A Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) politician stunned attendees at the party’s convention today with a prayer recital in nine languages.
Suhaimi Mohamad, 37, recited a prayer in Arabic, Malay, English, Iban, Melanau, Bisaya, Lun Bawang, Bidayuh, and Mandarin, reported Dayak Daily.
His efforts drew admiration and applause from attendees hailing from various backgrounds at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK).
Speaking to reporters later, Suhaimi said he took the initiative not only to introduce something unique but also to reflect the linguistic and cultural diversity in Sarawak.
“I have never seen anyone recite a prayer in multiple languages at events like this before.
“Sarawak is home to many ethnic groups and I wanted to feature as many languages as possible in the doa (prayer) recital within the limited time available,” said the PBB Bukit Kota branch deputy youth chief.
‘Islam is beyond ethnicity, language’
Suhaimi added that the prayer took about five minutes, and he practised repeatedly to ensure a smooth delivery.
Apart from highlighting Sarawak’s uniqueness, he emphasised that the initiative conveys the message that Islam transcends ethnicity and language.
“People often misunderstand and think that Islam is only for Malays.
“The truth is, there are Muslims among the Chinese, Iban, and other ethnic groups.
“When their languages are included in the prayer, they feel appreciated,” Suhaimi added.
On the preparatory process, he said he took nearly a month to practice and perfect the pronunciation of all nine languages.
However, he acknowledged that learning Mandarin was challenging but got some help from his friends.
“My tongue had difficulty adapting to Mandarin because the pronunciation and spelling are not the same.
“But I learned from my Chinese friends and local business owners,” he added. - Mkini
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