Some consumers prefer to go cashless to avoid overspending at Ramadan bazaars. 一 CHAN TAK KONG/The Star
As Muslims everywhere observe the month of Ramadan by fasting from dawn to sunset, they are also encouraged to spend time with their families, reflect on their faith and perform charitable deeds.
This also includes paying zakat fitrah (tithe). According to Mohd Sabirin Mohd Sarbini, CEO of Lembaga Zakat Selangor, the purpose of zakat fitrah is to remind Muslims to do their part in helping the needy during Ramadan.
“How this relates to the festive period is that the collection will be channelled to the poor and needy so that during Hari Raya, they too can afford a celebration,” he says.
Traditionally, Muslims visit certified Zakat collection centres to make payments. This allows both the payer and the authorised tithe collector to complete the process by saying a prayer while facing each other.
This year, Lembaga Zakat Selangor will be setting up counters at popular spots, including train stations, to make it convenient for Muslims to make payments.
Turning to tech
Tech-driven initiatives have been adopted as far back as 2007, when Terengganu introduced an SMS system for making Zakat payments.
However, the payment system is not as widely used now – in Selangor, for instance, the service is only available to Bank Islam customers.
Other than paying over the counter, Muslims have the choice of paying zakat fitrah on online platforms. — Bernama
To keep up with the times, Lembaga Zakat Selangor has introduced various online payment methods since early 2000, according to Mohd Sabirin.
“We started by working with banks so users could pay directly via the Financial Process Exchange (FPX). To date, we have collaborated with 14 banks on this,” he says.
On top of that, there are other forms of payment, including through intermediaries such as MYEG, which allows users to set up an account and manage their zakat payments.
Another option are companies with ewallets – Mohd Sabirin says users can pay zakat to Lembaga Zakat Selangor via Touch ‘n Go, Boost and GoPayz.
According to Mohd Sabirin, online payment methods are increasingly gaining traction.
“Since 2020, overall zakat collection through online payment methods has increased by 45%.
“In terms of payers, we saw an increase of 39% in the last three years. When compared to traditional payment methods, both the collection and number of users relying on them only increased by 10%,” he says.
Despite the lower adoption rate, Mohd Sabirin says traditional payment methods still have the most users in total, as the majority commit to monthly zakat deductions from their salaries.
From apps to cashless payments at Ramadan bazaars, tech is being shaped to serve Muslims better during the holy month. — 123rf.com
To make tech solutions more appealing, Mohd Sabirin says Lembaga Zakat Selangor is focused on the ease and convenience of online payments while helping less tech-savvy users adapt.
“For these users, we have to help them using a one-to-one approach (such as by educating them at payment counters).
“It’s not just about teaching them about online payments but also increasing their digital literacy,” he says.
Lim Yang Hanson, a Muslim convert who works as a chef, says he started paying Zakat through an app, TheNoor, last year.
“When I became eligible to pay zakat, my wife showed me how to make the payment through the app. I like that it’s convenient,” he says.
Lim says he’s not missing out on the traditional aspects of paying through the app, as he gets a pop-up screen with a line to recite.
“This serves as a reminder of our intentions when making the Zakat payments,” he adds.
Mohd Sabirin says it’s also vital to warn people about online scams, as there have been incidents of fraudsters making illegal collections.
In 2021, it was reported that scammers were trying to trick the public into transferring their payment into a third-party account or revealing their banking information, such as passwords and OTP numbers, by impersonating Zakat officers.
“Once we detect such an activity, we immediately make public announcements to alert users to be aware,” he says.
An app approach
Muslims, such as barista Danial Safian, rely on apps like Muslim Pro to keep track of prayer times and fasting hours.
“I find it especially useful when I’m on the road and staying a bit far from the mosque, as I may not hear the Azan (call to prayer),” he says.
Apps like Tilawah, Recite and TheNoor were developed to help Muslims in Malaysia recite the Quran, be reminded of prayer times and more. — 123rf.com
The app comes with a number of features, including a personal tracker for fasting days and the Quran in multiple languages, such as Bahasa Malaysia and English.
Nur Zafikah, an indoor sales coordinator, also relies on Muslim Pro during the holy month.
“I use Muslim Pro to track my fasting, and like it more than a traditional calendar, which I have to change every year.
“Switching to a new calendar can cause me to lose track of the days I fasted and the number of days I have to replace,” she says.
She also uses the app to track prayer times, especially for Subuh (the start of fasting) and Maghrib (the breaking of the fast) during Ramadan.
“It’s great that it gives daily Quran verses and prayers for inspiration and motivation that can be shared with friends and family.
“This is helpful when I’m feeling down or having a hard time,” she says.
She has also experienced an unintended reduction in time spent on social media.
“I didn’t purposefully cut down. It’s just that during Ramadan, there’s so much more to do after work, like preparing meals for breaking fast with the family, attending Terawih at the mosque and more.
“So, my schedule ends up being packed, which makes me spend less time on social media,” she says.
Meanwhile, postgraduate aircraft engineering student Muhammad Zharif Johaidi says he has a shortcut set on his phone that helps him do a quick search for Azan times.
However, for other things, he prefers the old-fashioned way.
“I’ve become used to reading from the physical version of the Quran, which is colour-coded with extra markings so I don’t make pronunciation mistakes when reciting.
“My personal copy has a lot of indicators, which I find handy,” he says.
He finds reading the Quran on the phone to be quite a hassle, as sometimes scrolling is required or the font may be too small.
As with any application, users are encouraged to check with the relevant religious authority on the accuracy of the information displayed.
On March 10, the Home Affairs Ministry encouraged Quran application developers to contact it to ensure that there were no errors in the content.
Nik Yusaimi Yusoff, the divisional secretary under the enforcement and control division at the ministry, said the verification will be conducted by the Al-Quran Text Review and Evaluation Committee. To date, the ministry has approved one app – Smart Quran – that was developed by the Islamic Development Department (Jakim).
The app, released in 2018, includes features such as audio recitals and translations of the Quran in English and Bahasa Malaysia.
Also, the Selangor Mufti Department released a statement this month on Facebook advising Muslims to check the accuracy of prayer times displayed on mobile apps against information published on its website.
“This department has detected a few applications that displayed prayer times that are different compared to the ones published by religious authorities,” it said in a statement without specifying the names of the applications.
It also advised users to check the accuracy of the time based on the Malaysian Standard Time application available on the Sirim website (bit.ly/MSTsirim).
Cashless convenience
There have also been concerted initiatives to encourage consumers to go cashless at Ramadan bazaars.
Back in 2019, the Ramadan bazaar at Kampung Baru in Kuala Lumpur announced that it was going fully cashless after a partnership with Touch ‘n Go.
At the time, the bazaar had some 400 stalls.
Since the pandemic, initiatives have been introduced to encourage customers to go cashless at Ramadan bazaars. — ART CHEN/The Star
During the pandemic in 2020, when the movement control order prohibited Ramadan bazaars, traders relied on online delivery services to send food to their customers.
Eventually, when restrictions were loosened and Ramadan bazaars were allowed again, traders were encouraged to adopt cashless payments to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Starting last year, the Subang Jaya City Council made it mandatory for Ramadan bazaar traders to fully utilise cashless transactions.
The city council said in a report that it will perform checks to ensure that traders have ewallet payment facilities at their stalls.
The council is continuing the initiative this year and requiring ewallet payments at all 26 Ramadan bazaars under its jurisdiction. The initiative involves a total of 1,144 traders.
To boost the use of ewallets, the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry has set up kiosks where visitors can redeem an RM20 ewallet voucher at selected Rahmah Ramadan bazaars throughout the country.
Deputy Minister Fuziah Salleh said RM2mil has been allocated for the incentive and the vouchers will be made available to the first 6,000 users in each state. But not all consumers expect or want the bazaars to go fully cashless.
Muhammad Zharif says having both the option to pay through an ewallet and with cash is best.
“Using cash helps me stay on budget because I can only spend what I have in my wallet,” he says.
Danial also says that he doesn’t mind if sellers don’t have cashless payment solutions.
“I don’t believe it’s a hassle when sellers insist on cash, as I understand it can be quite tough for them to track both physical and digital payments, especially during busy periods,” he adds.
But there is no stopping progress. Mohd Sabirin says that Lembaga Zakat Selangor will continue exploring how technology can be used to innovate payment systems, including ways to better channel aid to the needy.
“However, we must always remember that in our pursuit to go digital, we can’t forget to maintain the human touch as a way to better connect with our users,” he says.
