JUN 2023
“Sarawak’s Formula” Of Harmony Ought To Be Shared: Premier
AUCKLAND, Mon: The “Sarawak’s formula” of religious and racial harmony and understanding ought to be shared with other communities outside Sarawak as the basis of a healthy interfaith and inter-racial relationship for a better world to live in for all, Sarawak’s Premier, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Haji Johari Tun Abang Haji Openg said here, today.
The Premier said this in his address at the engagement session with RISEAP (Regional Islamic Da’wah Council of Southeast Asia and the Pacific) members of the Southern Zone at a local hotel, here.
RISEAP member countries in the Southern Zone consist of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Tonga, New Caledonia and Western Samoa.
The Premier’s visit here is his first official visit to member countries since his election as President in January this year.
Datuk Patinggi Abang Haji Johari, accompanied by Datuk Dr. Abdul Rahman Junaidi, Deputy Minister for Utility and Telecommunication II (Utility), who is also in charge of Islamic affairs, Datu Haji Kipli bin Haji Yasin, State Mufti and Dato Haji Mohamad Marzuki bin Mohamad Omar, RISEAP Honourary Secretary arrived here last night for a two-day visit.
RISEAP, now with 24 member countries was formed in 1980 with the late Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra al-Haj, Malaysia’s first Prime Minister as its founding president primarily to bring together Muslim-minority countries in East Asia and the Pacific to pursue collective ambitions in the expansion and cause of Islam.
The Premier pointed out that as a Muslim leader tasked with administering and developing multi-religious and multi-racial Sarawak, he was duty bound to ensure that his administration was inclusive and that rights and interest of all races and religion were protected based on the five “maqasid syariah” principles.
He told the members at the session that it was his duty to ensure that other religions beside Islam were given parallel opportunities to thrive based on the five principles of the Maqasid which were the protection of life, protection of property, protection of health, protection of religion, and protection of dignity.
He pointed out that in Sarawak other religions were assisted through UNIFOR to ensure that they had proper and dignified places of worship in line with the protection of religion and upholding of human and religious dignity of the maqasid.
“This year I’m giving UNIFOR RM100 million for other religions in Sarawak to build their houses of worship,” he said.
Respect must be accorded to other races and religions as “respect can only be earned” in the inclusive development of religion and races, he further said.
Citing himself as a product of mission school he said funding was also given for operational purposes in mission schools, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Equally important, he told members present that the Islamic community’s development must also be tuned towards the fast-paced technological change of the present era and the initiatives towards addressing climate change and sustainability.
He said this was what Sarawak was gearing towards under his leadership by introduction of the digital economy, enhancement of the research sphere, development of a hydrogen and green economy, and the various initiatives against climate change such as Carbon Capture Storage Utilisation (CCUS) and carbon trading.
“Where are we as Muslims in terms of managing our country and duty as Muslims ?” he asked the members.
He further told the members that the second most important approach under his leadership was the focus on education and talent development.
Towards this end he said that five International schools based on the Cambridge syllabus and one Islamic international school were being set up in Sarawak to ensure the State’s global stature in education.
Later, Datuk Dr. Abdul Rahman Junaidi as deputy minister incharge of Islamic affairs in Sarawak shared with members the Sarawak’s experience in the management and development of Islam in the state.
State Mufti, Datu Haji Kipli also shared the Sarawak’s experience in the development of the Sarawak Baitulmal Fund that grew from a small beginning into a well-accepted and well-managed fund for the benefit of the Islamic community in the State.
Earlier, representatives from member associations of RISEAP in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji also presented their reports.
Sumber dari : Sarawakku