Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim greeting tahfiz students at a buka puasa event with the community at Masjid Ahmadi, Kampung Rantau Panjang in Klang, in April. The government is committed to supporting religious activities, in line with the Rukun Negara whereby Islam is the official religion while other religions are allowed to be practised freely. – The Star filepic
THE Government has provided an allocation of RM1.5bil under Belanjawan 2023 for the management of Islamic affairs in the country to advance the administrative efficiency of Islamic institutions here.
Initiatives for Islamic matters as announced by the prime minister during the tabling of Belanjawan 2023 include:
> Repairs: RM150mil for repair works at rakyat Islamic schools, tahfiz schools and registered pondok institutions.
> Higher KAFA allowance: More than RM40mil to increase allowance by RM100 – bringing the amount to RM1,100 – for 35,000 Kelas Agama and Fardu Ain (KAFA) teachers.
Also, more than RM40mil for a RM600 one-off special payment to 70,000 imam, bilal, tok siak, noja, marbut, KAFA teachers and takmir teachers.
EPF syariah savings
With regards to EPF syariah savings introduced in 2017, syariah savings assets are currently invested alongside syariah-compliant assets in conventional savings.
Starting 2024, EPF syariah savings assets will be fully separated to provide competitive returns to the 1.25 million members who own syariah accounts.
Wakaf development
For wakaf land development, the government has received commitments from the private sector to establish Wakaf Madani with assets worth more than RM1bil – for the land, mosques as well as health and education facilities.
These assets will be optimised for the benefit of the poor, low income earners and other vulnerable groups.
According to the prime minister, in line with the Madani framework, the wakaf method is one of the redistributive mechanisms that contribute to universal prosperity.
“The success of the Bank Islam Tower development in Kuala Lumpur’s Golden Triangle on the wakaf of Ahmad Dawjee Dadabhoy, which is of high value, indicates the wakaf sector’s real potential in development.
“Similarly, Waqf Seetee Aisyah and Waqf Simpang Enam in Penang can be used as reference points in developing local socioeconomic centres.
“In fact, Wakaf Felda proves that there is a paradigm shift on the part of settlers whereby they are no longer simply aid recipients but have started sharing their rizq (provisions) with the accumulated wakaf exceeding RM27mil, despite the wakaf fund being recently launched in 2021,” Anwar said.
He added that so far, only around 3,500 hectares or 12% of registered wakaf land have been successfully developed and fresh efforts in developing wakaf land and assets need to be continuously explored.
Support for all religions
The government is committed to supporting religious activities, in line with the Rukun Negara whereby Islam is the official religion while other religions are allowed to be practised freely.
As for non-Islamic faiths, an allocation of RM50mil is provided for the maintenance and repair work of non-Muslim houses of worship throughout the country.
These measures have succeeded in providing relief to the target groups and there are various other initiatives under Belanjawan 2023 to support religious activities and ensure that they remain vibrant.
Those who qualify for these initiatives should quickly apply for the benefits.
The application process is not cumbersome and is user-friendly, and the aid will be swiftly channelled to those who qualify.
To learn about the many more benefits that the government has given the rakyat in Belanjawan 2023 measures, go to belanjawan.mof.gov.my/manfaat.
