Kuala lumpur: Issues surrounding fund mismanagement and weak governance within several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) necessitate comprehensive reforms to rebuild public confidence, stated Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Dr. Zulkifli Hasan. He highlighted that a significant challenge for civil society today is the erosion of public trust in NGOs following past incidents.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Dr. Zulkifli emphasized that public trust in NGOs, including Islamic NGOs, has been compromised due to specific cases. He noted that restoring this trust is a collective responsibility at both governmental and civil society levels to ensure continued support from both domestic and international communities.

Dr. Zulkifli explained that the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs), in collaboration with the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM), Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (YADIM), and other religious agencies, is assisting Islamic NGOs in enhancing their governance and professionalism to meet international standards. These efforts include reform initiatives like capacity-building programs that focus on public fund management and overall financial administration.

Addressing reporters, Dr. Zulkifli stated that the current approach to reform is voluntary and non-coercive, focusing on audits and best practices to rebuild public confidence in NGO fund management. The programme, organized by YADIM, was attended by over 200 Islamic NGO representatives nationwide and aligns with the Malaysia MADANI aspiration, which underscores humanity, wellbeing, and integrity-based governance.