KUALA LUMPUR – The additional RM3.5 million to the Malaysian Islamic Development Department’s (Jakim) budget next year will be used for “operational management costs”, including new programmes on TV Al-Hijrah.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Idris Ahmad told the Dewan Rakyat today the increase in allocation for Jakim is needed to accommodate several expenditures.
“Agencies under the Prime Minister’s Office need the funds to support their operational management costs.
“For example, Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia has to pay for the rental of its office at Putrajaya Islamic Complex, as well as support the costs of new programmes on TV Al-Hijrah,” he said during the Budget 2022 committee stage debates.
Under Budget 2022, Jakim will be getting an allocation of RM751 million, an increase from the RM747 million it received this year.
Overall, the Prime Minister’s Department for the development and management of Islamic affairs will be allocated RM1.5 billion next year, compared to RM1.4 billion this year.
Under its RM1.5 billion allocation, RM65 million will go into building a religious secondary school in Labuan, and a special one-off payment of RM500 to 70,000 mosque officers, among others.
This was announced during the tabling of Budget 2022 on October 29 by Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz. – The Vibes, November 22, 2021
