Attendees included heads and delegates from MABIMS member countries, senior officials from Brunei’s ministries of Education, Health, and Culture, Youth and Sports, as well as representatives from the Brunei Youth Council, the Youth Religious Programme, and students from Kolej Universiti Perguruan Ugama Seri Begawan (KUPU SB) and Hassanal Bolkiah Boys Arabic Secondary School.
Hosted by the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Brunei Darussalam, the meeting runs from November 5 to 6, 2024, bringing together MABIMS member states to explore mental health issues through the lens of Islamic teachings and develop strategies for youth empowerment and resilience.
The forum began with the recitation of Sayyidul Istighfar and Surah Al-Fatihah, led by Mosque Affairs Officer Awang Saufi bin Haji Suhaini from the Brunei-Muara District Mosque Affairs Department.
As part of the MABIMS Strategic Plan 2021-2025, Brunei Darussalam’s theme and leadership of the Youth Potential strategic focus aim to foster a collaborative approach to mental well-being across the region. Discussions included insights from three panelists: Assistant Lecturer at the Research Center for Contemporary Fiqh, KUPU SB Pengiran Norizzati binti Pengiran Haji Kasharan; Senior Assistant Director of the Maqasid Syariah Division, JAKIM, Malaysia Mohd Suhaimi bin Mohd Yusof; and Ustazah Nur Hidayah binti Azman, a freelance preacher from Singapore. The forum was moderated by Assistant Lecturer and Head of Strategic Management and Quality Assurance Unit, KUPU SB Awang Haji Mohammad Khairul Azhar bin Haji Idris.
This year’s theme underscores the critical need for mental resilience and community support, especially for youths facing unprecedented pressures in today’s world, and seeks to strengthen the collective commitment of MABIMS nations toward safeguarding mental health and spiritual well-being in line with Islamic values. – LYNA MOHAMMAD
