National Mosque : 50 Years (1965 - 2015)

Ever since it was completed in 1965, the National Mosque continues to be an impressive structure, centrally situated in the nation s capital, Kuala Lumpur. It is not only a symbol of greatness of Islam, but continues to be a meeting place for all Muslims to discuss and seek ways to better the teaching of the religion in this region. Most importantly, it was built to project the idea of unity amongst the people of this nation. To Tunku Abdul Rahman, the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, the building of the National Mosque was to reflect his stand to unite the people from the different races in Malaya, and later Malaysia. It was built not only from donations from Muslims alone, but also from non-Muslims imbued with the spirit of loyalty to their country. Following the attainment of Independence from the British in 1957, after the various colonisation period since 1511 (a period of 450 years), Islam was made the official religion of Malaya. The Government took steps to build and realise the building of the National Mosque as a symbol of the nation s struggle to become an independent nation. This move by the Government received the fullest support, help and co-operation from all quarters ranging from the State Governments to the people throughout the country. As a result, the National Mosque was at that time acknowledged as the largest and most modern in Southeast Asia. As it stands today, the mosque is an impressive structure incorporating many features of traditional Islamic style architecture with modern architectural elements which has translated into a modern vocabulary. It represents a symbolic element and the meaning of the Malay Islamic architecture in a truly modern sense. The eventual architect of the National Mosque who was responsible for this national landmark from the beginning of the concept stage right through to its completion in 1965 was Baharuddin Abu Kassim. He displayed great energy, enthusiasm and pure ingenuity, creating an outstanding structure, a synthesis of a mixture of old and modern architecture.