JAKIM Assures Zakat, Halal Issues Being Handled Prudently

PADANG RENGAS, April 24 (Bernama) -- Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) has urged the public to continue trusting the tithe institution and let authorities investigate recent viral allegations of zakat fund misappropriation.

Its director-general, Datuk Dr Sirajuddin Suhaimee, said the State Islamic Religious Councils are not involved in the issue.

"The councils entrusted with managing zakat collection are not involved. Instead, a third party is believed to have misused the funds.

"The public should remain confident that state religious agencies are following all procedures and guidelines. Any conclusion must be based on official investigations," he told reporters after launching the Jakim 2026 MADANI adopted village and MADANI adopted school programmes here today.

He added that the issue of cross-state zakat payments has also been discussed by the Muzakarah Committee of the National Council for Malaysian Islamic Religious Affairs (MKI). 

Sirajuddin said the Muzakarah Committee has decided on the matter and presented it to the Conference of Rulers, receiving royal assent that the act constitutes an offence.

"It is now up to each state to take action against any party from another state that collects zakat within its jurisdiction.

"Only authorised amil (zakat collectors) appointed by that state are qualified and empowered to collect zakat, be it zakat fitrah (obligatory charity at the end of Ramadan) or zakat on wealth, within that state," he said.

Meanwhile, on the issue of halal certification, Sirajuddin said religious authorities in Melaka have taken action against a coffee and biscuit manufacturing company whose halal certificate was revoked, in collaboration with the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living.

"We want to stress that any product whose halal certificate has been revoked can no longer be marketed as halal and must be removed from the market," he said.

He advised traders to always check the halal status of the products they sell, while consumers are encouraged to verify through Jakim's official portal or the Verify Halal application before making purchases.

Meanwhile, Sirajuddin said today's programmes aim to boost community development across physical, spiritual and social aspects, aligned with MADANI Government goals.

For 2026, Kampung Buaya has been selected as the MADANI adopted village, while Sekolah Kebangsaan Tun Dr Ismail has been selected as the MADANI adopted school (SAM).

They have been allocated RM500,000 and RM100,000, respectively, with approval from the Ministry of Finance.

Additionally, the local community will receive RM30,000 worth of food baskets, RM15,000 in educational contributions from Tabung Haji, RM5,000 for Sekolah Rendah Agama Rakyat Al-Falahiyyah, and RM5,000 for Pertubuhan Kebajikan Anak Yatim Nur Hidayah.

-- BERNAMA