PM Anwar says waqf, dakwah bodies must embrace AI and digitalisation while strengthening faith and values.
KUALA LUMPUR: Waqf institutions and Islamic dakwah movements in the country must embrace modern technology, including digitalisation and artificial intelligence (AI), to ensure they remain relevant amid global modernisation, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said mastery of such technologies must, however, be balanced with the strengthening of faith, moral character and humanitarian values to ensure that progress does not erode society’s identity and moral principles.
“There are dangers in reaching for the skies because AI, new technologies, information technology and quantum computing, without values and moral character, will erode humanity, dignity and ethics. This is a challenge that must be addressed.
“That is why I say that while we reach for the skies, we must remain firmly rooted to the ground. Being rooted to the ground means strengthening our faith and beliefs, moral character and personality, culture, language proficiency, identity, as well as our national and local history,” he said when officiating the closing ceremony of the 2026 International Waqf Dakwah Convention at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre here today.
Anwar also commended the efforts of the Malaysian Islamic Welfare Organisation (PERKIM) and the Regional Islamic Da’wah Council of Southeast Asia and the Pacific (RISEAP), led by Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, for adopting a more progressive and prudent approach to dakwah in strengthening the unity of the ummah and addressing Islamophobia.
He also expressed support for efforts to modernise the waqf ecosystem, describing the resolutions adopted at the convention as proposals that would be studied by the government before being submitted for consideration by the Cabinet and the Conference of Rulers.
The 2026 International Waqf Dakwah Convention today adopted three key resolutions, namely the establishment of a working consortium to strengthen waqf institutions, the utilisation of technology and digitalisation in waqf management, and the strengthening of the waqf ecosystem through more effective governance and strategic collaboration among various stakeholders.
