SHAH ALAM, 1 July: The economy of the Muslim community in Selangor continues to grow positively when the number of people who are eligible to pay property Zakat increased to 9% for the first five months of this year, compared to the same period last year.

The number of Zakat payers for the period from January to May this year recorded 187,002 people compared to 172,183 last year.

The Chairman of the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (MAIS), Datuk Mohamad Adzib Mohd Isa, said that during the period, the Selangor Zakat Board (LZS) managed to collect a total of RM178.3 million compared to RM143 million in the previous year.

“The Zakat distribution for the same period this year amounts to RM247.7 million.

“The targeted Zakat collection this year is RM560 million,” said Mohamad Adzib during the Sultan of Selangor’s buka puasa (breaking fast) festival with the people at the Selangor state mosque yesterday.

The Zakat categorised as property Zakat includes income Zakat, business Zakat, gold and silver Zakat, stock Zakat, agricultural Zakat and farming (animal husbandry) Zakat.

Prior to this, at the same event, the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah consented to receive the business Zakat payment state government-owned companies – Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) of RM5,173,054.28, Worldwide Holdings Bhd (RM1,644,931.00) and Permodalan Negeri Selangor Bhd (PNSB)(RM618,582.05).

Meanwhile, UMW Holdings Berhad paid a sum of RM14,786,905 and the Plus Group paid RM2,040,933.

Also accompanying the Sultan at the same event was the Chief Minister, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

NS