KUALA LUMPUR – The Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) has 30 zakat distribution schemes covering basic needs, education, economy, and welfare to benefit tithe recipients (asnaf).
Its chairman Tan Sri Mohd Daud Bakar said zakat funds totalling RM855,519,208.03 had been distributed to a total of 220,769 beneficiaries last year via the aid schemes.
He said MAIWP provided monthly financial assistance to more than 30,000 recipients in addition to high-impact initiatives that emphasised the asnaf’s economic development through entrepreneurship assistance.
The programmes include its mushroom farming initiative involving 15 asnaf, MAIWP Agropreneur effort in collaboration with Grasicili (10 asnaf), a hydroponic farming programme at six People’s Housing Programme involving 180 asnaf and the forensic, coaching and mentoring programme for 138 asnaf.
Daud said MAIWP collaborated with training centres and industry players to provide asnaf’s children with industrial training and career assurance, adding that it had allocated RM4.3 million for that purpose which had benefited a total of 351 asnaf.
“In addition to providing educational infrastructure, MAIWP supports the government’s call to ensure that no asnaf children are left behind…by providing them with free tablet and wifi facilities.
“(For that purpose) in 2022, MAIWP spent more than RM100 million which benefited almost 40,000 asnaf’s children,” he said at the launch of MAIWP Carnival 2023 at Dataran Merdeka, here today.
On the two-day carnival that carries the theme “Memperkasa dan Berdaya Usaha-Menuju 50 Tahun Kecemerlangan MAIWP”, Daud said MAIWP wanted to reach out to the people, adding that the carnival featured products sold by asnaf entrepreneurs, services from educational and health institutions under MAIWP, a mass wedding ceremony involving 100 couples and MAIWP Run 2023.
Visitors can visit 100 stalls at the carnival showcasing various MAIWP products and get more information on its strategic partners, he added.
Tonight visitors will be entertained by a hand-to-hand combat display by the Malaysian army and a nasyid performance by the popular nasyid group Rabbani.
Among the events scheduled for tomorrow are the MAIWP Run 2023 and the mass wedding involving 100 newlyweds comprising the asnaf, the poor, as well as the converts who will be transported from Jalan Raja Laut to the carnival site in Dataran Merdeka on the Hop On Hop Off KL bus. – Bernama, January 28, 2023
