Back To The Classroom For Jawi Enthusiasts
By Sobrina Rosli

Bandar Seri Begawan - The importance of Jawi in Brunei Darussalam's customs and education system has prompted 60 non-Muslim participants to learn the script.

Participants of the three-day Jawi workshop organised by the Islamic Conversion and Covert Support Department beginning yesterday, also told The Brunei Times that they hoped to master Jawi so as not to be left behind by their children as Jawi was one the subjects in primary level.

"My children had asked for my help in Jawi writing and reading but I could not help them as I have never learnt Jawi before. I hope after this I can help them," said Matthew Wpng, who teaches computer science for secondary school.

He said the ability to read and write Jawi would also improve, his communication skills.

"This course is indeed useful. I would be able to read the Jawi writing on road signs and shops," added Wong, one of the 16 participants in the advanced Jawi writing class.

Filipino teacher Gladys V Concepcion took up the course to expand her language and writing skills. "I find Jawi writing very interesting. I joined the course to develop my knowledge and to also learn a style of writing that is different from the English or

Tagalog language," said the English teacher attached to Chung Hwa Middle school.

Liee Chin Lan said she enrolled for the basic writing workshop on the encouragement of her friends and colleagues.

"I hope I will be able to slowly read and write in Jawi after this course. Other teachers who joined the course told me that this workshop was interesting and so I joined," she said when met after the workshop for beginners which attracted 44 participants.

Jawi writing is Arabic alphabet adapted to be used for writing Malay language.

The script is also used in Indonesia, Malaysia, southern Philippines, Singapore and Pattani in southern Thailand especially for religious purposes.

In Brunei, however, Jawi script is one of, the two official scripts being used here in addition to the Roman alphabet.

Abdul Kadir Leong, who is instructing the basic Jawi writing workshop, said more adults, especially among the some 1,500 Chinese converts in the Sultanate, were aware of the need to learn Jawi.

"I have been getting a good. response in the last few years and this year, the enrolment is encouraging," said Abdul Kadir, who has been working for the Islamic Conversion and Convert Support Department for 17 years.

Abdul Hadi, who embraced Islam 32 years ago, said that he made his workshop more lively by playing Jawi alphabet songs and teaching his participants basic Arabic.

Jumat Tuah, in charge of the advance Jawi writing workshop, said he was happy to be teaching the script to non-Muslims.

"It's good to see that they have shown great interest in Jawi calligraphy which is part of the Malay culture. The response of participants of being so keen to learn this style of writing and being able to teach them, makes me feel so proud to be their teacher."

He elaborated that there were eight main types of Jawi calligraphy, but for the workshop, he concentrated only on the basic type which is called Naskh`.

"This type of writing is used in religious schools and on the signage around Brunei," he said. -- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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