Digitalising zakat applications is about dignity, not just technology

RECENTLY, Zakat Pulau Pinang announced that applications for its 2027 School Assistance Scheme were officially opened.

As in previous years, eligible applicants are required to collect a physical application form from a Zakat MAINPP service counter, complete it manually, attach supporting documents and submit everything in person.

While I applaud Zakat Pulau Pinang's continued commitment to supporting asnaf families through this important programme, I could not help but wonder whether, in 2026, there is a better way.

I write this not as a politician but as a former chairman of a mosque committee who has been actively involved in assisting families within my qaryah.

I am not a member of any political party, nor do I wish for this issue to become politicised. My concern is simple: Can we make the process easier, faster and more dignified for the very people the system is intended to help?

When the MAINPP Integrated Management System (MIMS) together with the apps MasjidPro, now known as Penang Smart Kariah,b was introduced in 2022, many mosques embraced the initiative wholeheartedly.

Our mosque subscribed to the system and spent countless volunteer hours registering every household within our qaryah because we believed digitalisation would eventually improve the delivery of public services.

Since then, I have consistently proposed that zakat-related services should become one of the platform's highest priorities.

I raised this during discussions with the district religious office and the system developers.

I wrote to the CEO of Zakat Pulau Pinang in 2025 proposing that school assistance applications be integrated into the system.

I repeated the proposal during the Penang Smart Kariah seminar on May 15, 2025.

Yet, more than four years later, the latest school assistance announcement still requires applicants to collect paper forms from service counters.

That is disappointing — not because technology has failed but because an opportunity to improve people's lives has yet to be realised.

Many people assume the current application process is merely inconvenient. For low-income families, it is much more than that.

Many applicants in our qaryah earn around the minimum wage. Some work two jobs simply to make ends meet.

Taking time off work to collect an application form, obtain supporting documents, visit schools and return to submit the completed application often means sacrificing income they can ill afford to lose.

For them, time is money.

Digitalisation is not about convenience alone. It is about reducing the hidden cost of accessing assistance.

Parents applying for school assistance are generally required to obtain a verification letter from each of their children's schools confirming that the child is currently enrolled.

For a child who remains in the same primary school for six years, this effectively means obtaining six similar verification letters over the course of primary education.

One must ask whether this is still necessary in an era where digital records are increasingly available.

Surely, information that rarely changes should be stored securely and reused with only new or updated information requiring verification.

That would reduce unnecessary paperwork for parents, schools and zakat officers alike.

There is another aspect that is seldom discussed. Some eligible applicants feel a sense of embarrassment when they have to walk into a zakat office to apply for assistance.

They are not asking for charity. They are exercising a right provided under the Islamic institution of zakat.

Yet, the process itself can unintentionally create feelings of discomfort or even stigma.

An online application system would allow applicants to complete the process privately, confidently and with dignity.

Helping people should never come at the expense of their self-respect.

Mosques can become effective community partners. They are not merely places of worship. They are community institutions as well.

Mosque welfare committees know many of the families within their qaryah personally. Over the past four years, considerable effort has gone into building household databases through Penang Smart Kariah. Why not make better use of that investment?

Applicants could submit their applications online. The mosque welfare committee could verify the household information electronically.

Applications could then be submitted collectively to Zakat Pulau Pinang for assessment.

Once approved, assistance could be credited directly into the applicants' bank account.

This would reduce paperwork, improve efficiency and ensure that digital records are maintained both by the mosque and by Zakat Pulau Pinang.

Another issue that deserves attention is the household income threshold used to determine eligibility. The cost of living has risen significantly over the past few years. Food, transport, rent, utilities and education-related expenses have all increased.

Many working families who are not officially classified as poor nevertheless struggle to support their children's education.

A periodic review of the income criteria would help ensure that assistance reaches families whose financial circumstances have changed because of inflation and rising living costs.

Digital transformation should not be measured by the number of systems introduced. It should be measured by whether people's lives become easier.

The School Assistance Scheme presents an excellent opportunity for MAINPP, Zakat Pulau Pinang and the developers of Penang Smart Kariah to demonstrate how digital technology can improve public service delivery while preserving the dignity of asnaf families.

The investment has already been made.

The household database already exists.

The mosque committees are ready to help.

What is needed now is the commitment to integrate these resources into a seamless online application process.

I believe Penang has the opportunity to become a national leader in the digital administration of zakat.

A pilot project involving selected mosques could be introduced as early as the 2028 School Assistance cycle.

If successful, it could become a model for other states.

Digitalisation should ultimately be judged by one simple question: Has it made life easier for the people it is meant to serve?

For the hardworking parents who simply want to give their children a better future, I believe the answer should one day be an unequivocal "yes."

SHAHIDAN SHAFIE

Kepala Batas, Penang