IPOH, Sept 15 — The Perak Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council allocates up to RM2 million a year through the ‘Pemerkasaan Ekonomi Asnaf (Proper A)’, an asnaf (those eligible to receive zakat) economic empowerment programme, to help them break away from the shackles of poverty by venturing into entrepreneurship.
Perak Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council Zakat Distribution Division general manager, Rohizan Omar said a total of 1,667 asnaf (poor) recipients have participated in the programme since it was first introduced in 2016 until now.
“Out of that number, 90 per cent of them are involved with Proper A and have managed to break away from the shackles of poverty and have started paying zakat.
“Some of them also become training providers by giving training to other asnaf in the field of entrepreneurship,” he said when met by reporters after the presentation of the spa and beauty business start-up kit to 20 Proper A participants, under the supervision of D’Alam Spa, here.
Rohizan said that every year, 200 to 300 selected asnaf recipients undergo training for six months in certain fields, such as spa and beauty, culinary and pastry, massage and reflexology, oyster mushroom cultivation, village chicken farming and tombstone making.
“Once the training is completed, the participants will be monitored for six months by training providers appointed by the council,” he said.
He added that each participant will be given business capital of RM10,000 to cover the cost of training and the provision of equipment, according to the field.
Meanwhile, the training provider, who is the manager of D Alam Spa, Rosdziah Mohd Zainudin, said that this year a total of 20 people were selected to participate in the beauty spa and confinement practices after childbirth training, for six months.
“Each participant is given knowledge of confinement practices, as well as handling the baby,” she said, adding that equipment will also be provided to the participants.
One of the participants, Norshahrina Ahmad Khairi, 39, from Tronoh, Seri Iskandar, who has 20 years of experience in handling mothers and babies in confinement after childbirth, said that she would utilise her experience, as well as new knowledge gained during the programme, to further her business.
“When I joined Proper A, only then I learned how to improve the massage methods and marketing strategies,” said Norshahrina, who aims to earn up to RM5,000 a month, compared with the RM1,000 she earned previously.
Another participant, Farziana Mustapa Kamal, 38, from Station 18, said she wants to change her family’s economy, as currently they depend on her husband who works as an odd job labourer.
“With four school-going children, I want to help my husband by earning an income, to provide for the family,” she said.
— Bernama
