Kuala lumpur: The launch of the Malaysian Tahfiz Recognition Standard (SPTM), scheduled for phased implementation starting next year, underscores the government's dedication to enhancing tahfiz education in Malaysia to align it with mainstream educational standards. The initiative aims to bolster the quality of tahfiz education, serving as a recognition mechanism for both Quran memorisers, known as huffaz, and tahfiz institutions.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the recognition of Quran memorisation is intended not just as an accolade but as a driver of excellence in the learning and memorisation of the Holy Book. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi inaugurated the SPTM at a significant gathering, 'the Himpunan Huffaz 2025 and Simfoni Dakwah Nusantara', attended by 25,000 huffaz nationwide. The event, themed 'Warisan Qurani, Membina Generasi Rabbani', was held at Masjid Tuminah Hamidi.
In his address, Ahmad Zahid highlighted an incentive program to promote a culture of excellence, announcing that 10 top-performing tahfiz institutions achieving outstanding results based on SPTM criteria will each receive a RM50,000 reward.
In a statement, Datuk Dr Sirajuddin Suhaimee, director-general of the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim), explained that the SPTM was conceptualized in 2020 as an assessment and recognition tool for Quran memorisers and tahfiz institutions. Initially presented at the 54th Conference of the Advisory Board for the Coordination of Islamic Religious Education (LEPAI) on July 12, 2021, the Standard Criteria Instrument was further developed in 2022 and discussed at subsequent national conferences.
A pilot program to test the assessment instrument was conducted in Selangor and Johor in 2023. Earlier this year, Jakim disseminated the SPTM e-book to all State Islamic Religious Authorities (PBAN) and extended it to institutions within their jurisdictions.
Sirajuddin emphasized the importance of quality control in tahfiz education to drive management improvements, ensuring compliance with the set standards. The recognition mechanism encourages tahfiz institutions to register with PBAN, with Jakim committed to collaborating with authorities to align tahfiz education with mainstream standards.
The SPTM is the product of contributions from scholars, experts, and religious education practitioners who have worked to create a comprehensive guideline for Quran memorisation recognition in Malaysia. Five states-Selangor, Perak, Penang, Melaka, and Sarawak-have received approval to implement the SPTM, with nine other states in various stages of preparation.
In addition, three Training of Trainers (ToT) workshops involving all PBAN were conducted in 2025 to provide hands-on training for tahfiz institution inspectors. The SPTM implementation will involve multiple assessment stages, starting with self-audits by the states. Each state will then submit two of their top tahfiz institutions for evaluation by the Tahfiz Accreditation Committee (JAT), with recognition or ratings awarded to institutions meeting the standards at the national level.