BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: The closing ceremony of the Regional Islamic Media Conference 2026 (RIMeC’26) was held Thursday (June 4) at the Balai Khazanah Islam Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah and Deputy Minister of Education Datuk Seri Setia Dr Norarfan Zainal attended as the guest of honour.
The ceremony began with the presentation of the conference resolutions delivered by Head of the Postgraduate Programme, Faculty of Usuluddin, Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA) Associate Professor Dr Kamaluddin Nurdin Marjuni.
Among the key resolutions highlighted were the need to strengthen digital dakwah media, enhance the Islamic media ecosystem, address the challenges of misinformation, utilise artificial intelligence responsibly, improve public media literacy and develop creative, relevant and high-impact dakwah content.
The RIMeC’26 resolutions are expected to serve as a key foundation in shaping strategies for the sustainable, professional and competitive development of digital Islamic media at the regional level.
They are also anticipated to open avenues for further collaboration among academic institutions, media organisations, research agencies and stakeholders in the field of Islamic media through joint research, scholarly publications, professional training, digital content development and the exchange of expertise.
The event continued with an appreciation speech by the guest of honour, followed by a closing address from the conference’s strategic partner, Institut Kefahaman Islam Malaysia (IKIM).
A total of 90 papers were presented at the conference, with 123 participants registered for the workshops.
The conference hoped to mark a significant step towards strengthening the role of Islamic media as a progressive, authoritative and relevant platform in addressing contemporary challenges.
Collaboration between IKIM and UNISSA is also expected to pave the way for closer strategic ties, further reinforcing the role of Islamic media in educating communities across the region.
Meanwhile, a forum on ‘Media Digitalisation: Challenges and Opportunities for Islamic Media’ was held on Wednesday at the Auditorium Hall, Balai Khazanah Islam Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah. Datuk Seri Setia Dr Norarfan was also present as the guest of honour.
IKIM Director-General Associate Professor Datuk Dr Mohamed Azam Mohamed Adil, Acting Director of Islamic Da’wah Centre Ahmad Abdussalam Abdul Rahman and Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Datastream Digital Sdn Bhd (DST) Safrina Datuk Abdul Rahman also attended.
The forum was one of the key highlights of RIMeC’26, aimed at discussing the development of media digitalisation as well as the challenges and opportunities faced by Islamic media in navigating the era of technological transformation, artificial intelligence and evolving global communication trends.
The session featured a panel of experienced speakers comprising Director of IKIM Media Centre Ahmad Fuad Mat Ali, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Islamic Technology, UNISSA Associate Professor Dr Tiawa binti Hamid, Adjunct Lecturer at the Faculty of Islamic Development Management, UNISSA Dr Mohd Rozan Datuk Paduka Mohd Yunus and TV Producer and Creative Director at IKIM Norhafizah Razaq.
The forum was moderated by Director of the Centre for Shariah, Law and Political Studies (SYARAK), IKIM Dr Nik Roskiman Abdul Samad. - Borneo Bulletin/ANN
