KUALA LUMPUR, May 6 — The Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj has expressed concern that zakat contributors might assume there are no longer any poor and needy groups in the state, which could affect zakat collection.
The Selangor Royal Office said the Ruler emphasised the ongoing rise in poverty cases in the state, with about 14,000 families categorised as poor and needy, according to data from the Selangor Zakat Board (LZS) last year.
“Therefore, His Royal Highness does not want any party to misunderstand or be confused by claims that there is no longer hardcore poverty in Selangor, when in fact there are still zakat recipients categorised as poor and asnaf.
“The determination of asnaf status by LZS is based on the ‘had kifayah’ calculation,” it said in a Facebook post today.
The Office added that the increase in the number of new asnaf was driven by LZS's proactive efforts to strengthen assessment processes, improve detection, and expand outreach to eligible families.
Meanwhile, over 2,800 poor and needy families have successfully moved out of the cycle of poverty through ongoing intervention programmes.
Sultan Sharafuddin also expressed satisfaction with LZS's performance, which recorded zakat distribution of RM1.33 billion last year, with more than 60 per cent channelled to the poor and needy involving over 75,000 families across the state.
“His Royal Highness hopes that zakat distribution will continue to focus on basic assistance such as monthly financial aid, food, housing and educational support.
“His Royal Highness also hopes that LZS will continue to carry out the trust of zakat collection and distribution responsibly, transparently and with integrity in accordance with Islamic principles," it said.
