VISIT TO PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA
PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA 27th March 2010 - The city is 1,100 kilometres form Kuala Lumpur and takes one and a half hours flight. The Secretary General of RISEAP and his officer visited the city and was able to meet some of the local Muslim leaders. On arrival, Senator Ahmad Marawan was kind enough to receive them at the airport provide transport and other facilities while their stay in the country. Ustaz Salleh Musa acted as the local liaison officer and he is also acts as RISEAP’s volunteer to do dakwah in Cambodia.
There are about 500,000 Muslim Champs residing in Cambodia. Most of the Muslims are Sunni (shafies). The Secretary General have the opportunity to meet the mufti Hj. Kamarudin Yusof on Sunday, 28th March 2010, at his residence. The mufti of Cambodia is appointed by the King and he is (mufti) responsible of the Muslim affairs and welfare of the country.
In the whole of Cambodia there is only one Islamic kindergarten with 90 children with five full-time teachers with a monthly salary US$60-65 each. The main emphases were Arabic language, Iqraq, Mathematics and Khmer language. Each student needs to pay US$5 per month with breakfast included. In order to ease the financial burden of the school, the students are encouraged to fast two days for each month. This means that the children would not have their breakfasts that saves some expense for the kintergarten. This also mean that the students need no pay the cost of the breakasft for two days each month.
Ustaz Salleh helped to run the centre together with wife (Ust. Asmah) and children. He was a graduate from University Al-Azhar with a degree in Arabic literature. He obtained his Diploma in Arabic Language from University Imam Mohamad Bin Saud, Riyahd. The physical conditions of the classrooms were quite decent and indeed much more could be done to improve the learning environments of the children. Incidentally, there are about 20 Cambodian Muslim students studying at the International Islamic University, Kuala Lumpur. Of course, there are also Cambodian Muslim students studying in the Middle-East’s universities and colleges as well. God willing, when they come back to Cambodia, they can contribute to the well-being of the umah. RISEAP with the cooperation of Senator Ahmad Marawan will organised a Youth and Leadership camp In Phnom Penh this year. RISEAP will send its officers to conduct the program.
