By Maisarah Binti Mohd Aminudin
PAGOH, 10 April 2021: Splendid, marvellous, magnificent. The only three words that could describe the whole event of Berjaya Muslim Week 2.0 (BMW 2.0), which was held here from 28 to 31 March by the Mahallah Representative Committee of Mahallah Zaid bin Harithah.
It was a collaboration programme between several organisations, including Nadi Thaqafah USIM, FAMe Production, Kataolehika, Komuniti Pujangga Brunei, Legasi Oakheart, and Rakan Siswa Yadim Johor.
Following the success of the first BMW held last semester with a record of more than 2,000 participants from all over the world, this second series had scored a hit in the number of participants reached and community engagement.
The main idea of Berjaya Muslim Week was to uphold the right of seeking knowledge for self-betterment, especially amongst the Muslims in all aspects of life in which programmes held were focusing on different views and topics such as health, education, leadership and youth.
Unlike the previous BMW, the latter presented other social aspects where they brought more extravagant topics with the most-suited panels for each programme. The top elements embedded in the said event include body fitness, language proficiency skills, poetry and writing efficiencies, and challenges in studying abroad.
The event that began on 28 March saw a talk titled ‘March to Fitness in conjunction with Sports for Peace and Development,’ that mainly focused on physical activity or exercise to help improve one’s healthy well-being.
The invited panels were Dr. Faizal Manaf, an expert in sports science and nutrition and Coach Hasif, a Master Trainer at Wellness City functional gym. Dr. Faizal, in his speech, emphasised body fitness through Islamic perspective where he mentioned that our ‘body’ is a trust by our Creator, the Almighty, that we shall preserve and take the best care of it. In one of his remarks, Coach Hasif suggested a few effective ways to exercise regularly and some tips for staying motivated.
The following day, there was a programme on ‘Learn Naturally, Speak Fluently’ in conjunction with UN Chinese and English Language Day. It was one of the most anticipated programmes of BMW 2.0 as the invited panels were the social media influencers, Ili Jasmin, a content creator for JomMandarin, and Munierah Mukhtar, a founder of englishwithemme.
The one and a half-hour event discussed the importance of learning a second language and how it shapes the way we think, the typical stereotypes of learning foreign languages, and tips in learning a second language. Both panels agreed that there would always be challenges and hardships that come along the way to those who aspire to be a multilingual speaker, regardless of any language they learn.
On the third day, there was a programme called ‘Between the Deep Poet and the Expressive Author’ in conjunction with World Poetry Day featuring Wani Ardy, Hafiz Latiff, and Mohamad Hajib, who come from the same background, which is creative writing. The almost two-hour session was packed with excellent knowledge, speakers’ experiences and insights on poetry.
The last day on 31 March was about ‘Studying Abroad 2.0: What They Don’t Tell You’. The invited panels were from Malaysian university students studying abroad, where each of them represented different countries; Germany, Australia, Saudi Arabia, and China. The questions posed to the panels were critical ones such as the acceptance of local citizens in non-Muslim countries towards Muslims, how it affects the students in their social life and well-being and how the panel represents Islam in a Muslim minority country.
The closing ceremony was officiated by the Principal of Mahallah Zaid bin Harithah at the end of the session. The programme, that saw inputs gained throughout the whole event, have greatly benefited all participants. ***