Islamic Affairs Agencies Urged To Focus On Students' Knowledge, Moral Development

JOHOR BAHRU, Sept 15 (Bernama) -- Islamic affairs agencies, particularly state Islamic religious authorities should place a strong emphasis on enhancing students' knowledge and moral development, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs), Datuk Dr Mohd Na'im Mokhtar.

He stressed the importance of focusing on nurturing a generation that reflects their knowledge through good manners, ethics and strong character.

"Education is a crucial foundation for shaping human character. Through education, we build the pillars of knowledge, morals and behavior guided by divine principles," he said at the closing ceremony of the Sekolah Menengah Agama Malaysia Awards (MIISMAM) at the Iskandar Islamic Centre here today..

bootstrap slideshow

Mohd Na'im also emphasised the need to diversify teaching methods and adapt them to the challenges posed by the fast-paced, technologically-driven world.

Also present at the event was Johor Islamic Religious Affairs Committee chairman Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid.

Mohd Na'im added that the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs), through the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM), in collaboration with state Islamic religious authorities, will continue to organise programmes like MIISMAM, which feature competitions such as Quran recitation, memorisation, nasyid performances and public speaking.

bootstrap slideshow

On MIISMAM, he said this annual event provides a platform for 220 religious schools under state religious authorities to nurture and showcase the talents of students across various fields of knowledge and skills.

He  added that the programme aligns with the "Membangun Malaysia MADANI" initiative, which focuses on human capital development, a key goal of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's administration.

Mohd Na'im also suggested that future editions of MIISMAM could be further improved by introducing more competition categories to promote healthy rivalry among students from Sekolah Menengah Agama Negeri (SMAN), Sekolah Menengah Agama Rakyat (SMAR) and Sekolah Agama Bantuan Kerajaan (SABK) which include 58,918 students.

Meanwhile in a press conference, he expressed hope that JAKIM would intensify efforts to promote MIISMAM, increasing public awareness of such religious programmes.

Earlier, Johor, as the host of this year's MIISMAM, was declared the overall champion, winning four first-place titles and three runner-up spots across 11 events.

-- BERNAMA