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SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2020

James Kon

The public can now support four young aspir-

ing barbers by getting their haircuts at Bar-

berku, a newly set up barbershop under the

Incubation Programme of the Youth Develop-

ment Centre (PPB).

Located at the VIP parking area of the

Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium, Minister

of Culture, Youth and Sports Major General

(Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Aminuddin Ihsan

bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri

Paduka Haji Abidin oficiated the opening as

the guest of honour.

Members of the Legislative Council (Leg-

Co) Yang Berhormat Haji Abdul Hamid @ Sabli

bin Haji Arsad and Yang Berhormat Nik Haimi

binti Abdul Haadii as well as Permanent Sec-

retary at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and

Sports (MCYS) Pengiran Haji Mohd Hasnan bin

Pengiran Haji Ali Hassan, Permanent Secretary

(Administration, Finance and Estate) at the

MCYS Pengiran Mohd Amirrizal bin Pengiran

Haji Mahmud and Deputy Permanent Secre-

tary (Youth and Sports) at the MCYS Colonel

(Rtd) Pengiran Haji Maiddin bin Pengiran Haji

Said were also in attendance.

According to PPB Assistant Director Fauz-

iah binti Haji Mohd Salleh, the opening of Bar-

berku was a momentous occasion. “The Incu-

bationProgramme isoneof the initiativesof the

government through the MCYS to provide op-

portunities for the youth to utilise skills learnt,

such as a short course in street art haircut, to

become enterprising individuals,” she said.

Fauziah said the PPB not only provides

youth incubation at the centre but other stra-

tegic venues under the ministry, such as the

Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium.

On top of nurturing the youth with free

courses, she said, the centre also provides

grants to young entrepreneurs to ease the

inancial burden of setting up a business.

Fauziah said with the facilities provided,

the PPB will continue to monitor the devel-

opment of the youth until their business ven-

tures have been established.

“We hope that once the youth have be-

come successful, they will provide job oppor-

tunities, thus reducing the unemployment

rate in the country,” she added.

With the street art haircut course, Fauziah

said the centre hopes the youth have been

equipped with enough skills to compete with

more established barbers in the country.

Twenty-ive-year-old Mateen noted that the

government has been stepping up efforts in

Syazwani Hj Rosli

The number of new converts in the country

continues to grow. Some 255 people embraced

Islam between January and August this year.

Yesterday afternoons saw an Iban man joining

the ranks of converts at a residence in Jalan Bukit

Bintagur Mengkubau in Mentiri.

Twenty-ive-year-old Neekbilly Alexzendra anak

Siliman is now known by his chosen Muslim name

Muhammad Nur Aniq Danish bin Siliman.

He recited the

Syahadah

(Islamic creed) during

a conversion ceremony, witnessed by oficers from

the Islamic and Muallaf Guidance Unit of the Islamic

Da’wah Centre.

Muhammad Nur Aniq Danish told the

Weekend

Bulletin

that he came to the decision to convert to

Islam on his own after learning about the religion

from his friends.

The ceremony ended with the recitation of

Doa

Selamat

Azlan Othman

Fifty youngsters took part in a two-day Nationwide

Mosque Youth Qiamullail Programme at the

Yayasan Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mosque

which came to a close yesterday.

The initiative of the Imarah Division of the

Mosque Affairs Department, in collaboration with

the Takmir Committee of the Yayasan Sultan Haji

Hassanal Bolkiah Mosque was aimed at training the

youth in assisting in the administration of mosque

affairs and discouraging them from social ills.

On the irst day of the programme, the

participants carried out recitations of

Surah Yaasiin

and

Doa Tahlil

, as well as attended a motivational

talk on Healthy and Caring Youth Without Social

Ills, by Mosque Affairs Oficer at the Jame’ ‘Asr

Hassanil Bolkiah Awangku Faris Ramadhani bin

Pengiran Haji Sellahuddin.

On the second day, the participants performed

the obligatory dawn prayers in congregation and

a reading of

Surah Al-Waqiah

and the cleaning

of the mosque compound. Idarah Head at the

Mosque Affairs Department Haji Asminan bin

Haji Chuchu attended the morning session as the

guest of honour.

PPB-supported barbershop opens its door

tackling youth unemployment in the country.

“Through the PPB under the MCYS, the

government is providing us with an opportu-

nity to build our enterprises,” he said.

Mateen said his interest in the barbershop

began with some YouTube videos on hair cut-

ting and styling.

“(The profession) suited it, in a way. I would

watch the videos all the time, until I fell asleep,”

he said. “My wife then contacted her friend

Khai, who asked me to join him in a short pro-

gramme at the Youth Development Centre.”

Barberku is manned by Mateen, Khai,

Shah and Rauf, who are recipients of the Mi-

cro Grant Assistance under the MCYS.

The quartet completed the course in July

and is now calling for the public to support

their new venture.

Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Aminuddin

Ihsan bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin joins Mateen, Khai, Shah

and Rauf of Barberku in giving thumbs-up outside the new barbershop. PHOTO: JAMES KON

Mosque programme

to tackle social ills

Muhammad Nur Aniq Danish bin Siliman receives a token of appreciation from the Islamic Da’wah Centre. PHOTOS: BAHYIAH BAKIR

Iban man joins ranks

of Muslim converts

Muhammad Nur Aniq Danish during the conversion ceremony