“So Many False Information” – Prof Nazari Shares Insight From The Eyes Of An Ikram Member

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The recent high-profile raid and seizure of assets in the case concerning alleged misappropriation of RM230 million in public donation funds is still raging on as authorities intensify their investigations.

So far, three individuals who are members of Pertubuhan Ikram Malaysia (IKRAM) were arrested by police for allegedly being involved in the case, and are under remand.

As part of the investigation, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has frozen 33 bank accounts containing approximately RM120 million and siezed assets including 18 luxury vehicles from a “mansion-like property” in Rawang.

IKRAM is an Islamic non-governmental organisation (NGO) focused on dakwah (outreach), tarbiah (education), and community welfare.

A member of IKRAM Hulu Selangor shares his perspective on the case

Professor Emeritus Dr. Mohd Nazari Ismail, who acknowledged himself as an ordinary member of Ikram Hulu Selangor (Ikram HS), has claimed that much of the information circulating online about the alleged misappropriation of funds case is inaccurate, stressing that the system in question was officially sanctioned.

In a Facebook past, Mohd Nazari, who is also a well-known activist, said he personally knows two of the individuals currently being remanded by the MACC.

Mohd Nazari explained that Majlis Agama Islam Perlis (MAIP) has a zakat payment scheme called `Taawun’. This allows zakat payers to ask for 60% of their zakat payment to be sent to a nominated NGO under the Fi Sabilillah category with 20% returned to them for redistribution to eligible recipients.

One of the NGOs that was nominated to receive the zakat money is Ikram HS.

Additionally, the NGO involved would later return 20% to the zakat payer to be redistributed to anyone (such as family members or friends) whom they consider eligible to receive zakat.

According to Mohd Nazari, who is also the Chairman of BDS Malaysia, the main individual being investigated is a member of Ikram HS and a facilitator for the scheme involving the NGO.

“He has worked hard over the past 20 years to encourage the public to pay zakat to MAIPs and has recommended that they nominate Ikram HS to receive 60%.

“It appears that he succeeded in convincing tens of thousands of Malaysians to do so, thereby generating more than RM2 billion to be channelled to MAIPs over a period of 20 years.”

Mohd Nazari, however, clarified that this is not an exact figure since he is not a member of the Ikram HS committee.

“But it is no surprise that many are interested in this scheme because they can get back 20% of their zakat payment to be distributed to relatives and friends who are poor and needy and eligible to receive zakat.”

He further claimed that as a result of the individual’s efforts, Ikram HS received hundreds of millions from MAIPs as a zakat recipient (asnaf) under the Fisabilillah category.

He also claimed that the individual received 6.25% from the funds received from MAIPs.

“As an Asnaf (zakat recipient), Ikram HS is free to use the funds received from MAIPs as appropriate. Among other things, it spends the funds on dakwah activities, organizing Islamic lectures, sponsoring courses for youth, building schools, opening grocery shops that sell at cost to the poor, and donating money to many charitable organizations.”

He further cliamed that Ikram Hulu Selangor gave the individual 6.25% of the funds received from MAIPs to encourage him to continue his remarkable efforts.

“That is how he became very wealthy. You can calculate yourself 6.25% of RM2 billion. It must be a lot, right? However, the most important thing is that it is halal according to the Mufti of Perlis.

“I repeat… the Mufti of Perlis and MAIPs both say that everything they are doing is halal and does not contradict Syariah. Ikram HS’s auditor says that everything complies with the law. In fact, Ikram HS appointed external auditors to audit their financial books,” he said.

Mohd Nazari claimed that the MACC was aware of this situation, perhaps because someone reported to them that the individual owned several luxury cars and large houses, and investigated Ikram HS two years ago. He alleged that the MACC never said that what the individual and Ikram HS were doing was against the law.

“So everyone thought everything was fine,” he said, adding that this why the arrests caught all of them at Ikram HS by surprise.

Perlis Mufti confirms NGO involved is a zakat recipient under asnaf “fisabilillah”

Earlier on 22 April, Perlis Mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainol Abidin or Dr Maza explained that zakat management in Perlis does not involve the Perlis Mufti Department because zakat administration falls under the jurisdiction of MAIPs.

However, according to him, the NGO linked to the issue is a zakat recipient under the asnaf fisabilillah category based on the dakwah and educational activities carried out.

“The NGO in question is not an agent or representative of MAIPs to distribute or collect zakat; rather, they are recipients of zakat under the asnaf fisabilillah category,” he said.

Dr Maza added that based on information provided by MAIPs, the NGO received zakat upon recommendation by zakat contributors after their eligibility was assessed.

In fact, MAIPs would also continuously request activity reports from the organization.

However, he did not mention that his office had “approved as halal” everything done by the NGO as claimed by Mohd Nazari.

READ MORE: Luxury Cars Seized, Talk Of Mansion In Rawang — What’s The RM230 Million Case That Has Everyone Talking?

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“So Many False Information” – Prof Nazari Shares Insight From The Eyes Of An Ikram Member
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