Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
| Posted: 06 Dec 2013 12:08 PM PST
PAS being a party that is supposed to champion the religion of Islam should take the initiative to revamp the Islamic taxation system in the country. They can initially implement the system in the 3 states under the PR governments. I believe if the tax collection is done efficiently in the various states in the country, the zakat revenue can reach a whopping sum of more than one billion ringgit annually!
Awang Abdillah
Zakat is the 4th tenet of the Islamic faith. It constitutes the tax revenue and sadaqah (alms/charity expenditure) of the Islamic (welfare) taxation system.
However, many Muslim governments do not implement it fully to protect the economic interests of those in power or fail to comprehend the virtues of the Islamic taxation system. Zakat is a mandatory payment for those earning the profits from their business entities and earn personal incomes above certain amounts respectively, and those who own different kinds of non-productive assets above certain values respectively.
The virtues of zakat are many. Firstly, the tax money is used to redistribute the wealth of the country to those in need and to uplift their economic well-being. Secondly, the system reduces the stocking and concentration of wealth and riches in the hands of the few that lead to greed for materialism and worldly pleasures. Thirdly, the tax cleanses the hearts of Muslims and their wealth and riches from ill-gotten sources. Fourthly, zakat money can be spent to reduce the incidences of crime and vice.
The standard rate of zakat payment is at 2.5% annually (rates may vary according to different items) on the economic wealth of Muslims namely the net profits of businesses and personal incomes; and on their riches namely the non-productive assets such as luxury houses and cars, jewellery, cash deposits in banks and other properties in the country and overseas, above certain amounts or values respectively.
The tax should be paid directly to those in need or through Islamic institutions such as Tabong Zakat, Baitulmal board or the department of Zakat for subsequent redistribution. The tax money is not a saving or an investment fund or business working capital. Hence, it cannot be used for purposes other than to be given to those in need. The main category of those eligible to receive the sadaqah (charity/alms money) as stated in Surah Tauba verse 60 are the poor and needy, those employed to administer the collections, whose hearts have been reconciled, who are in bondage and in debt, those involved in the cause of Allah, and the wayfarers.
Under the present circumstances we may include other specific groups in the list - widows, orphans, the homeless, students, the sick and disabled, couples/families facing financial woes, religious bodies or organizations in dire need of funds and the like. However, another category of those that need attention are youths both boys and girls who are prone to influences to commit crime and vice. In most cases, street crimes and vice are committed by youths who do not have money.
Hence, the zakat taxation system is quite comprehensive in tackling many economic and social problems besetting the Muslim community. PAS being a party that is supposed to champion the religion of Islam should take the initiative to revamp the Islamic taxation system in the country. They can initially implement the system in the 3 states under the PR governments. I believe if the tax collection is done efficiently in the various states in the country, the zakat revenue can reach a whopping sum of more than one billion ringgit annually!
All Muslims who own profitable enterprises, high incomes and own properties and assets should declare the amount and value of their wealth and riches to these institutions for the purpose of tax assessment.
How zakat money can reduce crime and vice
Compared to the other races in Malaysia, the Malays/Muslims are poor financially due to their weak economic performance. Financial shortcomings is one of the main causes of crime, vice and family woes. Savings is one form of overcoming the financial shortcomings and sustaining the economic well-being and dignity of an individual/community. Savings can be utilized in times of recession when businesses turn bad, as a better source of business capital than borrowing, an important source of bank credit, and to keep crime at bay.
It can be observed that those youths with no proper jobs or unemployed and without having bank savings or cash in their pockets are very often prone to crime and vice. This deprivation creates a feeling of hopelessness and loss of human dignity tempting them to commit crimes such as snatch thefts, robbery, rape and the like, and vices such as drug addiction and prostitution.
Sadaqah money can help to reduce the high rate of divorces among Muslim couples too. Tabong zakat or Baitulmal boards can go a long way to help these youths by contributing to their savings deposits, or cash handouts to those target groups to reduce incidences of crime and vice, which then will help reduce costs to the government in the maintenance of peace and security in the country.
PAS clerics can help to prepare a comprehensive guideline on the different tax rates and the categories of taxable items based on the Quran and the Hadiths, for Muslims in Malaysia. |
| Posted: 06 Dec 2013 11:58 AM PST  To a contractor's bulldozer operator, a candi in the Bujang Valley is a pile of rocks. Rocks are rocks. He was there to do a day's honest work to remove the rocks. Yussof Condred Once, in a remote village of the Amazon jungle the native villagers trapped a beautiful bird of a species thought to have gone extinct long ago. The news raised a great deal of excitement among scientists of the west. When they visited the village with a view to studying it at close range they only found the feathers and bones of the bird. The native savages had eaten the bird! To them, a bird is a bird. You can't expect them to understand and appreciate the significance of their find. Closer home, to a contractor's bulldozer operator, a candi in the Bujang Valley is a pile of rocks. Rocks are rocks. He was there to do a day's honest work to remove the rocks. So is he any different from the savages who ate the rare bird? Now going up another rank of hierarchy, the project manager was reported to have said he would have left the site alone if he had known. Since he didn't know, in this context, is he different from the bird-eaters? What about the well-educated officials who approved the project? Did they know? President of Badan Warisan, Tun Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid, was reported to have said 'for the developer to plead ignorance was "no plea at all".' But mainstream Malaysian society is not interest in history or heritage relics. Are we satisfied with living in a land of savages?
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| Posted: 06 Dec 2013 10:50 AM PST
Party members attend Umno's annual assembly were told, "Malay millionaires are important because Malays are Muslims. When Malays are rich, Islam would be defended. If Malays are poor, Islam would be sidelined" So to protect the sanctity of a religion, money is the key factor. Not morals, faith, deeds. Aqidah, Iman, Ibadah semua tak payah kot. Yang penting adalah kejutawanan seseorang. Now I learned something new. Fikri Fisal "More Malay millionaires needed to protect Islam" - Haniff Koslan (oh he's a Datuk). Excuse me for I need to release this uncontainable force called laughter from my body. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA ok that's enough. No just a little bit more. HHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA OK. CUKUP. ****** I was debating with my alter-ego on which statements made in the UMNO AGM would make the statement of the year. Apparently the search is over. Haniff Koslan emerged winner hands-down. So to protect the sanctity of a religion, money is the key factor. Not morals, faith, deeds. Aqidah, Iman, Ibadah semua tak payah kot. Yang penting adalah kejutawanan seseorang. Now I learned something new. Mungkin saudara Haniff tersilap cakap. He probably meant to say "... to protect capitaLISM" but pronunciation dia mungkin kurang jelas lalu reporter media mendengarnya seperti "... to protect Islam". Really, Mr Haniff. There is no need to say that to justify the Bumiputera affirmative action policies. Affirmative action is done for the sake of social engineering. I will not waste time here debating on whether it's justified or not. But just know that it is a socio-economic-political policy. Don't you dare use the name of Islam to justify the Bumiputera policies. Let you be reminded of what Tun Abdul Razak said: "The NEP incorporates the two pronged objective of eradicating poverty, irrespective of race and restructuring Malaysia society to reduce and eventually eliminate the identification of race with economic functions..,". It was implemented for the sake of national harmony, and nothing more. Please don't embarrass yourself, your party, and your nation and your religion. Islam does not need your statements to protect itself. Islam does not need me, you or anyone else to protect itself. "Indeed, it is We who sent down the Qur'an and indeed, We will be its guardian", - (Al-quran 15:9, Sahih International) And of course, Islam does not need Bumiputera policies or Malay millionaires to protect itself. Islam is perfect. PS: Please discuss real issues that would benefit the well-being of the citizens of the country next time. That is the amanah of your party. Tau kan golongan yang pecah amanah golongan apa?
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