KUCHING: Institut Kemahiran Islam Malaysia Sarawak (IKMAS) is expanding its training scope beyond Islamic studies through its collaboration with the Centre of Technical Excellence Sarawak (CENTEXS).
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Dr Zulkifli Hasan said the collaboration has enabled IKMAS students to undergo skills training in areas including Android mobile application development, digital marketing and hardware installation.
He said the initiative, which is now in its third batch, was part of efforts to strengthen IKMAS by providing students with exposure to skills outside their core Islamic education.
“Among the initiatives we have introduced to further strengthen IKMAS is our collaboration with CENTEXS, where we send our students to attend skills classes.
“This shows that we are not solely focused on Islamic studies, tahfiz, al-Qiraat, dakwah and Islamic studies, but are also exposing our graduates to useful skills that can help them pursue their careers in the future,” he said.
He said this to reporters after the 22nd Convocation Ceremony of the Institut Kemahiran Islam Malaysia Sarawak (IKMAS) 2026 at Sarawak Islamic Complex hall here on Tuesday (Aug 18).
Zulkifli added that such exposure was important in ensuring IKMAS graduates were equipped with a broader set of competencies that could complement their Islamic education and increase their opportunities in the workforce.
The collaboration also reflected IKMAS’ efforts to produce well-rounded graduates who were not only knowledgeable in Islamic studies but also possessed practical skills relevant to the demands of the current employment landscape.
