Brunei 'fertile ground' for developing Islamic Management models

 

 AL-HAADI ABU BAKAR
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

BRUNEI has the potential to be a hub for Islamic human capital development due to the nation's strong Islamic image and years of strong interest in Islamic management and Islamic economics, a management expert said.

Dato' Aidit Ghazali, executive chairman of Malaysian consultancy firm Akademi Aidit Sdn Bhd, said that Brunei is a very fertile ground for the development of this sector as the Sultanate is very receptive to Islamic management and leadership precepts.

"Aside from the majority of its population being Muslims, Brunei is an Islamic country that is still shielded from many (negative effects) of development and progress as experienced by other Muslim countries," he told The Brunei Times.
He said there are more countries today which are Muslim populated rather than Islamic. "Unlike Brunei, some countries have become too liberal, some lacking interest in Islamic models and some do it for political reasons," he said, adding that Brunei has the upper advantage in becoming a nation which will be able to focus on human capital development from the Islamic point of view.

In 1990, Dato' Aidit was invited by the then Minister of Education Pehin Orang Kaya Laila Wijaya Dato Hj Abdul Aziz Umar to introduce Islamic economics in Brunei. "The interest in Islamic management and Islamic economics was already there at that time, but it was only until I came here that I formalised it into the form of a course for Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD)," he said.

Dato' Aidit is an invited speaker for a two-day Islamic Management and Leadership workshop currently being held at the Rizqun International Hotel in Gadong.

During the workshop, he explained to the participants that a clear and firm grasp of a conceptual and working knowledge in the discipline of Islamic management today is no longer a matter of choice but rather a matter of necessity, especially in a world that is increasingly acknowledging and practicing various models of Islamic-based management within the corporate, public academic and voluntary sectors.

"It's very important for Muslims to understand that the Islamic model comprises several models and not just a single model. The beauty of Islam is that under one framework we can have models which (can be) adapted and suited to our needs," he said.

Organized by local company and iCentre incubatee Crescent Sdn Bhd, the workshop is organised based on a leadership thinking framework and is aimed at understanding the concept, principles, framework and considerations underlying Islamic management practices.

"The workshop aims to instil various critical tools customised for individuals entrusted with leadership, management and supervisory responsibilities within an organisation, as well as to prepare for future prospects of grasping more advanced and challenging dimensions of Islamic management," said Crescent Managing Director Hjh Salma Hj Abdul Latiff. "As part of the Ummah, the ultimate role of leaders of organizations is similar to the role of all of Allah's messengers carrying the message of Islam to mankind."

Spanning six sessions, the workshop saw some 20 participants comprising high-ranking officials from various government ministries and corporate organizations.

Dato' Aidit said that through his workshop, participants will be exposed to the main principles, values and framework within which Islamic Management and performing Islamic leadership actions can be taken.

The workshop covers four modules; Parameters of Islamic Management and Leadership, Degrees of Islamicity within a Management Framework, Comparative Analysis with Other Management Systems, and Real Issues in Implementation of Islamic Management and Leadership Planning.

The Brunei Times