KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 24 — Malaysian Sunni Organisation (Aswaja) has questioned the inclusion of e-commerce website Shopee as a platform for Muslims to pay their zakat, or alms.
Malaysiakini reported the group’s president Zamihan Mat Zin questioning the religious background of the management behind Shopee.
“So who owns Shopee or manages zakat collection on their behalf? Muslims or non-Muslims?” he reportedly said in an interview.
Zamihan also questioned the definition of Shopee’s zakat collection, and what the e-commerce platform’s true role would be, either as an “amil” or zakat collector, an agent, or facilitator.
He also asked whether Shopee’s service charges for collecting zakat would be paid from the operational funds for Islamic councils, or from the zakat collection itself.
Zamihan stressed that zakat collection is a religious obligation, and not a business or banking transaction.
Despite Zamihan’s questions, Shopee’s role has already been defined as a payment gateway, similar to other e-wallet providers, MyEG, and bank portals such as Maybank2U and CIMB Clicks.
Perak and Pahang religious authorities have already addressed the issue, with the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council Zakat Collection Centre (PPZ-MAIWP) expected to issue a statement soon too.
Last Wednesday, Shopee was appointed as a platform for Muslims to pay zakat among others in the Federal Territories, Selangor and Perak.
The company insisted that all zakat transactions are valid and in accordance with Islamic law, with plans to expand zakat collection in other states.
