Lenggong: The Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, officiated the opening of Sekolah Menengah Tahfiz Darul Ridzuan (SMTDR) Lenggong today. The Raja Permaisuri of Perak, Tuanku Zara Salim, and the Raja Di-Hilir of Perak, Raja Iskandar Dzurkarnain Sultan Idris Shah, were in attendance. Also present were Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad and Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah. Sultan Nazrin Shah, after officiating the opening of SMTDR Lenggong, toured an exhibition held for the event before proceeding to a reception and leaving the venue.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, earlier in his speech, Saarani said nearly RM17 million had been allocated by the state government for the 2026 financial year for the management of five SMTDRs in Perak. The allocation covers school operations, teachers' emoluments and training, student meals, hostel welfare, and maintenance. Saarani emphasized that education development is not solely about physical infrastructure but also about ensuring a conducive learning environment, maintaining student welfare, and providing teachers with the best environment to educate future generations.
Apart from Lenggong, the other SMTDRs in Perak are located in Manjung district on Pulau Pangkor, Kerian (Gunung Semanggol), Batang Padang (Sungai Lesung), and Kinta (Ipoh). On SMTDR Lenggong, Saarani said the school began operations on January 3, 2012, at the temporary site of Sekolah Rendah Agama Rakyat Madrasah As-Syakirin in Kampung Lenggong before relocating to its permanent site in Kampung Tersusun Bukit Sapi on August 3, 2020.
Saarani noted that after nearly nine years of operating at the temporary site, SMTDR Lenggong now occupies a 78,460-square metre area with more suitable facilities for learning, Quran memorisation, and hostel accommodation. He stated that the school land has been registered by the Perak Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council as a maahad tahfiz under the Wakaf Khas instrument, with SMTDR Lenggong currently accommodating 176 male students and 43 teaching staff.
He further highlighted that SMTDR Lenggong showed an improvement in academic performance, with its grade point average (GPA) improving from 3.28 in 2023 to 2.05 in 2024, before recording 2.18 in 2025. This achievement places SMTDR Lenggong as the second-best among the eight Sekolah Menengah Agama Negeri under the Perak Islamic Religious Department (JAIPk) for two consecutive years.