MUZAKARAH ZAKAT NUSANTARA FACILITATES REGIONAL DIALOGUE ON ZAKAT AFFAIRS

BANGI, July 2 (Bernama) -- The Muzakarah Zakat Nusantara (MZN) serves as a platform for over 280 participants from Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand and Indonesia to exchange views on the advancement of zakat management and related affairs in their respective nations.

The four-day event, which began yesterday, brings together representatives from various sectors, particularly those involved in zakat management, fatwa drafting and syariah advisory, Islamic scholars, researchers, academics, corporate figures and individuals.

Lembaga Zakat Selangor (LZS) Syariah and Dakwah Division head Salehuddin Abu Samah said that MZN also serves as a platform for sharing developments in knowledge, legal rulings and zakat governance from various states and countries for the benefit of stakeholders in the zakat industry.

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“In line with this, 41 papers will be presented to delve into topics related to zakat management, especially concerning syariah developments and more realistic approaches to zakat dakwah in keeping with the times,” he told a press conference after the event’s inauguration by Selangor Islamic Religious Council chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof.

The muzakarah also addresses issues and agendas for changes in the understanding of zakat to better meet the future needs of the increasingly complex ummah.

Meanwhile, in his speech, Abdul Aziz said that MZN, organised by LZS in collaboration with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, is a credible platform for zakat institutions to address various questions and spark zakat innovations in the region.

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“For your information, MZN was initiated by LZS with the vision of advancing zakat in five countries. As a result, zakat institutions from five ASEAN countries joined as strategic partners.

“Since then, MZN has continued to strive to become the main stage for sharing various aspects of zakat management progress and related affairs, particularly from the perspective of its legal rulings and dakwah approaches,” he said.

Singapore Deputy Mufti Dr Izal Mustafa Kamar, one of the participants, said that MZN is an excellent initiative where numerous academic research on zakat are presented and discussed with participants from other countries.

“I believe we can take the findings of these studies back to Singapore for further deliberation,” he said.

Inisiatif Zakat Indonesia Syariah Compliance Bureau manager Muhammad Suharsono opined that MZN is highly beneficial and positive for zakat administration in the region.

“The administration of zakat is rapidly progressing and must be in line with syariah compliance,” he said.

Dr Mutsalim Khareng, a lecturer from Princess of Naradhiwas University, Thailand, said the event serves as a crucial platform to discuss current zakat issues, including its administration and management in countries where Muslims are a minority.

“In Muslim minority countries, the situation is different from those with a Muslim majority. We must learn from the experiences of countries that have successfully managed zakat, such as Malaysia.

“Through this muzakarah, we can gain insights and share them with the people in our country to raise awareness about the obligation of zakat and related matters,” he added.

At the event, Abdul Aziz also launched the first series of the ‘Sembang Zakat’ Cartoon Book, a compilation of zakat dakwah cartoons published on LZS’s official social media.

-- BERNAMA