SHAH ALAM: The Selangor Zakat Board (LZS) is encouraging Muslims to pay tithes on a monthly basis to help the institution in the distribution of tithes to the needy.
LZS Collection Division chief, Muhd Fikri Naim Harun, said currently around 65,000 asnaf families comprising the poor, needy and Muslim converts, receive tithe assistance from LZS on a monthly basis according to their needs.
“Most payers will calculate their annual income at the end of each year and we can see that the total zakat collection in December is very high compared to the other 11 months. Therefore, we encourage monthly zakat payments to cover the amount required for monthly distribution,“ he told Bernama.
Muhd Fikri said last year, LZS recorded a significant increase in zakat collection of RM992.9 million compared to RM912.9 million in 2020 despite the Covid-19 pandemic at that time.
“Muslims are now aware of their religious obligation and we thank tithe payers in Selangor whose number has increased to 364,778 last year compared to 346,415 in 2020,“ he said.
However, he said it was found that 23 per cent of tithe payers in the state still paid the same amount for years as they have not reassessed their commitment.
As such, he said, through the Zakat Assessment Month (BTZ) campaign held from June 15 to July 31 it was hoped that the community would take the opportunity to recalculate in determining the amount of tithe that has to be paid on their wealth.
“We chose the period between June to July for this campaign as most companies will make salary adjustments in the second quarter of each year, so this is the right time for Muslims to do their tithe assessment, as how we do the E-filing process for tax payments every year in March and April,“ he said.
According to him, there are various payment channels provided by LZS such as salary deduction, internet banking, through counters at LZS branches and the latest, direct debit deduction to make it easier for Muslims to fulfill the fourth pillar of Islam.
“With technological advancement, LZS also encourages Muslims to make online paymens, which is now the choice of around 25 per cent of payers according to our 2021 record,“ he said
Through the BTZ campaign, tithe payers who download the Selangor Zakat application to assess their tithe payment and then make payment through the available channels, will be given the opportunity to participate in the Jom Taksir Zakat contest and win attractive prizes.
The latest information on the BTZ campaign can be obtained at LZS official channels, namely jom.zakatselangor.com.my portal or ZakatSelangor Facebook and Instagram.-Bernama
