KUCHING: Bina-Hikmah has shown over the years that it is not an extremist organisation like what some people claim it to be.
“The organisation has successfully conducted itself cordially among the multi religious landscape in Sarawak while keeping the peace and harmony among the races in Sarawak intact,” said the Head of State (TYT) Tun Pehin Sri Taib Mahmud who was the guest of honour in his brief address before he launched the organisation’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
“Bina-Hikmah (Angkatan Nahdatul Islam Bersatu) was formed after the East Malaysia Islamic Congress seminar was held in Kuching in 1968.
After the conclusion of the congress Bina became a platform for young Muslims which produced many of the top leadership in Sarawak,” Chief Minister Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg said.
“I was there myself at the seminar and I was among the younger generation that started at Bina which was formed by former Head of State Tun Abdul Rahman Yaakub and from there also came many other leaders both in government as well as in the corporate sector.
“We all know our beloved Head of State was a formative leader in the organisation and our beloved Tok Nan was also a product of Bina while from the public sector the current leadership are all either senior government officials or corporate officials,” Abang Johari said.
Bina also launched its fund-raising campaign to erect a new state of the art multipurpose centre on its 10-acre site adjacent to the state library and received a surprise shot in the arm during the event launch with an anonymous donor pledging RM4 million to the fund.
Chairman of Bina Tan Sri Datuk Amar Aziz Husain revealed the surprise news in his opening speech at the event and also explained that the entire cost for the new centre was estimated at RM20 million.
The chief minister also assured the organisation that the Sarawak government will match the amount raised with a matching grant once the fund-raising effort concluded.
The two-day event which was kicked off by the Head of State yesterday will include a congress, seminar and Qur’an recitals.
Among those present were TYT’s wife Toh Puan Ragad Kurdi Taib, Datin Patinggi Juma’ani Tuanku Bujang, Datuk Sri Fatimah Abdullah, Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi, Datuk Misnu Taha, Datuk Amar Jamillah Anu, Datuk Hanifah Hajar Taib Alsree, Sharifah Hasidah and members of Hikmah.
