When the Mimbar Speaks of the Future

“Bersedia” - For What, Exactly?

The youth are told to be ready. But ready for what?
This isn’t just another sermon. It’s a challenge to all of us.
From AI to underemployment, this KopiTalk with MHO column breaks down what the mimbar said—and what society must do next.

Read the full piece and join the conversation.

By Malai Hassan Othman | KopiTalk with MHO

On the first Friday of August 2025, a message echoed from the pulpits of mosques across Brunei - but it wasn’t solely about the hereafter. Instead, it was a call for the future.

Titled “Belia: Harapan Negara”, the national Friday sermon urged Bruneian youth to embrace ilmu, sahsiah, jati diri, and economic contribution. 

Yet, the khutbah did more than uplift. 

It stirred. In an era defined by automation, AI disruption, climate uncertainty, and a shifting economic landscape, the call from the mosque felt louder, deeper - almost as if the mimbar was stepping into a vacuum that policymakers had left unfilled.

It raises a profound question: What does it mean when the religious pulpit, long seen as a space for spiritual reminders, becomes the loudest voice calling Brunei’s youth to readiness and relevance in a rapidly changing world?

A Sermon Amid Restlessness

• Dana Perlindungan Pendapatan Rakyat via Baitul Mal to support vulnerable households during economic shocks.

• Reform of basic cost-of-living structures, including targeted subsidies and national food/housing cooperatives.

• Youth and Elderly Economic Transformation Plans to create middle-skill, medium-term jobs in health, food security, digital, and green sectors.

• Early warning systems for economic downturns with automatic policy triggers.

• Platforms for safe civic expression, including regular town halls and legal protection for public feedback.

Across coffee shops and online forums, the sermon sparked conversation. Not because of its eloquence - Brunei has no shortage of eloquent preachers - but because of its timing. 

Many young people in the country today are caught in a paradox: well-educated, digitally literate, and globally aware, yet underemployed, underpaid, or simply uninspired.

Even more unsettling is the reality faced by their parents and grandparents. As one commentary puts it:

“Ramai yang sepatutnya bersara masih perlu bekerja kerana tiada simpanan mencukupi, manakala anak muda pula menganggur, menunggu giliran yang tak kunjung tiba.”

Unemployment and hidden joblessness continue to plague the youth. Meanwhile, inflation, a rising cost of living, and an ageing population strain the social fabric. 

People are afraid to speak out, fearful of losing their jobs or social support. Posters that call youth the "Hope of the Nation" seem disconnected from a lived reality that feels increasingly hopeless.

One recent graduate shared anonymously:

“Kami disuruh bersedia, tetapi untuk apa dan ke mana? Setiap kali mohon kerja, nda dapat. Mahu mula bisnes, nada modal. Lama-lama semangat pun hilang.”
 

Belia Bukan Rizab Pasif

The sermon’s call for youth readiness aligns with an urgent national imperative. 

As highlighted in a detailed analysis released earlier this month, Brunei’s strategic dependence on oil and gas (over 90% of exports and around 60% of GDP) leaves it acutely vulnerable to global price shocks and resource depletion.

"Wawasan Brunei 2035" envisions a dynamic and sustainable economy - but getting there requires human capital, not hydrocarbons. It requires youth.

Programs such as DARe, iCentre, and the National Digital Economy Masterplan 2025 have laid the groundwork. 

PKBN has instilled patriotism and discipline. Volunteer efforts during COVID-19 showed what Brunei's young are capable of. But these successes remain fragmented and under-leveraged.

Brunei’s youth must not be treated as passive reserves. They are not waiting to be used; they are demanding to be empowered. 

In today’s context, "bersedia" (readiness) doesn’t just mean being physically or spiritually prepared. 

It means being strategically, economically, and intellectually ready.

When Faith Speaks to Policy

What made this khutbah unique is not just its moral message, but its timing. 

With AI threatening traditional jobs, digital disruption changing industry landscapes, and youth increasingly restless, the religious sector has stepped into a national conversation many ministries have avoided or only paid lip service to.

Yet, sermons alone are not enough.

If the call to readiness is serious, it must be met with structural reform. Among the strategic proposals recommended by civic voices:

Without such actions, the mimbar risks being reduced to a noble voice crying in the wilderness.

Between the Pulpit and the Policy Desk

This convergence of faith and future could be transformative if taken seriously. 

The mosque cannot replace the ministry, but it can provoke the conscience of one. 

When the mimbar speaks of the future, it is not encroaching on policy - it is reminding policymakers of their promises.

In the end, a nation is not built by slogans or sermons alone. It is built when every segment of society - from the pulpit to the parliament, from the youth to the elders - marches in one direction.

As Imam Al-Ghazali once reminded us, 

"Jika kamu ingin melihat masa depan sesebuah bangsa, maka lihatlah keadaan belia hari ini." 

The mimbar has now pointed us to that mirror. What we choose to see - and do - from here will determine not just our economy, but our very identity.

And perhaps, in the weeks to come, Brunei's ministries, industry leaders, educators, and lawmakers should not just quote the sermon - they must sit with the youth, listen with humility, and act with urgency. (MHO/08/2026)

KopiTalk with MHO is a column that reflects the voice of the rakyat and offers grounded insights into Brunei’s path forward.