Islamic Ngos Urged To Reform Governance To Regain Public Trust – Zulkifli

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 4 (Bernama) -- Issues of fund mismanagement and weak governance in several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) call for comprehensive reforms to restore public confidence, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Dr Zulkifli Hasan.

He said a key challenge facing civil society today is the erosion of public trust in NGOs following certain past incidents.

“Previously, the public had great confidence in NGOs. But when specific cases emerged, this trust, including in Islamic NGOs, was undermined.

“It is our shared responsibility, both at the government and civil society levels, to restore this core confidence so that we can secure support from the public, both domestically and internationally,” he said in his speech at the launch of the Islamic NGO Capacity Development Engagement Programme here today.

Zulkifli said the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs), alongside the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM), Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (YADIM) and other religious agencies, is helping Islamic NGOs strengthen governance and professionalism to levels comparable with international NGOs.

He said the efforts include targeted reform initiatives, such as capacity-building programmes focusing on public fund management and overall financial administration.

Speaking to reporters later, he said the current approach is voluntary and non-coercive, including on audits, with an emphasis on best practices to restore public confidence in how NGOs manage funds.

The programme, organised by YADIM, was attended by more than 200 Islamic NGO representatives from across the country and aligns with the Malaysia MADANI aspiration, which emphasises humanity, wellbeing and integrity-based governance.

-- BERNAMA