PHL Embassy in KL opens prayer room for Muslim personnel, guests

A surau or prayer room for Muslims was inaugurated in the Philippine Embassy in Malaysia to give their Muslim personnel and guests a proper place to pray during work hours.
“The construction of the surau is in line with the Embassy’s efforts to address the needs of its employees and promote inclusiveness and understanding among followers of different faiths,” Philippine Ambassador J. Eduardo Malaya said in a statement Tuesday.
The construction of the prayer room — the first since the embassy was established — was the last project Malaya supervised as his five-year stint as the Philippines' top envoy to Malaysia is coming to an end.
Embassy Attaché Shamina Saidamen, Attaché Mustapha Lucman and the Union of Muslim Filipinos in Malaysia (UMFM) officers led the implementation of the project that resulted in the 12m x 15m surau.
According to a statement, the surau "brings awareness of the various beliefs and cultures in the Philippines, and underscores the country’s readiness to host Muslim tourists, as an increasing number of businesses and offices in the Philippines now have Muslim prayer areas."
Most of the Philippines' five million-strong Muslim population reside in southern Philippines. —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News

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