The “Jom Potong 2024” campaign provides aid to communities in need, helps Muslims promote social justice, fulfil religious obligations, strengthen community bonds, and foster a culture of giving alms.
MALAYSIA has made significant strides in reducing poverty and enhancing the living standards of many citizens. Initiatives such as targeted welfare programmes, economic diversification, and investment in education have contributed to these improvements, allowing many Malaysians to experience better access to healthcare, housing, and job opportunities.
However, inequality is on the rise, particularly among low-income and impoverished urban families, largely due to rapid urbanisation. As cities expand, the influx of people seeking better opportunities often exacerbates existing disparities, leaving some communities behind.
According to the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2022, the nation’s poverty rate stood at 6.2% of the population. Many urban families struggle with rising living costs, especially in terms of housing and basic necessities, making it difficult for them to escape the poverty cycle.
Urban poverty refers to the condition where individuals and families living in urban areas face inadequate resources and opportunities to meet their basic needs, such as food, shelter, healthcare, and education. Unlike rural poverty, which often involves access to land and agricultural livelihoods, urban poverty is characterised by challenges like high living costs, overcrowding, and limited access to quality services.
Urban poverty in Malaysia stems from rapid urbanisation and high living costs. Many low-income families struggle to meet their needs due to the rising expenses of housing, transportation, and basic goods. Employment opportunities often consist of low-paying and unstable jobs, leaving workers vulnerable.
This results in many of them residing in informal settlements or slums, where they experience insecure housing and a lack of infrastructure. This is why efforts such as zakat - the Islamic practice of charitable giving - play a vital role in addressing urban poverty by redistributing wealth to those in need.
As a Muslim obligation, zakat funds are channelled into targeted programmes, community organisations that can support low-income families, improve their stability, and enhance quality of life through skill development and job training, empowering individuals to secure better employment and break the cycle of poverty.
To simplify the zakat donation process, Muslims can opt for the “Jom Potong 2024” campaign conducted by the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council - Zakat Collection Centre (PPZ-MAIWP). Happening till December, the campaign encourages more Muslims to pay zakat through a monthly salary deduction scheme. It aims to collect a total of RM90mil from 7,000 zakat payers for the purpose of providing aid to communities in need.
That aside, taking part in “Jom Potong 2024” helps Muslims promote social justice, fulfil religious obligations, strengthen community bonds, foster a culture of giving alms, among others. Participants of the campaign need not go through any trouble to begin making a positive difference in their own capacity. All one needs to do is fill up an online form that grants the PPZ-MAIWP authority to handle the heavy lifting after.
PPZ-MAIWP chief executive officer Datuk Abdul Hakim Amir Osman has emphasised that zakat payment through the scheme is crucial as it ensures the continuity of zakat distribution by PPZ-MAIWP to asnaf (those eligible to receive zakat) recipients in the Federal Territories, every month.
Expressing optimism that this “hassle-free” payment channel would remain popular among zakat payers due to its simplicity and systematic approach, Abdul Hakim had pointed out that campaign participants would be eligible for a 100% income tax rebate from the Inland Revenue Board.
This is in addition to an automatic coverage under the Kafalah Muzakki Scheme (Khairat Kematian) which will provide contributors a death benefit of up to RM3,000.
Start or increase your monthly zakat deduction at ptg.zakat.com.my and get the chance to win exciting prizes including umrah packages, electric motorcycles, massage chairs, airwheel luggage and more!
