Kuala terengganu: The Terengganu Federal Development Department (JPP) has dedicated RM26.7 million since 2023 to the development and enhancement of mosques throughout the region. This initiative is aimed at constructing new mosques and upgrading existing ones to better serve local communities.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the director of JPP, Datuk Abdul Kahar Abdul Latif, revealed that the financial allocation, provided by the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) of the Prime Minister's Department, encompasses work on 137 mosques. Among these projects are the new mosques in Kampung Apal, Besut, and Kampung Langgar, Hulu Terengganu, which are currently under construction. The Kampung Apal Mosque is projected to be completed and handed over by the end of this year, whereas the Kampung Langgar Mosque is expected to be finished by mid-2026.

The announcement was made during the handover ceremony of the Kerteh Jamek Mosque Upgrading Project, where Terengganu Religious Affairs Department Assistant Commissioner (Development) Afnan Abdullah was also in attendance. Abdul Kahar emphasized that the mosque construction and upgrades are designed to provide comfortable and well-equipped facilities for worship, aligning with the MADANI Malaysia vision introduced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. This vision seeks to enhance mosques' roles as centers of knowledge and integrated community hubs.

Abdul Kahar further explained that the Kerteh Jamek Mosque upgrade, which started on April 22 of the previous year and concluded on November 6, involved a budget of RM1.73 million. The upgrades included expanding the prayer hall to accommodate 600 worshippers, raising the mosque's total capacity to 1,500. Additionally, improvements were made to toilets and other facilities, along with the construction of four new residential quarters for imams and bilals. This project was undertaken to support the needs of a growing population and an increasingly active local community.