Mains Studying To Raise Zakat Poverty Line

SEREMBAN, March 22 (Bernama) --The Negeri Sembilan Islamic Religious Council  (MAINS) is currently studying to raise the current “had kifayah” (zakat poverty line) to determine the poor and the needy to facilitate and ensure effective zakat (tithe) distribution in the state.

Its chairman, Datuk Seri Dr Abdul Aziz Sheikh Ab Kadir said the current rate used by MAINS to determine the sufficiency of a household is RM2,418.

"Household income of below RM2,418 is considered as poor in the current MAINS kifayah e-had system. So we want it to be increased,” he told reporters at a programme with the media here today.

He said the study, expected to take six months, was being conducted with the assistance of a few researchers from public universities.

Meanwhile, he said MAINS distributed tithe amounting to RM172.9 million to  59,152 recipients last year.

For this Ramadan, MAINS has channelled a total of RM17.4 million in aid, involving 29,868 recipients, he added.

-- BERNAMA