KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 10 — Several Islamic civil rights groups and NGOs will hold a seminar on nation building to forge social unity later this month, alongside its annual congress.

The day-long event, called Seminar Pembinaan Bangsa Malaysia (Se-Bangsa 2019) will take place at the Bangi Avenue Convention Centre in Kajang on Saturday, October 26.

Jointly organised by Persatuan Wadah Pencerdasan Umat, the Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia, the National Islamic Students Association of Malaysia, and the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT), the event is scheduled to start at 7am and end before 11pm.

The seminar, which runs concurrently with the groups' sixth Ijtimak Harakiy congress on issues pertaining to Islamic society, will be officiated by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in his capacity as IIIT chairman at 10am.

Later in the evening, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail is expected to deliver a dinner speech to the seminar's forum panellists and participants.

The seminar will discuss topics such as the history and philosophy of nation-building, the dynamics of a plural society, as well as past and future challenges for nation-building. Walk-ins from members of the public who wish to listen in are welcomed

Its panellists include International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation's Prof Osman Bakar, National University of Singapore's Prof Syed Khairudin Aljunied, Pertubuhan Ikram Malaysia president Mohd Parid Sheikh Ahmad, Universiti Malaya's Prof Suresh Kumar Govin, and Bersih 2.0 chairman Thomas Fann, among others.