Pekanbaru City Sets MURI Record with Mass Quranic Recitation by Civil Servants

Pekanbaru City has set a new national record, earning a Museum Rekor Indonesia (MURI) award for simultaneously reciting Surah Al-Mulk. The event saw 9,184 civil servants and non-civil servants participate in the recitation at the Agung An-Nur Grand Mosque on Saturday, July 4, 2026, during the city's 242nd anniversary celebrations.

The mass recitation, with participants dressed in white, created a solemn religious atmosphere and marked a historic moment for Pekanbaru. Mayor Agung Nugroho emphasized that the event's purpose extended beyond breaking a record; it was an effort to cultivate a bureaucratic culture grounded in the values of the Quran.

"Surah Al-Mulk is known as Al-Mani'ah, the surah that protects from the torment of the grave. We want the busyness of serving the public not to make civil servants forget their provisions for the hereafter. This record is just a historical note, while the greater goal is to present apparatuses with integrity, trustworthiness, and who make the Quran their guide in work," said Agung Nugroho. He added that the surah reminds leaders that all power belongs to Allah SWT, reinforcing that their positions are trusts that must be accounted for.

This achievement is Pekanbaru's third MURI record under Mayor Agung Nugroho's leadership. Previously, the city was recognized for the longest Kue Talam Durian and for hosting the largest number of mass weddings (71 couples) in traditional Malay attire. The city also plans to continue this practice of Quranic recitation, hoping it inspires other regions in Indonesia.