AN ESTIMATED RM28mil has been allocated as payment for the monthly allowances of imam, bilal and noja in Johor this year.
Johor Islamic religious affairs committee chairman Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid said the state government, through the state Islamic Religious Council (MAINJ), channelled RM12.6mil while RM15.4mil was provided for mosque officers by the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim).
He also revealed that the Johor Islamic Religious Department (JAINJ) submitted a proposal to revise the allowances last year and the government did intend to increase the allowances for mosque and surau officers as soon as the economic situation allowed.
“Although an increase in allowances cannot be given at this time, the officers have received one-off aid of RM500 per person from Jakim, involving an allocation of RM1.3mil.
“The mosque and surau officers have also received RM500 aid from the state under the Bantuan Kasih Bangsa Johor initiative for this year, involving an allocation of RM2.295mil,” he disclosed.
He was answering an oral question from Datuk Jefridin Atan (BN–Kukup) during the state assembly meeting on the amount of allowances paid to imam, bilal and noja.Mohd Fared said Johor was keen to raise the Islamic syi’ar in the state.
For this purpose, the state had appointed 5,710 officers in 838 mosques and 1,961 surau.
