KUALA LUMPUR: Kolej Profesional Baitulmal Kuala Lumpur (KPBKL) has been allocated RM20.5 million by the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) alongside several corporations to aid students from the asnaf group-those eligible to receive tithe-in their higher education pursuits at the institution this year.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar disclosed that RM19.85 million of the total funds originated from zakat (tithe) collections, while RM699,350 was contributed by Tabung Haji (TH), Inland Revenue Board (LHDN), Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), and Zurich Takaful, among others.

Approximately 85 per cent of KPBKL students belong to the asnaf category. Dr Mohd Na’im expressed hope that these funds would motivate students to alter their destinies and, in the future, transform into zakat contributors themselves. The contributions are provided in forms such as wakalah zakat, educational equipment, and the estab
lishment of new infrastructure, including computer labs.

The announcement was made during the launch of the college’s Asnaf Youth Soul Journey Carnival, where MAIWP chairman Syed Kamarulzaman Syed Kabeer was also in attendance. The carnival, which collaborates with corporate sector entities and non-governmental organisations, marks MAIWP’s 50th anniversary and includes motivational and sports activities.

Dr Na’im emphasized that the carnival serves as an opportunity to engage asnaf youths, pushing them to strive for an enhanced quality of life, ultimately aiding in the improvement of their familial status. He stressed the importance of education as a pivotal element in breaking the poverty cycle and influencing change in the students’ futures.

In a statement, MAIWP highlighted the Soul Journey event’s aim to foster a strong sense of identity, religious grounding, and family values among asnaf youths, especially those residing in the People’s Housing Projects in Kuala Lumpur.