PAS Youth claims Jamil Khir handed RM3m to Yayasan Taqwa

By Shannon Teoh

February 13, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 13 — PAS Youth stepped up pressure on Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom today, accusing the Islamic affairs minister of further misappropriation of zakat funds to Yayasan Taqwa, a foundation tasked with distributing the alms money.

The wing’s zakat task force chief, Kamaruzaman Mohamed, told a press conference that on September 17, 2011, Yayasan Taqwa requested for RM1 million from the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP).

“But on November 12, MAIWP approved RM4 million. Jamil Khir(picture) is the trust holder for Yayasan Taqwa and also chairman of MAIWP. This raises questions of how someone can make a request and approve it himself,” he said.

PAS Youth had asked the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department why RM800,000 earned by Yayasan Taqwa in 2010 has not been accounted for.

But the senator had said that the money was brought forward into the 2011 accounts.

Yayasan Taqwa, formed on November 20, 1990 and chaired by Jamil Khir, collects and disburses zakat (alms) to the needy.

PAS Youth chief Nasrudin Hassan Tantawi added today the wing would reveal further discrepancies next week as Jamil Khir’s explanations have not been satisfactory.

Opposition lawmakers had earlier alleged that Jamil Khir and two MAIWP directors abused RM63,650 in zakat funds to pay for legal fees.

The costs were incurred when Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim named the trio as respondents in his qazaf application.

Jamil Khir and Datuk Che Met Che Ali, one of the MAIWP directors, have denied abusing the fund, pointing out that zakat funds may be used to pay for legal fees in cases where the foundation has to “defend the sovereignty and honour of an Islamic institution”.