BANTING, Nov 7 — The Selangor Zakat Board (LZS) announced that special assistance under the “Bantuan Khas Keperluan Hidup” amounting to RM34.25 million which began to be distributed to 68,500 eligible recipients on Nov 1, is expected to be completed this Friday.
LZS Asnaf Distribution Operations Division deputy head Md Yusmizan Yusuf said that the one-off special assistance was credited directly to the bank accounts of recipients including the poor, fakir (hardcore poor) and Muslim converts in Selangor.
He said that this was an additional provision to the existing assistance received by the recipients to help alleviate household expenses following the increase in the price of goods.
“Of that amount, RM12.41 million is channelled to the poor involving 24,823 beneficiaries and another RM19.62 million is distributed to 39,239 hardcore poor recipients, while 4,438 converts receive allocation totalling RM2.22 million,” he said after the programme which was also attended by the Orang Besar Daerah Kuala Langat, Datuk Mohamed Alhaj Tengku Harun and LZS chief operating officer Ahmad Fadhil Hassan at Al-Falah Mosque, Jenjarom today.
In the event, LZS also presented donations to four individuals who each received assistance in building a new house, home repair and medical assistance amounting to RM241,471.
Meanwhile, three mosques and surau in the Kuala Langat district also received donations for repair work and mosque equipment worth RM223,000.
When asked by reporters if LZS will reassess the kifayah limit rate, which is the minimum rate of basic requirements of the cost of living of an individual or a family, in determining asnaf recipient, Md Yusmizan replied that the matter is being studied by the agency following the increase in the cost of living and the depreciation of the ringgit against the US dollar.
Currently, the kifayah limit rate in Selangor is RM2,990 per family.
“We are in the middle of a study to determine the new limit rate by taking into account the increase in the cost of living and current economic situation,” he said.
— Bernama
