The meeting took place on Sunday, June 11, in Bokaap and was attended by Muslim religious leaders from South Africa and a delegation of religious leaders from Perlis, Malaysia. The chief guest was the Regent of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail.

Under the Banner of the United Ulama Council of South Africa (UUCSA) various of its members including the Muslim Judicial Council (MJC), Cape Town Ulama Board (CTUB), Sunni Ulama Council (SUC), Jamiatul Ulama South Africa (JUSA), Sunni Jamiatul Ulama (SJU), Darul Ishsan (DIHC), Jamiatul Ulama KZN (JUKZN), Council of Ulema Eastern Cape (CUEC) and Northen Cape Ulema Council (NCUC) was present at this meeting representing South Africa while the Majlis Agama Islam dan Adat Istiadat Melayu Perlis (MAIPs) was representing the state of Perlis.

The purpose of the meeting was to foster closer ties between the two communities and to explore the challenges and opportunities in promoting Islamic education and spreading the message of Islam to a wider audience.

The president of UUCSA, Moulana Abdul Khaliq Allie, welcomed His Royal Highness Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail while sharing a small message and appreciation for their visit to Cape Town.

During this visit, the delegates aimed to discuss the ways in which, South Africa and Perlis can collaborate on various initiatives, including education, religious dialogue, and networking.

The facilitator of the meeting Mickaeel Collier of AWQAFSA shared a brief history of the relationship between Malaysia and South Africa, in particular to Muslims and the Saints of the Cape.

One of the reasons for this visit was the need for greater investment in Islamic education at the tertiary level. The delegates during discussions emphasized the importance of providing high-quality education that would enable students to contribute effectively to the development of their communities and the wider Islamic world.

Members of the various Organisations had the opportunity to discuss with members of MAIPs, the challenges facing Muslim communities in both South Africa and Perlis and how they could work together to address these issues.

The meeting concluded with both parties agreeing to continue the dialogue and explore ways to strengthen the relationship between South Africa and Perlis.

During the discussions between the Deputy Chair of Perlis Islamic Religious Council, Dr. Hazam Hassan, and the Secretary of the Cape Town Ulama Board Shaykh Sayed Ridhwaan, they expressed their appreciation for the opportunity to engage in meaningful dialogue and exchange of ideas. Shaykh Sayed further added that “this meeting has laid the groundwork for future collaborations between religious leaders from South Africa and Melayu Perlis”.

The Perlis delegation was proud to showcase their traditional “Korma”, signature food dish with the aim to introduce the “Pelis Food Promotion” initiative and open the doors to tourists visiting Perlis.

Speaking at the meeting, His Royal Highness, Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail expressed his appreciation for the warm welcome and hospitality that he and his delegation had received. He said that he was confident that the meeting would lead to closer collaboration between the two communities and create opportunities for Muslims in South Africa and Perlis.

During the visit to South Africa, the delegation will also be part of the International Seminar on Tajdid in collaboration with AWQAF SA, MJC, IPSA, and Islamia College on Monday 12 June 2023.

Source: Sayed Ridhwaan