Higher Education Fund (PTPTN) chairperson Wan Saiful Wan Jan said today that the fund's zakat payments are above board and were made on the advice of the proper Islamic authorities.
Wan Saiful also told Malaysiakini that Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin's criticisms over the zakat payments were politically motivated.
"Ustaz Khairy can fatwa all he wants, but I am inclined to believe Muslim scholars with the zakat board, as opposed to those who want to politicise zakat payments.
"Zakat payments were made in every state, including states not controlled by Pakatan Harapan. I don't want a religious obligation to become a political issue," he said.
Yesterday, Khairy had said that PTPTN need not make zakat payments because it was in bad financial shape and has RM43 billion in liabilities.
Although PTPTN is technically in the black, it would have been deep in the red since 2011 had it not been for billions in federal government grants.
Last night, PTPTN clarified that the zakat payments were mandatory because the fund's various investments had been making gains.
The agency clarified that it had also consulted zakat collection experts for the Federal Territories and Selangor before doing so.
Thus far, zakat payments have been made to Malacca, Penang, Johor, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan, Sarawak and Kedah. - Mkini
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