By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Jan 29: The Sarawak government has taken a major step in strengthening the Islamic economy with the establishment of the Sarawak Wakaf Foundation, aimed at managing and developing wakaf (endowment) assets for the benefit of the Muslim community and broader society.
According to a report by the Sarawak Public Communication Unit (UKAS), Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg highlighted that wakaf plays a crucial role in Islamic law and serves as a strategic mechanism to uplift the socio-economic standing of Muslims while contributing to public welfare.
“The Wakaf Foundation must be approved by the Cabinet.
“When the proposal was brought up, I shared the idea with my colleagues that wakaf is part of Islamic syariah, allowing us to dedicate property to a trust body that must be properly managed. That is why we established this foundation,” he said during the Wacana Perdana dialogue held in conjunction with the Sarawak Islamic Agencies Thanksgiving Ceremony last night (Jan 28).
The Premier stressed that wakaf assets must be properly registered and managed by responsible institutions to prevent inheritance disputes that could compromise the intentions of benefactors.
With the foundation in place, wakaf resources can be efficiently channeled into critical areas such as education, healthcare, and infrastructure, including the construction of schools, mosques, and hospitals.
Among those present at the event were Deputy Minister of Utility and Telecommunication and Minister-in-Charge of Islamic Affairs Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi, Sarawak Islamic Council President Datuk Misnu Taha, and Sarawak Mufti Datu Kipli Yassin. — DayakDaily
