Rokiah Mahmud
The Brunei Mid-Year Conference and Exhibition (Brunei MYCE) 2022 kicked off with the International Waqaf Conference at the International Convention Centre (ICC), Berakas yesterday.
The conference on waqaf (endowment), themed ‘Realising a Comprehensive Waqaf Implementation and Management’, was organised by the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) in collaboration with the Religious Teachers University College of Seri Begawan (KUPU SB) and Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA).
The conference aimed at enhancing the understanding of waqaf and its role in generating and stabilising the economy. It also sought to highlight the privileges and advantages of waqaf institutions as an agent in developing the Ummah.
The conference also serves as a platform to identify effective and efficient waqaf governance as well as addressing the issues and challenges faced in managing and implementing waqaf.
Minister of Home Affairs Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar bin Haji Apong, Minister of Religious Affairs Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman and Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Ali bin Apong were present at the event.
Permanent Secretary at the MoRA Haji Mohammad Rosli bin Haji Ibrahim delivered the welcoming remarks, followed by an opening speech by Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin.
Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Kerna Dato Seri Setia (Dr) Haji Awang Abu Bakar delivered a premier paper on ‘Waqaf and Socio-Economic Development’.
Also present at the ceremony were Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Bahrom bin Pengiran Haji Bahar; permanent and deputy permanent secretaries; directors and senior government officials.
The ministers visited the exhibition areas for the Islamic Week Brunei MYCE 2022. The four-day exhibition focusses on waqaf, and includes a waqaf clinic by the Brunei Islamic Religious Council, Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali and Religious Teachers University College of Seri Begawan.
Four foreign waqaf institutions are also participating in the exhibition – Permuafakatan Wakaf Antarabangsa (iWAQF); Pusat Wakaf Wilayah Persekutuan, Yayasan Pahang and Khadijah International Waqf (L) Foundation are from Malaysia, while the Wakafpreneur Institute is from Indonesia.
The Tourism Development Department; Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD); Datastream Digital Sdn Bhd (DST), Brunei Institute of Leadership and Islamic Finance (BILIF); KUPU SB and UNISSA also had a presence at the exhibition.
Brunei MYCE 2022 is organised by Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism through the Brunei Tourism Department.
