Kuala lumpur: Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) will launch zakat assessment for Fixed Price Funds managed by Amanah Saham Nasional Bhd (ASNB) through the al-Mustaghallat zakat method via Khultah (collective) in mid-2026. PNB deputy president and group chief executive Datuk Rick Ramli has targeted the participation of more than 30 per cent of Muslim unitholders in the first year of implementing the method, with an estimated zakat collection of RM60 million.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, this follows the announcement by the Muzakarah Committee of the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs Malaysia on September 4, 2025, which approved the zakat al-Mustaghallat method via khultah. ASNB plans to introduce a mechanism that will allow unitholders to choose whether to receive full income distribution or net income after zakat.

With this method, 2.57 per cent of dividends from ASNB’s Fixed Price Funds, including Amanah Saham Bumiputera (ASB), ASB 2, ASB 3 Didik, Amanah Saham Malaysia (ASM), ASM 2 Wawasan, and ASM 3, will be deducted and channeled to the respective state zakat collection centers for distribution to eligible asnaf (recipients) according to the rulings of the zakat authorities.

Rick stated that the advantage of this method is that zakat payment does not reduce investment capital, allowing income to continue to be generated from the invested funds. He noted that this concept is more suitable for fixed trust investments, as returns from fixed-price unit trusts come only from dividends and income distribution, not from buying and selling the units.

He added that payment through Khultah is more efficient and systematic, as unitholders do not need to calculate and pay zakat individually. However, payment of zakat through this method is not mandatory, but PNB hopes that as many unitholders as possible will participate.

Rick also mentioned that the method has been approved by the Fatwa Committees of the Federal Territories, Pahang, Penang, Kelantan, and Kedah. Discussions with other states are ongoing, and it is expected that by the time this method is launched in mid-2026, agreements with the remaining states will be secured.

For information, under the al-Mustaghallat method, zakat is calculated based on income derived from an asset, not on the asset itself. Unitholders of ASNB Fixed Price Funds may receive net income distribution after zakat through the Khultah or collective approach.