BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN – The Ministry of Spiritual Affairs has proposed a price range of B$280.3 million for FY 2026/27, with funding channelled in direction of new infrastructure and non secular training.
Throughout Wednesday’s Legislative Council session, the Minister of Spiritual Affairs, Pehin Dato Ustaz Hj Awg Badaruddin PDP Hj Awg Othman, defined that the overwhelming majority of the funding—roughly B$237 million—is devoted to emoluments to help the ministry’s workforce.
The rest of the price range contains B$18.6 million earmarked for improvement expenditure and B$4.2 million for recurring operational bills.
Breakdown of allocations
The biggest portion of the price range, totaling B$205 million or 73% of the general allocation, is directed towards the Division of Islamic Research. This funding primarily manages non secular and Arabic faculties, masking salaries for academics and officers, whereas additionally supporting greater training at Seri Begawan Lecturers’ Faculty and the Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Institute of Tahfiz Al-Quran.
Past training, the ministry has allotted B$35.9 million (13%) to the Division of Mosque Affairs and the Islamic Propagation Centre to fund non secular occasions and programmes for youth and new converts.
An extra B$29 million (10%) will help providers together with the Haj Affairs Division, the Zakat, Waqaf and Baitulmal Affairs Division, and the Brunei Islamic Spiritual Council.
Lastly, B$10.3 million is put aside for the Syariah Prosecution Division and the Islamic Laws Division to make sure the continued enforcement of the Syariah Penal Code and broader efforts to align Brunei’s legal guidelines with Syariah rules.
Building of mosques and non secular infrastructure
A good portion of the event fund is earmarked for bodily upgrades to academic and non secular services.
Key initiatives embody a brand new campus for Seri Begawan Spiritual Lecturers College Faculty and a everlasting campus for the Feminine Tahfiz and Diploma ‘Aliyah Qira’at Institute.
The minister additionally confirmed the development of two new faculties in Kg Kiulap and Kg Bolkiah, alongside new services at Tanah Jambu Spiritual College, Belait Arabic College, and Hassanal Bolkiah Arabic Excessive College.
Funding in group worship stays a precedence, with 12 new mosques and varied upgrades deliberate nationwide:
• Brunei-Muara: RPN Kg Mengkubau, RPN Kg Meragang, RPN Kg Rimba, STKRJ Kg Mata-Mata, Kg Sinarubai, Kg Burong Lepas, RPN Kg Tanah Jambu, and Kg Lugu.
• Belait: RPN Kg Lumut and RPN Kg Penaga.
• Tutong: STKRJ Kg Telisai.
• Temburong: Kg Batu Apoi and Kg Selapon.
Allocations have additionally been put aside for the development of the Islamic Spiritual College Exercise Centre in Kampong Senukoh.
Digitalisation of Haj registration
Th minister additionally shared updates on BruHaj, the web registration system launched in January 2025. The platform has efficiently registered 9,672 folks as of mid-March 2026.
Based mostly on the Saudi-mandated quota and present registration quantity , those that signed up up to now 12 months are projected to carry out their Haj between 2046 and 2059.
“This chance needs to be taken up by folks of their teenage years by means of to their 40s,” he suggested, noting that ready till later in life might lead to being unable to journey because of previous age. He inspired dad and mom and grandparents to contemplate early registration for kids to make sure they safe a spot inside their lifetime.
