By Nik Nurfaqih Nik Wil
JAKARTA, Aug 22 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and Indonesia have great potential of sparking a new renaissance of Islamic civilisation in the modern era, particularly through their intellectual strengths and cooperation in the Nusantara region.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Senator Dr Zulkifli Hasan said the potential could be harnessed through knowledge, expertise and cooperation between Malaysia and Indonesia in advancing the civilisational agenda.
“We see the potential for Malaysia and Indonesia to spark a renaissance, to create a golden age of Islamic civilisation in this modern era, and for it to take place in the Nusantara, particularly in Malaysia and Indonesia,” he said in a statement after attending the second Malindo Madani programme in Jakarta today.
The second Malindo Madani programme, organised by the Centre for Dialogue and Cooperation among Civilisations (CDCC) and the Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (IKIM), brought together more than 120 academics, scholars and religious figures from Malaysia and Indonesia.
Zulkifli said the continuation of Malindo Madani following its inaugural edition in Kuala Lumpur demonstrated that the bonds of friendship and fellowship between Malaysia and Indonesia could be translated into intellectual discourse and a civilisational development agenda.
“This effort and friendship will, God willing, give rise to a movement, a new wave in Malaysia and Indonesia to advance civilisational and civilisation-building agendas,” he said.
He said that over the four-day programme, various discussions, discourses and dialogues were held, focusing on strategic issues including pluralism, Malaysia-Indonesia relations, the future of both countries, and the role of science and technology in shaping civilisation.
Zulkifli said the diverse backgrounds of the participants were a key strength of the platform, as they enabled views and expertise from various disciplines to be brought together in formulating a more comprehensive civilisational agenda.
“This is highly strategic because the resolutions we will eventually adopt can be implemented through the agencies, institutions and organisations represented by the academics and scholars,” he said.
He said the resolutions produced through the meeting would also be presented to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to explore their potential and possible avenues for implementation at the national level and through cooperation between Malaysia and Indonesia.
-- BERNAMA