KUCHING: The 180-year-old Masjid Bandar Kuching is set to be turned into a heritage site, with a new mosque to replace it on the horizon.
Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office (Islamic Affairs) Datuk Daud Abdul Rahman told this to reporters after officiating at the ‘Program Membantu Rakyat’ at Masjid Bandar Kuching here recently.
“The original Masjid Bandar Kuching will still exist as a heritage site, but we will not carry out our prayers here – maybe use it for ‘madrasah’ purposes. The new mosque is to replace Masjid Bandar Kuching, as it is hard to carry out overhauls due to the structure.
“Invitations for the tender have already been issued, and construction is expected to start in September for 20 months. The cost of building this new
mosque is estimated around RM8 million to RM10 million,” Daud said.
He also said the new mosque would be able to accommodate about 1,500 people.