PUTRAJAYA, June 10 — The use of online payment platform have contributed to the surge of the zakat fitrah (personal tithe) payment collected in the Federal Territories by 1,100.06 per cent to RM4.97 million this year, from RM414,430 in 2019.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Seri Dr Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri said 195,922 contributors had fulfilled their responsibility through the online payment platform provided by the Federal Territories Zakat Collection Centre, namely, fitrah.zakat.com.my, this year.
"One of the main reason for the increased zakat collection is the enforcement of the conditional movement control order (CMCO), and we have been actively promoting the campaign for online payment through the website, Facebook and Instagram.
"We tried to make things easier for the people and the result has been very significant. It has never increased this much, the first time ever for the Federal Territories," he told reporters during the presentation of the ministry’s May 2020 report card here yesterday.
Zulkifli said the number of contributors also increased by 981.46 per cent compared to 18,116 people last year.
"The zakat collection will be spent wisely and distributed fairly to the eight asnaf (needy) categories," he said.
Elaborating on the ministry’s achievement, Zulkifli said that RM196.3 million had been distributed to 10 target groups, namely, Orang Asli, (asnaf) zakat recipients, frontliners, students, disabled persons, B40, mualaf (converts), homeless people, non-Muslims and foreigners in Malaysia, through the Covid-19 Musaadah Programme which began on March 18.
He added that the iTekad Financing Programme was also introduced in collaboration with Bank Islam, Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council and SME Corporation, to support the micro-entrepreneurs and asnaf who had lost their sources of income due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Besides, the e-commerce portal CMasa.my, led by the Malaysia Islamic Economic Development Foundation, has provided a platform for online businesses with a network base and supply chain to market products and services, with 988 registered entrepreneurs so far.
At the event, Zulkifli also launched the official website of the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs), www.mira.gov.my, which serves as a platform to convey current information relating to the department.
— Bernama
