Govt exploring ways to harness endowment resources – Fuziah

KUALA LUMPUR: The government is looking into ways to harness endowment resources and enhance allocation mechanism to ensure that the benefits are fully utilised, said Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Fuziah Salleh.

According to Fuziah a lot more could be implemented by the ministry to develop the endowment institutions in the country.

“Without putting the blame on anyone, I think under the previous government, the ministry had not really focused on this matter as more could have been done.

“This is because the Department of Waqaf, Zakat & Haj (JAWHAR) has the ability to find ways and means to explore endowment resources and seek ways to raise more funds,” she said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

She was replying to a question from Datuk Dr Hasan Bahrom (PH-Tampin) who wanted to know the government’s efforts in exploring new endowment resources.

“The ministry through the agencies involved had been discussing with the state religious authorities to ensure that the endowment resources are fully utilised for the benefit of the people,” she said.

Meanwhile, in response to a supplementary question from Datuk Dr Noraini Ahmad (BNParit Sulong) on the government’s plan to raise awareness on the importance of endowment properties, Fuziah said the ministry had always been in talks with the state governments.

“The ministry had been in discussion with the state Islamic religious councils and departments not only on endowment funds but also on other aspects related to enactment of laws.

“When there is no uniformity between the states and the central government, the people would be the victims, so we in the Prime Minister’s Department have to find ways to engage, negotiate and work together to contribute positively to the Muslim community,” she said. - Bernama