MAIWP official disputes federal audit, denies zakat abuse

December 29, 2011

PUTRAJAYA, Dec 29 — Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) director Datuk Che Mat Che Ali today disputed a federal audit highlighting possible misuse of zakat monies, calling the claim a “political ploy”.

“It is not true that we had misappropriated tithe funds as we are here protect the sanctity of Islam and the credibility of MAIWP,” Che Mat was quoted in a Bernama Online report today

Che Mat, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom (picture) and MAIWP chief prosecutor Shamsudin Hussain were listed in the Auditor-General’s Report for 2010 as having withdrawn RM63,650 from the council’s zakat fund to settle their legal costs.

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

However, the A-G’s report also confirmed that the sum was repaid to the fund after the council obtained a RM700,00 grant in June last year as part of its general resources allocation from the government.

The matter triggered a call from former senior police officer Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim for Jamil and the two MAIWP officials to be charged for misappropriation of funds under Section 403 of the Penal Code and punished accordingly.

It also drew cries of double standards from Pakatan Rakyat lawmakers, who highlighted the case of zakat collector Reduan Mohd Said who was jailed for four years and whipped three times for a similar offence in Johor recently.