| Rokiah Mahmud |
MINISTER of Religious Affairs Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman yesterday urged religious teachers to take on an active role as community leaders by means of membership in mosque Takmir committees.
“This is to ensure that mosques are always monitored, and to prevent any unauthorised teachings and practices that do not meet the required norms in this country,” he said.
In his keynote presentation on the first day of the Mosque Takmir Committee Members Convention for 1440 Hijrah/2018, the minister said, there are currently 3,084 mosque Takmir committee members across Brunei Darussalam. At the same time, 2,152 women are actively involved in mosque Muslimah activities, and an encouraging number of mosque youth groups engaged in religious and community events.
The minister highlighted that the duties of mosque Takmir committees include assisting mosque affairs officers to ensure the smooth running of the mosque management; promoting the welfare of mosques; looking after religious matters within the mosque locality or mukim; ensuring regular attendance, particularly for the mass Friday prayer; and assisting in looking after the well-being of Muslims within the mosque locality.
“Mosque Imams are civil servants and therefore government personnel. Thus, they have a role in caring for the well-being of villagers residing within the locality of their respective mosques,” he said.
“In the organisational structure of the mosque Takmir committee, Imams are assigned to act as chairmen and treasurers due to their designation, while the remaining members can be appointed from among village heads, school principals, religious teachers and mosque congregants who are qualified. They are selected through a meeting which is to be held every two years.”
