President Jokowi Agrees to Establish Legal Umbrella for Quran Reading Competition Institute

President meets with national and international Qari/Qariah at the Merdeka Palace, on Monday (12/6)

President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo received national and international Qori (men Quran reciters) and Qoriah (women Quran reciters), as well as Islamic leaders led by Prof. Dr. KH. Said Agil Husin Al Munawar at the Merdeka Palace, on Monday (12/6). On that occasion, Said Agil delivered two points to the President.

“We received the invitation from the Minister to meet with the President of the Republic of Indonesia. There are two points that we have delivered in that meeting. Firstly, regarding the fact that the Quran Reading Competition Institute (LPTQ) was established in 1977, but Quran Reading Contest (MTQ) was held ten years earlier which was in 1968 in Makassar,” Said Agil said after meeting with President Jokowi.

Said Agil added that the LPTQ does not have a legal umbrella, so it faces problems in seeking fund. Let alone, the task of the Institute to organize the Quran Reading Selection (STQ) and Quran Reading Contest (MTQ) nationally and internationally will be harder.

“We hope the President can issue a Presidential Decree (Kepres) or the Presidential Instruction (Inpres), so that there is a legal umbrella. Thus, they can use that legal umbrella to fund the organization of MTQ and STQ,” Said Aqil firmly said.

Another point delivered by Said Agil is regarding the Indonesian Qori/Qoriah and Hafiz/Hafizah  (the one who had memorized the Qur’an) Brotherhood Association (IPQAH) which is the partner of LPTQ.

Also on that occasion, Minister of Religious Affairs Lukman Hakim Saifuddin said that President Jokowi, after listening to the aspiration of the Islamic leaders, appreciated and welcomed their suggestion.

“The President expressed his gratitude as well as his highest appreciation to the LPTQ, and IPQAH. IPQAH is an association where Qori/Qoriah,  Hafiz/Hafizah, who contribute to the guarding of the values of the Quran, gathered,” Lukman said.

Lukman added that the establishment of legal umbrella is an effort to strengthen the legality and create uniformity among the State organizers to provide a sufficient fund.

As a follow-up of the strengthening of LPTQ’s legal umbrella, President Jokowi will soon instruct Cabinet Secretariat to prepare a Presidential Decree.

“This is an effort to reinforce the LPTQ so that the Musabaqoh-Musabaqoh (Quran Reading Contests) could be more vibrant and conducted in a larger scale as an effort to understand the values of Al-Quran”, Lukman added.

For the record, the meeting between President Jokowi and Qori/Qoriah was held in a series of the commemoration of Nuzulul Qur’an which was began with the Quran Reading Contest for Orphans.

The LPTQ is an institute which holds national MTQ every year. At the first organization of MTQ in 1968, there was no institution that sheltered it.

“Finally in 1977, an institution, the LPTQ, was established under the Joint Directive of the Minister of Home Affairs. At the beginning of the institution, there was only one competition, which was tilawah (the art of Quran recitation),” Said Agil said in the meeting.

On that meeting, Said also explained that the LPTQ has adopted the existing pattern in countries in the Middle East and Africa.

“Currently, LPTQ does not only hold tilawah competition, but also other competitions. Quran competition in Indonesia is considered as the most comprehensive one,” Said added.

Accompanying President Jokowi in that event were Presidential Chief of Staff Teten Masduki, and Minister of Religious Affairs Lukman Hakim Saifuddin. (RMI/OJI/EN) (RA/MMB/YM/Naster)