Answer to Written Question PT078

QUESTION

Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Haji Md. Yusof

YANG BERHORMAT PEHIN ORANG KAYA JOHAN PAHLAWAN DATO SERI SETIA AWANG HAJI ADANAN BIN BEGAWAN PEHIN SIRAJA KHATIB DATO SERI SETIA HAJI MD. YUSOF asks the MENTERI HAL EHWAL UGAMA to state to what extent the Department of Zakat, Waqaf & Baitulmal Affairs (JUZWAB) has been strengthened to develop zakat, waqaf and baitulmal strategically and with high impact? What measures have been taken to adapt best practices from Malaysia and Singapore in generating waqaf income and strengthening the socio-economy of the Muslim ummah, in line with Maqasid Syariah?

ANSWER

In adapting best practices from Malaysia and Singapore in matters of zakat, waqaf and baitulmal, since its establishment JUZWAB has first enhanced the competency and skills of its human resources so as to remain relevant with current technology and present needs. Several joint training collaborations and human capital development workshops have been implemented with strategic partners from within and outside the country, among them the Faculty of Syariah and Law in collaboration with the Centre for Leadership and Lifelong Learning, Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA), the State Mufti Department, Brunei, Majlis Ugama Islam Dan Adat Resam Melayu Pahang (MUIP) and Pusat Kutipan Zakat (PKZ) Pahang.

The Department of Zakat, Waqaf and Baitulmal Affairs has targeted 11 main directions in strengthening and further developing the management of zakat, waqaf and baitulmal strategically as follows:

ZAKAT MANAGEMENT

I. Streamlining and strengthening zakat management governance.
II. Preparing planning and digital transformation strategies for zakat management.
III. Strengthening collaboration in empowering zakat at the national level.
IV. Increasing outreach by conducting zakat promotion and tarbiyyah to various parties.

WAQAF MANAGEMENT

I. Transforming waqaf management to become more systematic, professional, and development-oriented.
II. Planning and implementing development projects such as housing, commercial centres, or educational institutions on waqaf land that has yet to be utilised.
III. Diversifying waqaf models such as cash waqaf, temporary waqaf, or corporate waqaf.
IV. Further enhancing strategic cooperation with government agencies, the private sector, and financial institutions to implement waqaf asset development projects and expand the waqaf network in Brunei.

ASNAF EMPOWERMENT MANAGEMENT

I. Exploring the skills potential in various industries such as the creative industry, oil and gas downstream, logistics and transportation and others.
II. Developing specialised skills centres through a hybrid model, namely waqaf and zakat.
III. Enhancing cooperation and the involvement of NGOs and the community in making the development of asnaf skills centres a success.

As part of efforts to adapt best practices from Malaysia and Singapore in generating and strengthening the socio-economy of the Muslim ummah, especially among the poor and destitute asnaf, with the permission of Allah Subhanahu Wata'ala, for the first time an Asnaf Skills Centre has been established, which will serve as a base for zakat asnaf to undergo skills training in entrepreneurship and culinary and confectionery business guidance, while at the same time providing space for programme participants as well as poor and destitute asnaf to market their products through the Asnaf Empowerment Cafe and the Asnaf Empowerment Cube Store.

In line with the establishment of the Skills Centre, a special programme called the Asnaf Entrepreneurship Skills Programme has been introduced and arranged in a more comprehensive format. This programme is implemented with the advice, support and collaboration of Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam [BIBD] as an agent with expertise in business, especially with strong collaborative networking experience with several government agencies. This programme is intended to become an शुरुआती point and platform in producing more trained and skilled asnaf entrepreneurs. This initiative is not only aimed at economic stability for the participants, but also as a network towards guaranteeing social security while supporting the Second Goal of Wawasan Negara 2035, namely High Quality of Life.

In brief, the training module for this Asnaf Skills Programme is implemented through three (3) phases of training and learning, namely the Theory and Practical Training Phase [Work-Based Training]; the Practical and Mentorship Phase for marketing and business operations at the Asnaf Skills Centre as a marketplace; and the Final Phase: Evaluation and Monitoring. At the end of this programme, trainees assessed as qualified and having the potential to become qualified entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to apply for and be considered under the Skim Agihan Bantuan Modul Berusaha using zakat fund allocations, subject to the terms and approval of the Zakat Disbursement Committee.

With the existence of this Asnaf Skills Centre, it will certainly further expand the employability of poor and destitute asnaf who will be developed through knowledge and their skills training.