Ipoh: The Perak Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (MAIPk) collected RM253 million in zakat in 2024, marking an increase from RM237 million recorded in 2023. MAIPk Chief Executive Officer Syamsul Hazeman Md Salleh said the figure represented the highest collection to date, enabling greater distribution to eligible recipients (asnaf).

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Syamsul Hazeman highlighted that this significant increase allows for larger allocations to benefit more asnaf groups. He made these remarks during a hi-tea event with corporate zakat contributors and the presentation of welfare assistance for higher education students and orphanages in the state.

He added that 43 companies and individuals contributed zakat through the wakalah (agency) platform in Perak last year, totaling RM24.3 million. Of this amount, RM2.3 million was allocated to ‘fakir miskin’ (the poor and needy), RM2.1 million for ‘fisabilillah’ (Islamic causes), RM737,703 for ‘gharimin’ (debtors), and RM502,010 for muallaf (converts). Public and private educational institutions received the highest wakalah allocation at RM18.6 million.

Syamsul Hazeman also announced that MAIPk disbursed RM540,000 to 10 higher education institutions in Perak this year under its Student Welfare Assistance Scheme. He stated that the scheme aims to ease the financial burden of asnaf students in campus life, with funds managed by the Zakat Trust Fund Committee as part of efforts to address campus poverty.

Additionally, MAIPk contributed RM257,000 in zakat funds to 18 orphanages across the state to support their operational costs.