IPOH, Aug 15 (Bernama) -- Seventy per cent of funds collected through mosque donations have been proposed to be channelled towards helping those in need, in addition to enlivening mosques through various community and educational programmes.
Perak Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (MAIPk) president Tan Sri Mohd Annuar Zaini said the proposal was aimed at ensuring that the funds collected could directly benefit mosque congregations, particularly those from underprivileged backgrounds, instead of merely being kept as reserve funds in banking institutions.
He said the proposal would be presented to the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, for his consent.
“Ideally, we should encourage a formula whereby 70 per cent of the funds collected in the current year are used for the benefit of the mosque, so that the mosque can be more active and conduct programmes.
“For example, mosque management can help those in need by providing food and so on, or provide extra classes for children from the congregation whose parents cannot afford to send them to tuition centres,” he said.
He said this when met by reporters after officiating the closing of the 2026 Perak State Mosque Congregational Committee Convention at the Casuarina Convention Centre here today.
Also present were Perak Islamic Religious Department (JAIPk) director Datuk Harith Fadzilah Abdul Halim and MAIPk chief executive officer Syamsul Hazeman Md Salleh.
Elaborating, Mohd Annuar said some mosques had savings amounting to hundreds of thousands of ringgit but still sought government assistance when faced with the need to repair damage or organise community programmes.
“If the money is kept in the bank, it may generate an investment return of three or four per cent. But investment in human capital development, in my view, is more valuable,” he said.
He added that the efficiency of mosque financial management should be assessed based on the extent to which available funds could be utilised to improve mosque facilities and increase programmes that could enliven the institution.
“I do not expect 100 per cent of mosques to respond, and we understand that if a mosque’s fund is small, it may have only RM2,000 or RM3,000.
“We do not want to impose anything outright, but if a mosque has savings of tens of thousands of ringgit, or RM100,000 or RM300,000, we need to think about what benefits can be provided to the community,” he said.
Mohd Annuar said the approach would be implemented selectively, taking into account the financial position and needs of each mosque.
-- BERNAMA