MIRI: Five landowners who donated land for religious purposes (wakaf) were presented with a certificate of appreciation each yesterday.
These five land donors (pewakaf) for such purposes received the certificates from Head of State Tun Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud who was guest-of-honour during at Sarawak Wakaf Seminar 2017 held at the Multi-purpose Hall of Sarawak Islamic Complex Miri yesterday.
The pieces of land concerned were donated for the religious purposes through the Tabung Baitulmal Sarawak.
In his address, Tun Taib stressed on the importance of knowledge in the field of investment and economy pertaining to the management of wakaf assets in the state of Sarawak.
He said Tabung Baitulmal Sarawak which is under the Islamic Council, the body responsible to look after the wakaf trust in the state, to be always enhance its management ability from time to time by upgrading their knowledge and to always keep abreast on the most up-to-date methods or approaches in order to increase on the volume of property and asset ownerships among Muslims in Sarawak.
“We need to hava a new kind of study in order to find out the latest wakaf system so that we are able to expand our opportunities in getting the best benefits pertaining to the management of wakaf and assets. This would be one way to help the community as a whole,” he stressed.
“This seminar is an effort to further improve our thinking and reflections apart from improving people’s awareness of wakaf so that all quarters would be able to contribute to the overall development of the Muslims,” the Head of State said, adding that the Sarawak Islamic Council should take the initiative to gather all the intellectual personnel with wide knowledge in economic and investment fields for them to readily form the machinery in the management of wakaf.
During the event, Tun Taib also witnessed the symbolic contribution handing over of fund dubbed ‘Wakaf Ilmu UiTM Sarawak’ by the five wakaf contributors whereby a total accumulated fund of RM16,500 was received by Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Sarawak Rector Professor Dato Dr. Jamil Haji Jamali.
Also present were State’s Mufti Datu Haji Kipli Yassin; Deputy Speaker of Sarawak Legislative Assembly Dato Gerawat Gala; Tourism, Arts and Culture Assistant Minister Datuk Lee Kim Shin; Sibuti Member of Parliament Dato Ahmad Lai Bujang; President of Sarawak Baitulmal and Wakaf Board Datu Putit Matzen; Tabung Baitulmal Sarawak General Manager Datu Haji Abang Mohamad Shibli Abang Nailie and Miri Resident Sherina Hussaini.
