GEORGE TOWN: The Penang State Religious Council Zakat institution has dismissed allegations linking it to the alleged misappropriation of zakat funds, describing the claim as baseless and misleading.
Its chief executive officer, Mohamad Kairi Ghazalli, said the state’s Zakat institution viewed the allegations seriously and would not compromise on any claims or dissemination of information that could undermine public confidence in the institution.
He stressed that the individuals or parties linked to the case were not representatives, agents, strategic partners, or authorised appointees of the state’s Zakat institution in any capacity.
"Any attempt to associate an institution with the party concerned is unfounded, misleading and could erode public confidence in the zakat institution.
"The institution has never appointed any agent or intermediary for zakat collection, but instead only designates legitimate and recognised collection representatives in accordance with established policies and procedures," he said in a statement on Friday (April 24).
Elaborating, Mohamad Kairi said the institution has a clear policy on the appointment of collection representatives, including the requirement that the entity must operate in Penang and be registered with the relevant authorities.
He said each application would undergo a thorough screening and evaluation process at the management level before being presented to the board of directors and subsequently submitted to the Penang Islamic Religious Council for approval.
"The appointment period for collection representatives is two years, during which they are required to submit performance reports periodically and are subject to continuous monitoring, including internal audits.
"The state’s Zakat institution also reserves the right to review, continue or terminate the appointment of any collection representative, depending on performance and compliance levels," he said.
Mohamad Kairi also stressed that zakat management in the state is carried out under strict governance, including internal monitoring, periodic reviews and layered audit mechanisms, to ensure that all funds are managed transparently, with integrity and in compliance with syariah requirements. – Bernama
