Ministry of Islamic Affairs has stated that former President Abdulla Yameen’s government had failed to award the winners of national Quran recitation competitions.

An Islamic ministry official said that the winners were given their prize money by President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih’s government.

The official said that the numerous complaints from the competition winners had been ignored during the previous administration, which had taken money from the Waqf fund by claiming to want to use it to pay the winners. However, the official said that they do not know how the money was used and that even the first, second, and third place winners of the 2017 national Quran recitation competition were given their prize money after the inauguration of President Solih.

Responding to former Islamic Minister Dr Mohamed Shaheem Ali’s concern over the lack of Quran competitions, the official said that the competitions are being held with the support of the Islamic Ministry and that the 33rd national Quran recitation competition will be held on September 1.

The official also said that President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih gives special priority to religious matters and that related projects will be announced soon.