Maybank expects more duit Raya to be given online

Maybank has forecast a spike in online festive giving in Malaysia via its platform this year.

Datuk Hamirullah Boorhan, Maybank’s Head of Community Financial Services Malaysia says that the bank is expecting a 30% rise in the volume of eDuit Raya transactions performed, and projects more than RM33 million worth of eDuit Raya being sent amongst family and friends. Duit Raya are gifts of cash given to children in paper envelopes during Eid al-Fitr (Hari Raya Aidilfitri) visits by those who are older.

He added that eDuit Raya has gained much popularity since its launch in 2015. “Over the years,
we have been enhancing the eDuit Raya feature which has contributed to its strong acceptance.
After the Raya QR was introduced in 2018, the transaction volume grew by more than 10 times
while transaction value almost doubled. We continued to see exponential growth in 2019 with more
than 700,000 transactions for eDuit Raya,” he said.
The eDuit Raya can be given in two ways – via Raya QR on the Maybank2u App - a peer-to-peer transaction method whereby the giver scans the receiver's QR code - or via a phone number using the
MAE e-wallet in the Maybank2u App. It is open to all, including non-Maybank customers, who can
sign up for MAE from the Maybank2u App fully online, and start using the feature immediately. MAE is the first and only shari'ah-compliant e-wallet in Malaysia.

Datuk Hamirullah also announced that as an added convenience this year, the bank has expanded
the list of zakat bodies collecting zakat fitrah online. QRPay Zakat Fitrah services will enable customers to fulfil their obligations this Ramadhan via Maybank2u and Maybank QRPay securely and conveniently. With these cashless options, he projected that zakat fitrah payments via Maybank would grow by more than 100% in 2020.

“The convenience in having the eDuit Raya and zakat fitrah online services is particularly significant this year as we have to observe social distancing, crowd control and limit travelling while celebrating this festivity,” he said.

“But as the spirit of giving is important and encouraged during the holy month of Ramadhan and Hari Raya, we want to enable our customers to fulfil their obligations of paying zakat, and keep the tradition of giving duit Raya to their loved ones despite the constraints. With Maybank2u, we can continue to share our blessings and help the less fortunate while prioritising safety.”

Zakat fitrah can be paid online via the Maybank2u website while customers who prefer to use the
QRPay Zakat Fitrah only need to scan the QR code on the respective state zakat board’s websites to
make payment through their Maybank2u App. Currently, 10 State zakat bodies accept payments via
Maybank2u – Kedah, Kelantan, Penang, Perak, Perlis, Sabah, Sarawak, Selangor, Terengganu and
Wilayah Persekutuan - while Penang, Wilayah Persekutuan, Sarawak and Perak are also able to
accept payment via QRPay.

Maybank is also rewarding customers through the Raya Paling Gempak (RPG) campaign with prizes worth up to RM2 million. During the campaign period, customers can also donate to the less fortunate customers via Maybank2u website and app. Additionally, Maybank2u App users can choose to donate the cash rewards they receive from campaign initiatives to the MaybankHeart’s People’s Campaign, which aims to raise funds for at risk communities during the COVID-19 outbreak. This feature was first introduced in 2019 and raised over RM600,000 in donations for the less fortunate during the various festive seasons last year.

Zakat fitrah is an obligation on a Muslim and his dependents such as his wife, children who have not reached maturity, and parents. The person should possess more assets than he and his dependents need on Eid al-Fitr. If he is unable to pay zakat fitrah, the dependents may pay on it for themselves and on his behalf. For those who fast, it redresses sins that occurred during fasting. The money is given to the needy.

Ramadhan begins in Singapore

The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) has announced the beginning of Ramadhan on 23 April.

The organisation noted that according to astronomical calculations, the new crescent marking the start of Ramadhan appeared in the evening of 23 April after sunset for about 17 minutes. As such, the first day of fasting began on 24 April 2020.

"We welcome the arrival of the holy month of Ramadan this year with a different atmosphere. Our country, as well as the rest of the world, is currently fighting the COVID-19 outbreak. Besides the act of fasting, we should also play our part to stay at home to prevent the spread of this deadly virus," said Singapore's Mufti, Dr Nazirudin Mohd Nasir.

"This year, Ramadhan and Hari Raya (Eid al-Fitr, or Aidilfitri) will be celebrated together with our family in our own homes. No matter the test, we can accept and overcome it with the permission of Allah S.W.T., what more with the arrival of Ramadhan – a month of challenges, and the culmination of patience, perseverance and hope.

"As we strengthen our faith this Ramadhan, may it also spur us to be more determined to fight this virus. This test will eventually pass, and we will overcome this with patience and unity."

Muis separately announced that zakat fitrah rates for Ramadhan this year are S$5.10 or S$7.50. Zakat fitrah is an obligatory contribution by all Muslims during the month of Ramadhan, with the amount determined by the Muis Zakat and Fitrah Committee, by using staple food of the country that the person resides in.

As rice is the staple food here, the rates are based on the median price of 2.3 kg of the grade of rice that is generally consumed by the Muslim community.

The two-tier zakat fitrah rate has been in place since 2005 to facilitate those who may wish to pay more than the normal rate as they consume a higher grade of rice. Zakat payers may choose the rate that is most suitable based on their daily consumption.

The deadline for zakat fitrah is the morning of Eid al-Fitr. However, the Muslim public is advised to pay early and through electronic modes of payment in light of the current COVID-19 situation.

Explore:

Watch the announcement of Ramadhan by Dr Nazirudin on SalamSG TV.

Details:

Various methods to pay zakat fitrah are available in Singapore.

PayNow is a new mode of payment. Payers can make payment by scanning the QR code or by keying in the UEN T08GB0028LZKT on their banking app. To obtain an official receipt and for IRAS tax auto-inclusion, payers should visit go.gov.sg/zakat.

Refugee Zakat Fund has over 1 million zakat beneficiaries

- UNHCR urges Muslims to support refugees struggling to cope with the repercussions of the global COVID-19 outbreak through the Refugee Zakat Fund

- In 2019, the Refugee Zakat Fund received US$43,165,000, allowing UNHCR to provide lifesaving support to over 1 million refugees and internally-displaced persons

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has launched the findings of its 2020 Islamic Philanthropy Report, highlighting the impact of the Refugee Zakat Fund on vulnerable refugees and internally-displaced persons (IDPs) across the globe. Zakat (زكاة) is an obligatory form of alms-giving for Muslims who meet the criteria, and is often given during Ramadhan.

Source: UNHCR. Eleven-year-old Reem is an internally displaced Yemeni girl with a serious medical condition. She lives in Sana’a, Yemen and needs regular medication. Through its partners, UNHCR helped her mother with cash assistance which she used to buy medicine, pay off overdue rent and buy food for her four children.

“I cried when I got the money because I was able to cover Reem’s medicine for one month,” her mother told UNHCR. “Before I got the cash I didn’t have any food in the house to feed my kids - not even a grain of rice.”

In 2019, the UN estimated that 80% of Yemen’s 24 million population required humanitarian assistance or protection due to the ongoing conflict. Some 3.65 million civilians have been displaced since the war began in March 2015. Conflict has caused extensive damage to public infrastructure and humanitarian needs are the most acute in governorates most affected by conflict, including Taizz, Al Hudaydah, Hajjah and Al Dhale’e, where fighting and civilian impact is recorded daily.

UNHCR provides humanitarian support for the internally displaced and around 275,000 refugees and asylum-seekers who have remained in Yemen despite the fighting. It provided cash assistance to more than 167,000 families in 2019.

The Refugee Zakat Fund was launched by UNHCR in 2019 as a trusted, compliant and effective distributor harnessing the power of zakat to transform the lives of the most vulnerable refugee and IDPs. The report revealed that in 2019, the Refugee Zakat Fund received over US$43 million, including the largest-ever single contribution made by the Thani Bin Abdullah Bin Thani Al-Thani Humanitarian Fund of over US$35 million.

Other donations to the UNHCR Refugee Zakat Fund were from individuals, institutional partners and philanthropists. These donations have helped provide lifesaving assistance to 191,497 vulnerable families (1,025,014 individuals).

On March 25, UNHCR appealed for US$255 million for its urgent push to curb the risk and lessen the impact of COVID-19 outbreaks on vulnerable communities. Funds are critical to urgently support preparedness and response in situations of forced displacement over the next nine months.

"Imagine trying to cope with this (the coronavirus pandemic) crisis with no access to soap and water to wash your hands. No hope of isolating yourself because of overcrowded conditions. No shelter to stay safely inside. Imagine having to do this after already having been forced by war to flee your home and your family. This is the tragic reality today for far too many refugees and displaced families around the world," said Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in a video statement.

Explore:

Watch the video where Grandi delivers wishes for Ramadhan

Muis shares zakat fitrah rates for 2019

The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) has announced that the zakat fitrah rates for Ramadhan 2019 are S$5.30 (normal rate) and S$7 (higher rate) per head.

Zakat fitrah is an obligatory contribution by all Muslims during the month of Ramadhan. The rates are determined by the Muis Zakat and Fitrah Committee, by using staple food of the country that the person resides in. As rice is the staple food here, the rates are based on the median price of 2.3kg of the grade of rice that is generally consumed by the Muslim community.

Muis introduced a two-tier zakat fitrah rate in 2005 to facilitate zakat payers who may wish to pay more than the normal rate, for example if they consume a higher grade of rice. Zakat payers may choose the rate that is most suitable based on their daily consumption.

Details:

Zakat fitrah must be paid during the month of Ramadhan but no later than the morning of Eid al-fitr, (before the start of the Eid prayer). However, the Muslim public is advised to pay early. Payment can be done by:

• Cash, cheque or NETS at all mosques, authorised Muslim organisations and at the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore

• NETS/NETS QR code payments at 47 full-time Zakat Collection Centres at mosques and M3@WGS office at Wisma Geylang Serai

• AXS stations

• Fitrah Telepoll 1900 112 3530 (to pay S$5.30) / 1900 112 3700 pay S$7, by 5 June 2019 before 7 am. Each call is for the fitrah contribution of one person only and an administration charge of S$0.20 per call applies.

Online payments are also accepted, via:

• Muis Zakat

• CIMB Clicks

MUIS encourages Muslims to present their NRIC or other personal identification documents to the authorised zakat personnel (Amils) when making payment, so that it can be included for tax deduction.

Muis also has a hotline at +65 6359 1199 to answer any questions.

Oman accepts e-payments on new zakat portal

The Oman Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs has launched an e-payments system for collecting zakat (زكاة‎‎) as part of digital transformation initiatives to facilitate services for beneficiaries and simplify procedures, the Oman News Agency has reported. Zakat is an annual payment, obligatory for Muslims, whose amount is calculated on the value of selected assets. The money is used for specific charitable and religious purposes.

Sultan bin Said al-Hinai, General Supervisor of the Zakat e-system said the system helps to manage zakat affairs for four stakeholders: the zakat payer, which could be an individual or an institution; the the beneficiaries of zakat, which could be an individual or a family; local zakat committees, and the Islamic banks which contribute to facilitating zakat services.

Services include a zakat calculator, and reliable acceptance of zakat payments. Zakat payments are credited to the general account for zakat in the sultanate, to the relevant account in wilayah, or to eligible individuals. It also allows payment of general or current alms, kaffarat or zakat al-fitr*. It also enables the delivery of in kind zakat, such as fruits, animals and others. 

To date, 1,120 users have taken advantage of the e-payment service.

*Kaffarat (كفارة) refers to payments made in lieu of fasts missed un-necessarily during Ramadhan. This is to be distinguished from fidyat (الفدية), or payments made in lieu of fasts missed because the person is too old or too sick, and cannot make up for it later. Zakat al-fitr is a compulsory amount to be paid before Eid prayers, either in the form of food or money, and meant as charity to be distributed at the end of the last fast in Ramadhan. The money helps the poor who may not have been able to engage in the Eid celebrations and also provides the giver with an opportunity to be forgiven for sins made during Ramadhan.

Muis announces zakat fitrah rates

The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) has announced the zakat fitrah rates for Ramadhan 2018 (1439): S$5 is the normal rate and S$7 the higher rate per head in the two tier system.

Zakat fitrah must be paid during the month of Ramadhan but no later than the morning of Eid al-Fitr, before the Eid prayer. The Muslim public is encouraged to pay early.

Zakat fitrah is an obligatory contribution by all Muslims during the month of Ramadhan. The rate is determined by the Muis Zakat and Fitrah Committee, by using staple food of the country that the person resides in. As rice is the staple food here, the rates are based on the median price of 2.3kg of the grade of rice that is generally consumed by the Muslim community.

Muis introduced a two-tier zakat fitrah rate in 2005 to facilitate zakat payers who may wish to pay more than the normal rate (Muslims who consume a higher grade of rice). Zakat payers may choose the rate that is most suitable based on their daily consumption.

Details:

Zakat fitrah in Singapore may be paid by cash, cheque, NETS at all mosques, authorised Muslim organisations and at the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore.

It is also accepted at ATMs, AXS stations, and via phone through the Fitrah Telepoll* 1900 112 3500 for S$5 or 1900 112 3700 for S$7.

To pay online visit Muis or CIMB Clicks

Payments close on 15 June 2018 before 7 am. Muslims fulfilling their zakat fitrah payments in person should present their NRIC or other personal identification to the authorised zakat personnel (amils) when making payment to be included for tax deduction.

Call the Muis hotline at +65 6359 1199 with questions.

*Each call is for the fitrah contribution of one person only. An additional administration charge of S$0.20 per call applies.

University of Pennsylvania senior wins Malaysian Rhodes Scholarship

Source: University of Pennsylvania,
Eric Sucar. Adnan Zikri.

Adnan Zikri Jaafar, a University of Pennsylvania senior from Malaysia, has been awarded a Malaysian Rhodes Scholarship for graduate study at the University of Oxford. The 2017 awards bring the number of Penn Rhodes Scholars to 26.

“All of us at Penn are enormously proud of Chris and Zikri,” said Penn President Amy Gutmann, commenting on Adnan's scholarship and that of US senior Christopher D’Urso. “Our newest Rhodes scholars share a passion for community engagement, human rights and social justice. Their work embodies the finest attributes of Penn scholars who are working to make a profound difference in the world."

Zikri’s undergraduate research has focused on social-impact bonds. He also has done volunteer work with refugees and has been an ambassador for Penn’s Giving What We Can. Chris and Zikri are extraordinarily talented, engaged and committed individuals who are deeply deserving of this preeminent recognition.”

Adnan is enrolled in the Huntsman Program in International Studies in Business offered through Penn’s School of Arts and Sciences and Wharton School. He is majoring in finance, statistics and international studies, with a minor in mathematics, economics and philosophy. At Penn he has served as a Fox Research and Service Fellow and a Wharton Research Scholar.

Earlier this year, he conducted research on social-impact bonds to assess alternative approaches to improving the impact of zakat distribution in Malaysia. He volunteers for the PA Refugee Task Force in Philadelphia in the US and at Syrian refugee schools in Irbid, Jordan, and is also an ambassador for Penn’s Giving What We Can.

At Oxford, Adnan will pursue a master’s degree in evidence-based social intervention and policy evaluation, along with a master’s in financial economics.

Ramadhan, zakat fitrah rates announced for Singapore

Dr Mohamed Fatris Bakaram, Mufti of Singapore, has stated that based on astronomical calculations as agreed upon by member countries of the Informal Meeting of the Religious Affairs Ministers of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore (MABIMS), the crescent moon for the month of Ramadhan appeared on the evening of 26 May after sunset for about 39 minutes.

"As such, the first day of fasting for the month of Ramadhan falls on Saturday, 27 May 2017. I would like to take this opportunity to wish every Muslim in Singapore a blessed Ramadhan. In this blessed month, let’s take the opportunity to strengthen friendship and foster stronger family ties by performing activities together such as having the pre-dawn and break fast meals, as well as the night prayers as a family," he said in a statement.

The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) has announced that the zakat fitrah rates for Ramadhan 2017 (1438) are S$5.10 and S$7 per head for the normal and higher rates respectively.

Zakat fitrah is a ‘head tax’ payable by all Muslims during the month of Ramadhan. The rate is determined by the Muis Zakat and Fitrah Committee, using the median price of 2.3kg of the grade of rice that is generally consumed by the Muslim community.

Muis introduced a two-tier Zakat Fitrah rate in 2005 to facilitate zakat payers who may wish to pay more than the normal rate as they consume a higher grade of rice. Muis said that zakat payers may choose the rate that is most suitable based on their daily consumption.

Zakat fitrah must be paid during the month of Ramadhan but no later than the morning of Eid al Fitr, before the Eidul Fitri prayer. However, the Muslim public is advised to pay early.

Interested?

Various methods to pay zakat fitrah in Singapore are as follows:

• Cash / cheques / NETS at all mosques, authorised Muslim organisations and at the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore

• AXS stations from 27 May 2017

• Fitrah Telepoll 1900-112-3510 (for S$5.10/person) or 1900-112-3700 (for S$7/person), by 25 June 2017 before 7am. Each call is for the fitrah contribution of one person only, and an administrative charge of S$0.20 per call applies

• Muis Zakat online

• CIMB Clicks

Muslims fulfilling their zakat fitrah payment should present their NRIC or other personal identification documents to the authorised zakat personnel (amils) when making payment to be included for tax deductions

Contact Muis at +65 6359 1199 with enquiries.

posted from Bloggeroid

Madrasah students receive Muis awards for doing well in 2015 examinations

According to the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis), 26 madrasah (religious school) students recently received Progress Fund Madrasah Assistance Scheme (PROMAS) Performance Awards for excellent results in the 2015 examinations.

A total of S$341,000 has been distributed to all six madrasahs to support the educational and developmental needs of children from zakah-receiving families.

The news was announced on Muis' Facebook page.

UAE's Zakat Fund takes to social network, supports e-payments

In the UAE, the Zakat Fund website offers more than 56 e-services for facilitating the process of paying zakat in line with the UAE government's push towards smart government services, the authority specialising in collecting money for zakat and charity and spending it on the eight legal channels of zakat disclosed.

Source: Zakat Fund

Those paying zakat can pay by credit card online, through ATMs installed in shopping centres in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, and the Western Region, or through various online portals, including the official portal of the UAE government, the portal of the Abu Dhabi E-Government, and the official portal of the Dubai government, as well as the Etihad Airways portal, said H.H Abdullah ibn Aqeedah Al Muhairy, Secretary-General of the Zakat Fund.

H.H said, “The Fund offered zakat payers more than 2,000 ATMs owned by Islamic banks, more than 1,000 ATMs for fast collection owned by Max Box, the electronic collector...and other means which facilitate the process of paying zakat."

Other payment channels include mobile phone apps on both iOS and Android platforms, and SMS, he added.

The Zakat Fund's public outreach has a heavy focus on social networking, H.H also said. Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, and Google+ are all deployed to enable the public to follow on-going activities and initiatives and to act as a platform for queries, notices and complaints. 

H.H. disclosed that January statistics from the Arab IT News Portal stated that about 81% of UAE users use the Internet to log into social networking websites, representing 3 hours and 17 minutes of daily use each. 

Facebook is the most popular social networking platform used in the UAE, followed by Google+, then Twitter, Linkedin, and Instagram respectively. The study stated that 74% of UAE users have smartphones, which 38% use for e-shopping and 90% use for searching for local services. 

He further added that Zakat Fund, through its pages on social networking websites, aims to increase public awareness of zakat and transparency on the dealings of the Fund. 

*Pictures from the Zakat Fund website