Negeri Sembilan Wakaf Apartment To Bring Meaningful Benefits To Gaza - MAPIM

SEREMBAN, Feb 28 (Bernama) -- Negeri Sembilan’s move to introduce the Negeri Sembilan Wakaf Apartment Fund, as part of the Malaysia Wakaf City project in Gaza, is set to deliver meaningful benefits to Gaza and serve as a global model for wakaf-based development.

Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organisation (MAPIM) chief executive officer Datuk Sani Araby, who is also the founder and director of the Malaysia Wakaf City project in Gaza said the initiative reflected the state’s commitment to jointly rebuilding Gaza.

“Negeri Sembilan is among the early states to respond to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's call by expressing its readiness to jointly rebuild Gaza, including through the construction of wakaf apartments.

“We want to prove that while we may not be able to solve the entire problem, through this MADANI agenda, we want to show that Negeri Sembilan is also contributing with wakaf apartments. This effort will not succeed without the support of all parties,” he said.

He said this to reporters after the launch of the Negeri Sembilan Wakaf Apartment Fund, officiated by Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun here today.

The Prime Minister was previously reported as saying that Malaysia would spearhed efforts to build a school, hospital, and mosque in Gaza to help ease the suffering of the Palestinian people by uniting the efforts of all parties, including government-linked companies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the corporate and private sectors, as well as the people.

The Malaysia Wakaf City project includes 14 wakaf apartment blocks, each representing a Malaysian state, a mosque modelled after the Shah Alam Mosque, a Malaysian school, a recreational park, business premises under the Micro-Credit Qardhul Hasan programme, a health clinic, and a water tank tower, forming a comprehensive and sustainable development ecosystem.

According to Sani, several key components were contributed by various parties, including the state governments of Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, and Terengganu, as well as the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia, Yayasan Wakaf Malaysia, Cinta Gaza Malaysia, and Gagasan MyAqsa Defender.

He added that the initiative also received the consent of the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, who decreed and launched the Selangor-Gaza Ihsan Development Fund in March last year.

Meanwhile, he said the Malaysia Wakaf City project, estimated at RM120 million, spans 35.2 hectares (87 acres) of wakaf land and has so far received wakaf approval worth RM44 million.

“Each apartment in the city, valued at RM4.5 million, will benefit 224 community members from 28 families. Additionally, the wakaf city is expected to generate job opportunities for around 36,000 individuals across various sectors.

“We are very optimistic, but this noble effort will not succeed without support from all parties... Now, we are on the right track in line with the agenda outlined by the Prime Minister,” he said.

Meanwhile, Aminuddin said the construction of the apartments provided a platform to demonstrate solidarity with Palestine by offering basic assistance to its people while introducing the wakaf development model in the country.

“Today, we are handing over RM1 million to MAPIM for the initial phase. We aim to raise more than RM4.5 million, not just for wakaf apartments but also to develop the new city, which is equally important. We hope the community will seize this opportunity during Ramadan to contribute to charity,” he said.

-- BERNAMA