The 48th Religious Council of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore (MABIMS) Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM), hosted by Brunei, featured remarks by Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) Haji Mohammad Rosli bin Haji Ibrahim, as Head of the SOM Brunei.
He emphasised the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in enhancing religious services, highlighting it as an innovative approach to broaden public engagement.
He also said that AI could play a transformative role in strengthening the zakat and waqaf systems, supporting religious education, and empowering youth. He expressed hope that MABIMS discussions could lead to deeper exploration of technology’s role in improving services and benefiting communities.
Themed ‘Memelihara Akal Dalam Maqasid Syariah: Bagaimana Belia Islam Dapat Membantu?’, the meeting held at a hotel in Kampong Jerudong was chaired by Haji Mohammad Rosli.
Present at the meeting were General Secretary of Indonesia’s Ministry of Religious Affairs and Head of SOM Indonesia Professor Dr Muhammad Ali Ramdhani; Deputy Director General (Policy) of Malaysia’s Department of Islamic Development (JAKIM) and head of Malaysia delegation Dr Mohamad Kori bin Jusoh; and Chief Executive of the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) and Head of SOM Singapore Kadir Maideen.
The agenda included confirmation of the 48th SOM meeting’s objectives and presentation of the resolution from the themed paper seminar held earlier in the day. In the afternoon session, the meeting reviewed the Strategic Focus Implementation Report under the MABIMS Strategic Plan 2026-2030. Brunei Darussalam, as the Coordinating Country for ‘Youth Potential’, presented its progress, followed by Indonesia on ‘Religious Education and Appreciation’, Malaysia on ‘Social Welfare’, and Singapore on ‘Regional Harmony’.
The 48th SOM meeting aims to enhance cooperation among MABIMS member countries, strengthen regional ties, and initiate programmes that positively impact communities across the MABIMS region.
Meanwhile, a welcoming dinner was held on Monday evening to welcome delegates from MABIMS member countries, hosted by Haji Mohammad Rosli. He expressed his hope that the meetings would further strengthen the MABIMS Strategic Plan through the implementation of various pre-established agendas. Reflecting on the success of last year’s 47th SOM and the 20th MABIMS meeting hosted in Singapore. He conveyed appreciation to Singapore for its effective organisation, which reinforced collaborative efforts to advance the region’s ummah development goals.
“This year, Brunei is honoured to host the 48th SOM of MABIMS. With humility, we look forward to strengthening our cooperation and advancing the MABIMS Strategic Plan through our shared agenda,” he said.
The dinner was attended by directors and senior officials from Brunei’s Ministry of Religious Affairs and Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, alongside representatives from each MABIMS member country. – Lyna Mohamad & Fadley Faisal
