According to IQNA, the opening ceremony of the competition attended by 82 Quran reciters from various countries and a number of Malaysian Muslims as well as the ones interested in Quran recitation. The program started at 8 pm local time with the arrival of honored guests and dignitaries, followed by the arrival of the prime minister of Malaysia at 8.40 pm.
Governors and Raja and Sultans of the various states of Malaysia were the other guests took presence at the ceremony at 8.45 pm. His majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Her Majesty the Raja Pemaisuri Agong, king and queen of the country arrived the meeting at 8.50 after which the national anthem was played and a do’a was recited as the beginning parts of the ceremony.
The guest qari, the top-ranked reciter of the contests held in 2006, recited some verses of Quran and this part followed by introduction session through which the king and queen shaked hands with quran reciters. Chairman of the main committee of the Quran assembly presented his speech before the royal address by the king who declared the official opening of the 1430H/ 2009 51sth Quran recital assembly.
Two national singing groups of Malaysia performed beautiful songs on the characteristics of God, and Quran as the word of God and the message of the holy prophet of Islam. The ceremony continued with Quran recitations by three reciters from Yemen, the West Timor and Kuwait, from among them the second reciter attended in women category, who recited some verses from surahs Bagharah, Tawbah and A’raf respectively.
Source from : International Quran News Agency 2009
