Need to improve management of Islamic affairs

Kota Kinabalu: Management of Islamic affairs in Sabah needs to be improved and streamlined in order to provide the best service to the Muslim community, said Special Tasks Minister Datuk Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif (pic).

He said this would benefit not only the Muslim community but also the non-Muslim community in maintaining social harmony and developing the State’s economy together.

“This Special Tasks portfolio entrusted to me through a gazette dated November 12, 2020 is an office that has been established under the new Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) State Government, where a total of four agencies or departments have been placed under it. 

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“They are the Sabah Islamic Religious Council (Muis), Sabah Islamic Religious Affairs Department (Jheains), Sabah Shariah Judiciary Department and Baitulmal Corporation.

“Among the main steps that will be taken by this office is building a more realistic Islamic management with the current situation. 

“This includes looking at the overall application of Islamic law which is the source of management of Islamic affairs in the State.

“Review and amendments to the law will be implemented by departments under the Special Tasks in matters related to family affairs, socio-cultural and economic development through tithe, waqaf (donating property/land for public use) and baitulmal,” he said.

Arifin said this in his winding-up speech for the portfolio at the State Legislative Assembly sitting, here, recently.

In light of this, he said the Special Tasks office has planned to re-enact the Sabah Islamic Religious Council (Muis) Enactment 2004 to ensure it would be the master enactment for development and management of Islamic affairs of the State.

“For example, restructuring the Baitulmal Corporation through amendments to the existing enactment will be able to re-align the position of the Sabah Islamic Religious Council as the highest agency in the administrative structure of Islamic affairs in Sabah.

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“The restructuring of all agencies involved in the development of the Islamic economy in the State such as waqaf, zakat and baitulmal management needs to be coordinated due to their development potential in generating funds and assets of the Muslim community.

“Through the Waqaf and Wills Enactment that has been approved previously, I am confident that the management of waqaf and Muslim property will further help streamline the waqaf management system in the State. 

“Using online payments for waqaf and tithe management such as Boost and other online applications will help increase the waqaf and tithe funds,” he said.

Arifin said his office is also working to safeguard the interests of Muslim consumers in matters of consumer goods and Islamic food in the State. 

“Muis Halal Hub will be launched in January 2021 to be the main prime mover of the halal industry development in Sabah, in particular, and Borneo, in general.

“The establishment of this Muis Halal Hub is a step forward in safeguarding the interests of Muslim consumers. The halal consumer goods and food market is expected to increase to US$3 trillion by 2023 which makes the potential of the halal industry to generate Muslims economy in Sabah,” he said.

Replying to Nominated Assemblyman Dr Aliakbar Gulasan who proposed that Jheains establish more integrated schools, Arifin said Jheains has a plan to establish integrated Islamic religious schools throughout the State, which are subject to given allocations and the schools’ performance.

Presently, he said, Jheains has established integrated State religious schools since 2016, namely the Putatan Integrated Islamic Religious School and the Kota Kinabalu Integrated Islamic Religious School in 2018. 

“Both schools are using integrated curriculum that combines the Muis Islamic Education curriculum together with the National Curriculum.”

Replying to Darau Assemblyman Azhar Matussin on a proposed construction of a new Islamic religious school on a site next to Masjid Bandaraya to replace a similar school located near Masjid Jamek Likas, Arifin said Jheains the has been included in the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP).

On Azhar’s proposal to increase the monthly allowance for Fardhu Ain teachers in Sabah, he said the monthly allowance for Fardhu Ain and Al-Quran Class (KAFA) teachers has been increased from RM900 to RM1,000 from the beginning of 2020 nationwide.