KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 13 — The Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) is targeting to collect RM710 million of zakat this year.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mujahid Yusof Rawa said last year MAIWP managed to collect RM650 million, the highest zakat collection among all states in Malaysia.

"The large amount of zakat collection, demands MAIWP to work hard and be proactive to re-distribute them. Thus, MAIWP has implemented various programmes in the distribution of zakat.

"During this year, the KPI (Key Performance Indicators) of MAIWP is to reduce poverty at a rate of asnaf from two to four per cent a year,” he said in his keynote address at Dinner With The Ambassadors of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), here last night.

The dinner event organised by MAIWP as a platform to foster relationships and to exchange views and experiences particularly in Islamic management agenda among the OIC countries’ representatives.

Also present were Tengku Laksamana Selangor Tengku Sulaiman Shah, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Fuziah Salleh, Deputy Entrepreneur Development Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Hatta Md Ramli, MAIWP chairman Datuk Seri Syed Hussein Alhabshee and ambassadors from OIC countries. — Bernama