By Yee Mei
KUCHING, July 19: Seeking knowledge is an essential dimension of the Islamic faith, which is why the Muslim community in Sarawak have been urged to master new knowledge such as carbon trading and digital technology to contribute to the State’s development.
This was said by Premier of Sarawak Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg while officiating at the State-level fatwa (Islamic religious ruling) seminar today.
“We want Sarawak to be developed by 2030, especially in digital technology, such as how a text message or picture can be sent wirelessly. This is the knowledge related to ‘ilmu falak’ (astronomy),” he said.
Abang Johari explained this is why an astronomical centre was established in Miri, and he hoped to have one in Kuching.
“My responsibility as Premier of Sarawak is to enable our youth to see what is there on Earth and in space,” he said.
He added that with focus on carbon trading, Muslims must be knowledgeable about it and understand why the world is facing climate problems.
“Maybe there’s an imbalance between what God created and what men created; that is why we need scientists.
“This is the new knowledge that should be mastered by Muslims so that we can be a model to non-Muslims in championing knowledge. Then, they will have confidence in us. Thankfully, our Muslim leaders in the State are respected by non-Muslims,” he said.
The Premier added that the Sarawak government, consisting of Muslims and non-Muslims, takes care of the people, and Muslim leaders should implement their duties as best as possible.
“Knowledge can be disseminated to every level of society. If we don’t understand it, we can refer to the mufti (a Muslim legal expert empowered to give rulings on religious matters) to ensure we are on the right path.
“Heading towards 2030, we want to expand important economic sectors such as agriculture to be carried out digitally so that we can produce quality crops with high nutritional value as the world is facing a food security crisis,” he said.
He added that climate change is yet another battle, saying that Muslims going on their Hajj pilgrimage have expressed dread of facing the high temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius.
“These are the challenges we have to face, and hopefully, with a fatwa to refer to, we can become a prosperous country and empower the Muslim community to a higher level,” he said.
Speaking on the fatwa seminar, Abang Johari said that it would help participants understand what a fatwa is, along with its effects when issued, so that the Muslim community can be on par with the changes that are happening based on Islamic teachings.
“We know that in Islamic history, whenever a fatwa is issued, it is given by a qualified legal scholar who is more knowledgeable, and the Muslim community will carry out their responsibilities.
“If we always practise this process, we can hopefully prosper and continue spreading knowledge,” he said.
Also present were Deputy Minister of Utility and Telecommunication II Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi, DUN Speaker Tan Sri Datuk Amar Mohammad Asfia Awang Nassar, and Sarawak mufti Datu Kipli Yassin. — DayakDaily
