CAIRO: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said additional scholarships for outstanding Malaysian students in medicine, engineering, and technology at Al-Azhar University was one of three key agreements reached with Sheikh Al-Azhar, Prof. Dr. Ahmad Muhammad Ahmad At-Tayyeb, during their meeting yesterday.
The prime minister said during the discussion, the university also agreed to establish a programme in Islamic Sciences (Ulum Islamiah) at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) in collaboration with the Al-Azhar Institute of Arabic Language and the Higher Education Ministry, which will begin in the upcoming semester.
Anwar also noted that an agreement was made in response to Sheikh Al-Azhar's invitation to establish a *Majlis Hukama' al Muslimin* (Council of Muslim Scholars) under his leadership in Kuala Lumpur, which will include Malaysian representatives, including a female member.
"This afternoon, I met with Sheikh Al-Azhar at his office at Al-Azhar University to discuss various issues, particularly those related to education. I expressed my appreciation for the university's efforts and role in assisting Malaysian students," said Anwar.
He also mentioned that Malaysia and Al-Azhar University need to continue enhancing cooperation in the Asean region, particularly in technology and knowledge dissemination.
During the meeting, Al-Azhar University confirmed it would offer scholarships to Malaysian students excelling in medicine, engineering, and technology.
The discussions also touched upon a memorandum of understanding (MoU) related to the collaboration with USIM.
In his public lecture to over 1,500 staff and students at Al-Azhar, Anwar urged students to equip themselves with religious knowledge, alongside expertise in technology, to integrate Islamic values with digital advancements like artificial intelligence (AI).
He added that to strengthen Islamic understanding, the government has made it compulsory for all Muslim students to read 40 Hadiths of Imam Nawawi with translations, a first for the country.
"Additionally, we will reinstate support for religious schools nationwide, which was abolished in 2003 by the previous government," he said.
Meanwhile, during his visit to Wisma Seri Mutiara, the dormitory for Penang students studying at Al-Azhar, Anwar advised them to uphold the reputation of their country and pursue their studies diligently.
"I had the opportunity to meet Penang students here and reminded them to maintain the good name of Malaysia and study with determination," he said.
He also witnessed the handover of RM780,000 in funds from the Penang Islamic Religious Council to the Malaysian Embassy in Cairo for improvements and maintenance of the old Wisma Seri Pinang dormitory, located next to the new building.