Brunei minister urges OIC to continue legacy of Islam
By CT Hj Mahmod

Brunei's Minister of Industry and Primary Resources has made a call to OIC countries to "continue the legacy of Islam and restore the prominence once again, particularly in trade and commerce, that it t is even more relevant today when faced with the many over-generalised criticism and unjustified suspicion".

Pehin Orang Kaya Setia Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awg Hj Abdul Rahman bin Dato Setia Awg Hj Mohamed Taib said this Wednesday morning when he delivered a paper on "Global Economy, National Mindset - Securing a Balance', at the OIC Business Forum 2003 in Kuala Lumpur.

"Therefore, the balance that we seek today and for the future should not only be between our national needs and the pursuit of the global economy, but also the political and economic considerations within our Organisation," the MIPR Minister said.

Pehin Rahman reiterated that "Islam has always encouraged trade and commercial activities. Historically, it was through commerce that Islam was able to flourish".

In a statement released by the ministry yesterday, the OIC Business Forum 2003, organised by the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (ASLI), Malaysia, was aimed to strengthen the relationship between international business executives and political leaders.

It is also to gain an understanding and information on the priorities and strategies in liberalising the economies of OIC member countries, and to promote international cooperation and efforts in the world of Islamic business.

Earlier, Pehin Abdul Rahman said "OIC provides a platform to increase economic cooperation amongst Islamic nations. The organization is presently made up of 57 members, all of whom are developing countries".

Although diverse in the levels of economic development, political systems and ethnic background, however, country members, most importantly, are bound together by one common denominator which is "Islamic faith".

By capitalising on these, the minister believes that "we as a 'Muslim Ummah," can harness the diversities that exists into a source of economic strength for the organisation.

"The biggest source of strength can be found from the shared values, as it will help us to build confidence and trust amongst members in seeking to enhance the trade and investment cooperation".

With this, he mentioned several existing Preferential Trading Arrangements (PTAs) within and amongst OIC member countries such as the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) and the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO). As a start, he began identifying certain areas that can be developed through the shared beliefs, values and also principles such as consuming "halal" products and avoiding "Riba".

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin