GEORGE TOWN: Deputy Chief Minister I Professor Datuk Dr Mohamed Abdul Hamid has vowed that the poor, who are eligible to receive zakat assistance, will not be sidelined in any zakat distribution schemes by Penang Zakat.
The state Islamic Religious Development Committee chairman said he would ensure that the Penang State Islamic Religious Council (MAINPP) and Penang Zakat, which are state government agencies, are governed through good governance to safeguard the interests and the socio-economic balance of the Muslim community in the state.
The Penang Zakat Board of Directors chairman said the agency would continue to help the poor, irrespective of their political affiliations.
To this end, Mohamed said the state government, through Penang Zakat, would organise the Back To School and Nur Ramadan programmes to help the poor.
The event will be launch by Mohamed, as the MAINPP president, at a shopping centre in Bayan Baru this Sunday.
He said through the Back To School programme, it is estimated that some 20,000 students in the state would receive school uniform aid involving a RM3 million zakat contribution.
He said the of e-cash hampers in the Nur Ramadan programme would provide assistance to 15,654 poor, involving zakat funds amounting to RM1.56 million.
In preparation for Ramadan, they can redeem kitchen items worth RM100 from selected shops and hypermarkets.
"Both schemes involve all 40 state constituencies through the state government constituencies, state constituencies coordinators (for state constituencies under the opposition), MAINPP and Penang Zakat members as well as schools will applications submitted online.
"All decisions regarding the distribution of zakat involving large amount will be decided in a meeting of the Penang Zakat Board of Directors. As an agency under MAINPP, Penang Zakat's professional management will always ensure that no party will be marginalised in the distribution of zakat for this scheme and other schemes during this time.
"As such, the accusation by state opposition leader Muhammad Fauzi Yusoff that Penang Zakat denied the rights of the poor in the opposition-held areas, by associating it was an instruction from the Deputy Chief Minister I, not only has malicious intent but it is also slanderous," he said today.
In a press conference yesterday, Fauzi said the state Perikatan Nasional (PN) elected representatives were concerned over the unfairness happening within the state government.
They singled out Mohamed, whom they claimed to be arrogant, when facing the opposition assemblymen.
Fauzi said numerous requests made by the opposition elected representatives to meet Mohamed had been met with silence.
He said, to compound matters, Mohamed was 'bullying' the rakyat in constituencies held by the 11 opposition elected representatives by denying the poor the zakat assistance.
Elaborating, Mohamed said just because the distribution is not made through opposition representatives, did not mean the poor in the areas are denied their rights.
"Clearly, the opposition leader is 'playing politics' by sowing suspicion and hatred to keep zakat payers away from Penang Zakat.
"In other words, he is trying to subtly sabotage Penang Zakat's professional efforts to help the poor to get out of extreme poverty," he added.