PKR called today on Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom to break his silence over alleged abuse of RM32,150 in zakat money, piling the pressure on the minister in the prime minister’s department after a former top policeman called on the senator to be investigated.
Retired city criminal investigation chief Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim had said today police should probe Jamil and two senior Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) officials with the same vigour they showed in pursuing tithe collector Reduan Mohd Said for the same offence recently.
“Is there a difference between an ordinary tithe collector and a minister? Jamil Khir should not remain silent and answer these allegations which will cause outrage among Muslims,” PKR communications director Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (picture) said.
Mat Zain said yesterday the minister in charge of Islamic affairs and the duo should face legal action for using zakat funds to settle personal legal fees last year as recorded in the Auditor-General’s report for 2010.
According to the report, Jamil, MAIWP director Datuk Che Mat Che Ali and MAIWP chief prosecutor Shamsudin Hussain had withdrawn RM63,650 from the council’s zakat fund to settle their legal costs.
The costs were incurred when Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim named the trio as respondents in his qazaf application.
The audit report also confirmed that the sum was repaid to the fund after the council obtained a RM700,00 grant in June last year as part of its general resources allocation from the government.
But Nik Nazmi said in a statement today MAIWP only repaid the amount in December.
“How is it that MAIWP can so easily use zakat funds meant for specific purposes for other expenses?” the Seri Setia assemblyman asked.
Mat Zain had insisted the trio committed misappropriation of property under Section 403 of the Penal Code and should be punished accordingly.
He also cited Section 409B of the Penal Code, which states that if any offence prescribed in Section 403 and 404 is proven, “it shall be presumed that he had acted dishonestly until the contrary is proved”.
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Surah at-Taubah (9) verse 60: "The alms are only for the poor and the needy, and those who collect them, and those whose hearts are to be reconciled, and to free the captives and the debtors, and for the cause of Allah, and (for) the wayfarers; a duty imposed by Allah. Allah is knower, Wise." (The Holy Qur'an 9:60).
From the above verse, Zakat is distributed among 8 categories of people, namely:
Fakir - One who has neither material possessions nor means of livelihood.
Miskin - One with insufficient means of livelihood to meet basic needs.
Amil - One who is appointed to collect zakat.
Muallaf - One who converts to Islam.
Riqab - One who wants to free himself from bondage or the shackles of slavery.
Gharmin - One who is in debt
Fisabillillah - One who fights for the cause of Allah.
Ibnus Sabil - One who is stranded in journey.
So which category does Jamil Khir Baharom fall into?
His problem is that Zakat money is not supposed to be used as capital for investment. Zakat is strictly for disbursement to those in need. Once you use Zakat money for investment or business, who is accountable? Since right now we have muslims asking for donations from churches, the poor should have priority to receive Zakat money.
Khir Toyo - said buying cheap is on a "willing buyer willing seller" basis not amounting to corruption
KLIA2 - project overrun from RM2B to RM3.9B because of stupid reason to accommodate airbus 380
NFC - squandered RM250M, wife said it is her husband's business, nothing to do with her & umno.
Iskandar Project - husband collected monies, wife can also said not her business.
For information Malaysain Muslims contributed more than a billion ringgit of zakat annually .RM1.2 billion was collected last year. If properly managed and distributed, there should not be any poor Muslims in the country, not to the extent of having some of them being forced to seek help from non-Muslims organisation as we have seen in the recent Damansara fiasco. As long as we have corrupted UMNO at the helm this abuse has been repeated in the disappearance of RM50.0 billion worth of Bumiputra shares
MAIWP - RM32.15M money just vanished, still keep mum & duck his head into the sand thought he can't see but everyone can see.
BN - Still got Integrity & credibility?? Kick them out ASAP!
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