The Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council’s (PPZ-MAIWP) Zakat (tithe) Collection Centre in collaboration with Bank Rakyat and Labuan International Finance Faculty, UMSKAL today launched the Bank Rakyat Asnafpreneur Project at Menara UMSKAL.
This collaboration aims to help potential Asnaf entrepreneurs in Labuan to further expand their business.
Through this project, 30 Asnaf entrepreneurs received financial contribution of RM5,000 each from Bank Rakyat through its wakalah fund with a total contribution of RM150,000.
These entrepreneurs will also be given special guidance and monitoring by UMSKAL through Labuan’s Faculty of International Finance for monitoring, coaching and motivation sessions for six months from May to October.
Bank Rakyat’s chief sharia officer, Zamerey Abdul Razak said the project was an initiative that coincides with the commitment of the Ministry of Entrepreneurship Development and Cooperatives (KUSKOP) to help entrepreneurs covering various sectors and industries that were previously affected, to bounce back.
“Bank Rakyat is always ready and committed to being a facilitator for the success of any joint venture that gives returns to society as a whole, especially the Asnaf group and those in need,” he said.
He said the initiative showed Bank Rakyat’s concern and compassion towards the well-being of the community, especially in its banking operations.
Meanwhile, the dean of Labuan International Finance Faculty, Prof. Associate Dr. Geoffrey Harvey Tanakinjal (representing Universiti Malaysia Sabah) said the collaboration created a synergistic relationship between PPZ-MAIWP, Bank Rakyat and UMSKAL.
“This collaboration involves Asnaf entrepreneurs in Labuan who have the potential to further expand their business.
“Special guidance and monitoring for these entrepreneurs will be conducted by lecturers from the Labuan International Finance Faculty who have expertise and experience in handling entrepreneurial projects within the industry,” he said.
PPZ-MAIWP chairman Tan Sri Dr. Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman said the project can to some extent help these asnaf entrepreneurs drive their business potential further.
“This is the best opportunity for Asnaf entrepreneurs to further develop their business potential so that they can successfully get out of poverty and become tithe (zakat) payers,” he said.
In the same event, the Jihad Education Programme @ UMSKAL was launched to encourage the preaching of tithe among students and employees of higher education institutions.
Through this program, PPZ-MAIWP through the wakalah fund presented financial donations to UMSKAL asnaf students as well as the UMSKAL Food Bank with the sum of RM14,000 and RM10,000 respectively.
Source: BERNAMA News Agency