KUALA TERENGGANU: UNIVERSITI Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA) Chancellor Sultanah of Terengganu Sultanah Nur Zahirah launched the Dana Wakaf UniSZA in conjunction with the university’s one-decade celebration on Friday.
To mark the occasion, which was attended by Sultan of Terengganu Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, Sultanah Nur Zahirah also presented scholarships and wheelchairs developed by researchers from the university to three children.
The recipients were Mohamad Danial Zainuddin, who is the son of the late New Straits Times reporter Zainuddin Mohammad of Kuala Terengganu, Nur Azarina Zulkifli and Fatin Farhana Rasdy, both from poor families in Dungun.
UniSZA Wakaf Office director Dr Azrin Adnan said the Dana Wakaf, an initiative by the state Islamic Religious Council and Malay Customs and the university, had received positive responses from contributors.
“Although it is just one year old, the Dana Wakaf UniSZA had attracted many contributors from various organisations as well as individuals who wanted to fulfil their social responsibilities. The funds were utilised to support the needy.
“At least three categories of beneficiaries have benefited from the fund. First, it was used to build a graduate lounge for the students.
“The second part of the fund has been used to provide wakaf scholarships in the form of education allowances, lodging allowances and cost of living allowances of up to RM600 monthly to needy students who excel in their studies.
“We also have free food programmes to ease the financial burden of financially strapped students,” he added.
At the launch, 13 contributors donated RM6 million to Dana Wakaf UniSZA.
The donors were the state government, Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd, Bank Rakyat, Bank Simpanan Nasional, UniSZA Holdings, Warga UniSZA, Malaysian Building Society Bhd, Terengganu Inc, DSE Construction Sdn Bhd, Maybank Islamic Bhd, Persatuan Alumni UniSZA, Yayasan Taqwa Wilayah Persekutuan and Jehaland Sdn Bhd.
Present were Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman and the UniSZA board of directors.