Kuala Lumpur: Lembaga Tabung Haji (TH) depositors need not worry about the status of their zakat (tithe) payments as the obligation has been duly fulfilled in a Syariah-compliant manner, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Zulkifli Hasan said.
He said TH’s Syariah Advisory Committee (JPS) had ruled that zakat payments made on behalf of depositors before the wakalah concept was introduced in 2019 were valid, while TH had also fulfilled the obligation in accordance with the decision of the National Fatwa Committee for Islamic Religious Affairs Malaysia.
“The TH JPS, at its meeting on Sept 2, 2020, was of the view that the status of zakat payments for depositors in the years before the wakalah concept was introduced in 2019 was valid and Syariah-compliant,” he said.
He said this when providing an explanation at a Special Sitting of the Dewan Rakyat on the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report on TH in Parliament on Tuesday.
According to Zulkifli, the National Fatwa Committee for Islamic Religious Affairs Malaysia had also decided on May 3, 1979, that TH was an institution not subject to zakat, but was obliged to pay zakat on behalf of its depositors.
He said TH had also consistently fulfilled the obligation in accordance with the decision.
Regarding zakat payments for the years when the Wadiah Yad Damanah contract was used from 2016 to 2019, he said the zakat paid was business zakat (collectively, or khultah) on behalf of depositors on the pool of depositors’ funds that were traded.
Commenting on the RCI’s recommendation that matters concerning TH’s zakat practices be referred to the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs (MKI) Muzakarah Committee, Zulkifli said the matter had been presented to and endorsed by the committee in June 2024.
He said the views of the Muzakarah Committee were subsequently submitted to the 267th Meeting of the Conference of Rulers in October 2024.
“Therefore, depositors need not worry as all matters relating to the fulfilment of your zakat obligations have been duly carried out by TH in an orderly manner and in accordance with Islamic law.
“TH’s entire zakat operations and governance are guided by the Zakat Guidelines, which have been approved and monitored by TH’s JPS, comprising Syariah and Islamic finance experts,” he said.
Meanwhile, he said TH took note of the RCI’s recommendations concerning policy changes in haj management, particularly regarding haj eligibility and the waiting period.
Therefore, Zulkifli said TH was now at the final stage of refining improvements to its haj management policy before it was announced in the near future.
He said the improvements would include a clearer, more planned and systematic haj plan, in line with the concept of istito’ah, or ability, as well as an emphasis on early preparedness.
The special sitting was held for the Minister to brief the House on the RCI report on TH, as well as the efforts and measures taken to restore the institution’s financial position.
The government announced the establishment of the RCI in 2021, followed by the appointment of its members on Jan 20, 2022, while the RCI report was subsequently presented to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Aug 30, 2022.
On July 29 this year, the 211-page RCI report was made public, containing various findings on weaknesses in the management and operations of the institution from 2014 to 2020, as well as 25 recommendations for improvement, 75 per cent of which had been implemented by TH as of July 30.
