Even if the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) usedzakat (tithe) funds to settle legal costs incurred by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Jamil Khir Baharom, it did not break Islamic law.
This is based on the decision of a special meeting of the Federal Territory Islamic consultation council held on Sept 3, 2009, and chaired by Federal Territory mufti.
At the meeting, the MAIWP 2010 budget, which also provides for the use of the tithe fund to pay for legal services, was endorsed.
Saying this in a statement today, the religious council chief executive officer Muhammad Yamin Ismail added: "However, MAIWP management is very prudent in using the tithe fund although there was such decision."
Yamin said the legal costs were paid back with the annual government grant given to the council.
Earlier reports quoted the Audit Department as confirming that RM63,650 was withdrawn from the MAIWP tithe fund to settle the advance legal costs of Jamil (right) and two others.
This is based on the decision of a special meeting of the Federal Territory Islamic consultation council held on Sept 3, 2009, and chaired by Federal Territory mufti.
At the meeting, the MAIWP 2010 budget, which also provides for the use of the tithe fund to pay for legal services, was endorsed.Saying this in a statement today, the religious council chief executive officer Muhammad Yamin Ismail added: "However, MAIWP management is very prudent in using the tithe fund although there was such decision."
Yamin said the legal costs were paid back with the annual government grant given to the council.
Earlier reports quoted the Audit Department as confirming that RM63,650 was withdrawn from the MAIWP tithe fund to settle the advance legal costs of Jamil (right) and two others.
Money returned from government allocation
The RM63,650 had been incurred in a qazaf application case that Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim filed against Jamil, Federal Territory Islamic Department director Che Mat Che Ali and its chief prosecutor Shamsuddin Hussain.
However, the report states that the sum was returned to the tithe fund after the council obtained a general resources allocation of RM700,000 from the federal government in June 2010.
Yamin also said that Jamil, who is chairperson of MAIWP as well, was not involved in the process of paying the legal costs as this was done according to the council's financial procedures.
"MAIWP also received clean certificate, without reprimand on its financial statement, from the National Audit Department."
Yamin slammed PAS and PKR party organs Harakah and Suara Keadilan, as well as online media, for publishing "politically motivated reports" to drag MAIWP into disrepute.
He said the reports produced by Harakah from June 2011 to this month were "irresponsible, malicious and unethical", and had created negative perception and confusion about MAIWP, as well as jeopardised its credibility.
The RM63,650 had been incurred in a qazaf application case that Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim filed against Jamil, Federal Territory Islamic Department director Che Mat Che Ali and its chief prosecutor Shamsuddin Hussain.
However, the report states that the sum was returned to the tithe fund after the council obtained a general resources allocation of RM700,000 from the federal government in June 2010.
Yamin also said that Jamil, who is chairperson of MAIWP as well, was not involved in the process of paying the legal costs as this was done according to the council's financial procedures.
"MAIWP also received clean certificate, without reprimand on its financial statement, from the National Audit Department."
Yamin slammed PAS and PKR party organs Harakah and Suara Keadilan, as well as online media, for publishing "politically motivated reports" to drag MAIWP into disrepute.
He said the reports produced by Harakah from June 2011 to this month were "irresponsible, malicious and unethical", and had created negative perception and confusion about MAIWP, as well as jeopardised its credibility.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.