By Olukayode Idowu
Malaysia has expressed interest in collaborating with Nigeria in the area of religion and Islamic education.
The interest was shown at the weekend during the visit the visit of His Royal Highness, the acting King of the State of Perlis in Malaysia and Regent of Perils Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail to Nigeria.
In his welcome address at the Malaysia High Commission in Abuja, the High Commissioner of Malaysia to Nigeria, Aiyub Bin Omar while speaking extensively about the significant of the visit of the Regent of Perils to Nigeria, said in his opening remarks that, the visit will cement advancing bilateral relations and nurturing an atmosphere of profound mutual understanding and collaboration between Nigeria and Malaysia, most especially with Islamic community in Nigeria.
He said: “His highness came to Nigeria on invitation of his Eminent Sultan of Sokoto,His Majesty Sultan Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III. This visit is aimed to also promote Perils state as a state who now try to grow and expand its education. The State wants foreign students and scholars to visit.”
He disclosed that: “Upon arrival, the Regent visit Sultan of Sokoto having robust discussion with some Islamic scholars and centre of Islamic Studies on exchange of information about religions issues, about the caliphate of Sokoto and we also had the public lecture at the University of Abuja, where we also had discussions with the students, and the professors, on the topic: Fabricated Hadith”.
He noted that: “This historic visit would not only solidified diplomatic ties but also marked significant collaboration and create greater opportunity for Islamic student in Nigeria who would like to schooled in Malaysia and enjoy the scholarship been given by the State of Perils and this will further strengthen the bilateral agreement between the two nations through academia.
“The visit will also extend to Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs where the Regent of Perils will be having engagement with the government officials on how to create a synergy and transfer of knowledge between the two countries, through educational programmes and cultural values in other to promote educational standard and diplomacy.”
During the Visit to Nasrul‐Lahi‐il Fathi Society of Nigeria (NASFAT) , His Royal Highness Syed gave five scholarships to five students to school in Kolej Universiti Islam Perlis (KUIPs), which is the parts of his commitment to strengthen diplomatic ties and academic collaboration, showcasing his commitment to global partnerships and educational excellence. The donation of RM 200,000.00 which is about N68,000,000 was given for the construction of Mosque in Ibadan through Al-Mawwadah Charity Foundation. The gesture is to further show his commitment to the course of Islam in Nigeria.
The envoy said the visit royal would want Nigerians to pay visit to Perils for tourism and business.
