• 2025-07-05 05:05 PM

JERTIH: Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) will establish a gallery named after Nurly Sahirah Azman, one of its students who perished in the East-West Highway accident in Gerik, Perak, last month.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar said the Nurly Sahirah Gallery will be located in the university’s new Institute of Tahfiz and Turath Islami Education (I-Furqan) faculty, expected to be completed by 2027.

“The gallery is a tribute from UPSI to this remarkable student, who, as we know, was found tightly embracing the Quran at the time of her passing.

“With her parents’ consent, we hope to display her handwritten Quran manuscript alongside other copies.

“We believe this can inspire those who memorise the Quran (hafiz and hafizah) to refine their techniques, such as by copying the holy book by hand themselves,“ he told reporters after visiting her family at Kampung Gong Pasir in Kerandang today.

Mohd Na’im said the gallery would also showcase other copies of the Quran and religious texts as reference materials for students and the wider public.

He urged the public, including private sector players, to contribute to a waqf (endowment) fund to further support and strengthen the gallery’s development.

Mohd Na’im also called on the public, especially the younger generation, to draw ‘ibrah’ (moral lessons) from the exemplary character and deep devotion to the Quran shown by the late Nurly Sahirah.

Nurly Sahirah, 23, was one of the 15 UPSI students who died on the morning of June 9 when a chartered bus from Jertih heading to the university’s main campus in Tanjung Malim, Perak, overturned following a collision with a Perodua Alza on the East-West Highway.

The crash injured 33 others, including the bus driver and co-driver, as well as the other vehicle’s driver and three passengers.

Earlier today, Mohd Na’im visited the families of five UPSI students who lost their lives, as well as five others who were injured in the tragic incident.

He presented financial contributions of RM7,500 to each bereaved family and RM4,000 to each injured student.

He explained that the assistance for the families of the deceased comprised RM5,000 from Yayasan Taqwa (Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council – MAIWP), RM1,000 from the Malaysian Islamic Economic Development Foundation (YAPEIM), RM1,100 from the Musa’adah Fund, a collaboration between the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) and the Malaysia Waqf Foundation and RM400 from the Federal Territories Zakat Collection Centre (PPZ-MAIWP).

For the injured students, the contribution included RM2,000 from Yayasan Taqwa (MAIWP), RM1,000 from YAPEIM, RM600 from the Musa’adah Fund (JAKIM-YWM) and RM400 from PPZ-MAIWP.

“For the remaining families and victims whom we could not visit today, insya-Allah, the contributions will be delivered in stages as soon as possible through the relevant agencies,“ he said, adding that each family and victim visited today also received a food basket worth RM150 contributed through the Musa’adah Fund JAKIM. - Bernama