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THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020
Azlan Othman
As Brunei Darussalam is now in the
de-escalation stage of COVID 19
with 27 days of no news cases
as of yesterday, the public is
urged not to get too excited or
more complacent.
“Keep in mind that we still
need to remain cautious and are
putting efforts to curb the infec-
tions or community spread,” said
Minister of Religious Affairs Pehin
Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri
Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badarud-
din bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji
Awang Othman at the daily press
conference yesterday.
“It is in this context that the re-
opening of the mosques is sched-
uled in four in stages until the fourth
stage which
Insya Allah
will be
completed around July. Now we are
entering the second week of Friday
on June 5, and the third Friday is on
June 12.
“And for that we must strive
to smoothen the affairs and con-
trol of certain matters for the
performance of Friday prayers in
mosques, suraus and religious
halls throughout the country.
“This will include setting up a
prudent procedure for the ive-
times a day obligatory prayer at
a stage planned later before the
mosque, prayer and religious
halls return to normalcy,” the
minister said.
Mosques, suraus and religious
halls were opened for Friday
prayers on May 29 after their clo-
sure on March 20 to May 22 or 10
Friday prayers.
Peh i n Udana Kha t i b Da t o
Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang
Badaruddin said the reopening,
which began last Friday, was in the
irst phase of the de-escalation of
COVID 19 in the country for 14 days
beginningMay29toJune12covering
three Fridays.
The reopening is in line with the
State Mufti’s
Fatwa
02/2020, on the
outbreak in the country is under
control according to the Minis-
try of Health’s (MoH) statement
and advice.
In this regard, the Ministry of
Religious Affairs acknowledged
those who served in coordinating
the necessary controls - the Royal
Brunei Police Force, the Royal Bru-
nei Armed Forces, the Ministry of
Culture, Youth and Sports Volun-
teers, the Red Crescent Society,
Scouts Association, Mosque of-
icers and members of the
Takmir
(administrative) and volunteer
mosque committee.
The minister added that over
30,000 people prayed in an or-
derly manner during the last Friday
prayers. The igures are estimated
from the MoH’s records through the
BruHealth app.
“We believe that through the
blessings of supplication and
acts of worship and charitable
deeds, with the grace of Allah
the Almighty, COVID 19 in our
country will be under control and
end soon.
“Indeed, COVID 19 plagued
our country since its inception in
early March and created extraordi-
nary circumstances affecting our
daily lives.
“It affected not just the em-
ployment prospects and retail-
ers in certain sectors but also
the implementation of religious
Remain cautious during
COVID-19 de-escalation,
says minister
Minister of Religious Affairs Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia
Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang
Othman. PHOTO: AZIZ IDRIS
practices and celebrations includ-
ing
Israk Mikraj
,
Nisfu
Sya’aban,
fasting,
Tarawikh
prayers, Nuzul
Quran and
Tadarus
Al-Quran in
the month of Ramadhan and Hari
Raya Aidilitri on the irst day
of Syawal.
“However, we faced it well, pa-
tiently and with an understanding
attitude and implemented practical
alternatives including organising
work from home (WFH), conduct-
ing bilateral and multilateral meet-
ings online as well as conducting
schooling, the practice of study-
ing or teaching and learning of
Al-Quran online.
“Therefore, let us pray to Allah
the Almighty to protect us from
the COVID 19 outbreaks and other
diseases, while still striving to
abide by the laws and to practise
health control guidelines,” the
minister said.
Azlan Othman
Measures will be made to improve
coordination for the next Friday
prayers where mosques, suraus
and religious halls will open half
an hour earlier at 11.30am and
will close once the Friday sermon
is over and before the
Bilal
per-
forms
Iqamah
for the Imam and
the congregation to begin the
Friday prayers.
More mosque gates and en-
trances will be opened and there
will be an increase in the number
of QR code scanners and body
temperature checks.
This was highlighted by Minister
of Religious Affairs Pehin Udana
Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia
Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin
Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang
Othman at the daily press confer-
ence yesterday.
The minister said for next Friday
prayers, several agencies involved,
including the Ministry of Religious
Affairs, Ministry of Health, Royal
Brunei Police Force and the Royal
Brunei Armed Forces, agreed to
improve the handling of Friday
prayers operations after a recent
post-mortem.
Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Padu-
ka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang
Badaruddin added the congre-
gation is required to observe
physical distancing and to sanitise
their hands before entering the
prayer room.
Measures to improve Friday
prayers coordination
Posters showing guidelines
while in the mosque, surau and
religious hall will be pasted outside
the mosque in addition to informa-
tion dissemination through Radio
Telivision Brunei, newspapers and
social media.
Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka
Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badar-
uddin reiterated that attendance at
mosques, suraus and religious halls
for Friday prayers is iltered by one’s
health level through the BruHealth
app from Monday to Friday.
Those given the green code can
book for the mosque listed in the
application. It is necessary for con-
gregants who intend to perform the
Friday prayers, and those who have
not registered, to sign up for the
BruHealth application to ind out
their health status that entitles them
to attend the mosque, surau and
religious hall.
If their health is found to
be unacceptable by having a
colour code other than green,
then they are not required to at-
tend Friday prayers. They have
Uzur Syarie
which frees them
from the duty of performing
Friday prayers.
File photo shows uniformed personnel assisting congregants attending
Friday prayers. PHOTO: RAHWANI ZAHARI
Wani Roslan
It is clear that thepriority of reopening
schoolsisforstudentssittingforpublic
examinations. The examinations will
be conducted based on the situation
the countrywill be facing at that time,
Minister of Religious Affairs Pehin
Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia
Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin
Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang
Othman said.
The minister said this in re-
sponse to a question whether
religious school education monthly
assessment for pre-school to
primary ive students to be ap-
plied if the mid-year exams can-
not be conducted due to the
current situation.
“The announcement will bemade
by the Ministry of Religious Affairs
(MoRA) through the Department
of Islamic Studies when the time
comes,” said the minister.
In school reopening priority
given to students sitting for
public exams: Minister
Wani Roslan
The Ministry of Religious Affairs
(MoRA) will announce the prog-
ress of this year’s Haj season
in the near future, Minister of
Religious Affairs Pehin Udana
Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia
Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin
Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang
Othman said.
“The Government of Saudi Ara-
bia has yet to conirm whether the
Haj pilgrimage will be suspended
or otherwise, but some regional
countries announced that they will
not be sending pilgrims this year,”
the minister said at a press confer-
ence yesterday.
The minister said the MoRA will
determine these matters in the
form of
hukum
(judgement) and
practical matters in terms of man-
agement with other concerns.
“Performing the Haj is not as
easy as travelling, particularly
with the current state of COVID 19,
which also affects Saudi Arabia and
other countries,” he said.
MoRA to announce
decision on Haj
at later date