KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysian Corruption Watch (MCW) president Jais Abdul Karim has called for zakat collections and public donations to be managed professionally with independent audits to ensure transparency and prevent misuse of funds.
Speaking on the Scoop Insight podcast titled “RM230 Million: Trust or Betrayal”, he stressed that zakat collectors and fundraising agents must understand that their responsibilities are an act of worship and not an opportunity for self-enrichment.
“What they are doing is indeed good, but if it is abused, it can backfire badly — not only on themselves, but on Islam as a whole,” he said.
Problem not exclusive to Islam
Jais also revealed that fund misuse issues are not confined to Islamic institutions, but also occur in places of worship of other religions.
“My non-Muslim friend told me that similar issues happen in their temples too. So this isn’t a problem unique to Islam,” he said.
He added that many individuals arrested or investigated for corruption often appear outwardly religious but fail to embody the true values behind worship.
“Worship should come from love for Allah, not merely as a ritual. If you do it out of obligation alone, after prayers you become a devil again,” he said sarcastically.
Palestine funds and NGO loopholes
Jais also highlighted experiences involving NGOs collecting funds for Palestine, where only a small portion allegedly reached intended recipients.
“Some NGOs announced they collected RM3 million, but what reached us was not even 10%. They take 30% as management costs and we don’t even know where that figure came from,” he said.
He stressed that in Islam, amil or zakat collectors are entitled to receive a portion, but only enough for reasonable living needs, not extravagance.
“No scholar says they can take 20% or 30%. This is worship, not business,” he stressed.
To restore public confidence in Islamic trust systems, MCW also urged the government and religious institutions to introduce clear guidelines and periodic audits for zakat collection bodies and public donation organisations. – May 21, 2026.