Orang Asli Receives Perak Maal Hijrah Special Award

IPOH, June 17 (Bernama) -- What began as curiosity over a melody heard in a surau of a boarding school eventually became a life-changing journey for 25-year-old Orang Asli Osman Hamzah, culminating in his memorisation of all 30 juzuk of the Quran and recognition with the Special Award at this year’s Perak State Maal Hijrah celebration.

Osman, from the Temiar tribe, recalled that his interest in Islam began during his time at school when he heard Quranic recitation being played through the surau’s audio system.

At the time, unfamiliar with Islam and the Quran, he initially thought the recitation was a song and became curious about its meaning and origin.

“I didn’t know it was a Quranic verse. I only heard it as a beautiful melody and wondered what song it was and who was singing it. That curiosity led me to ask my Muslim friends and ustaz about it and eventually helped me understand Islam better before embracing the religion.

“From there, I started studying the Quran more deeply and began memorising it while attending tahfiz classes until I completed memorising all 30 juzuk at the age of 23 while studying at Darul Quran,” he said when met at the Perak State-Level Maal Hijrah 1448 celebration at Casuarina Convention Hall, Meru Raya, last night.

Osman said his interest in Islam continued to grow through daily interactions with Muslim friends at the boarding school, where he was introduced to Islamic values and practices.

“Most of my friends were Muslims. I observed their way of life and activities, and it made me want to learn more. That was the beginning of my own journey in understanding Islam,” he said.

After embracing Islam, Osman became actively involved in dakwah and community outreach programmes organised by non-governmental organisations (NGOs), including visits to Orang Asli villages to provide aid and share understanding of Islamic teachings.

Currently pursuing a degree in Quran and Sunnah studies at Sultan Azlan Shah University, Osman said receiving the Special Award presented by the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, was more than recognition.

“It is motivation to continue contributing to society. The award encourages me to continue serving the community and helping others understand Islam in a positive and meaningful way,” he said.

At the same ceremony, Sultan Nazrin also presented several other recognitions, including the State Tokoh Maal Hijrah Award, Saidina Abu Bakar As-Siddiq Award, Siti Khadijah Award, Saidina Ali Award and the Asnaf Icon Award.

Meanwhile, the Asnaf Icon Award was presented to visually impaired entrepreneur Khairruddin Mazli, 35, who admitted he did not expect to be selected among six nominees.

“Alhamdulillah, I would like to thank the Perak Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (MAIPk) and the Perak Islamic Religious Department (JAIPk) for choosing me. I feel honoured and grateful for this recognition,” he said.

Khairruddin said he hopes to further expand his massage business and create opportunities for other persons with disabilities to build careers in reflexology.

“My goal is to bring more disabled friends into this field so that we can grow together and benefit together,” said Khairruddin, who is also a former national football athlete for Malaysian Blind Football.

He added that the biggest lesson in running a business is not to depend entirely on others but to work independently and create opportunities for a better future.

“For me, whether someone is disabled or not does not matter. As long as we are willing to work hard, we can earn a living and build a better life,” he said.

-- BERNAMA