BY Azlan Othman

Defamatory and slanderous remarks against the Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA), spread across social media platforms, can threaten Islamic beliefs.

Individuals responsible for making such remarks can be charged according to the law, said Minister of Religious Affairs Yang Berhormat Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman at the fifth day of the 18th Legislative Council (LegCo) Meeting on Tuesday.

The minister was responding to a query by LegCo member Yang Berhormat Haji Emran bin Haji Sabtu on the efforts MoRA is undertaking to ensure youth are not swayed by these comments.

“We need to enhance their awareness of Islam. The Islamic Da’wah Centre is actively involved in disseminating information via social media, but not specifically to counter allegations or comments on social media. We need to educate the public not to get influenced by those social media comments, and we need to do what we can wisely,” Yang Berhormat Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin said.

LegCo member Yang Berhormat Khairunnisa binti Haji Ash’ari raised the issue of improving mosque facilities, including creating separate walkways for women congregants, as well as providing facilities that are friendly to the differently-abled people (OKU) and the elderly.

The minister pointed out that 47 mosques have wheelchair access, of which 37 are in Brunei-Muara District, seven in Tutong District, two in Belait District and one in Temburong District. Additionally, 25 mosques in Brunei-Muara District have facilities to accommodate OKU, while Tutong District has four.

Meanwhile, ample parking space has been made available at 16 mosques in Brunei-Muara District and two in Tutong District, Yang Berhormat Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin said, adding that some of these projects are financed by the public through waqaf or personal endowment.

-- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin