Coordinating Minister Muhaimin Urges Distribution of Zakat, Alms to Empower Poor Communities

The Coordinating Minister for Community Empowerment (Menko PM) Abdul Muhaimin Iskandar has called for the distribution of zakat, infaq, and sedaqah (ZIS) to enable poor communities to rise out of poverty and become self-reliant and independent.

“We ensure that zakat, infaq, and sedaqah do not merely stop at Ramadan and remain charitable in nature, but rather we move forward based on the DTSEN framework. We encourage all our communities to rise in status to become empowered and self-reliant. We care for the poor whilst simultaneously encouraging them to become empowered,” said Coordinating Minister Muhaimin Iskandar at the Cross-Faith Harmony Corridor event in collaboration with Joyful Ramadan in Jakarta on Thursday.

Muhaimin Iskandar invited all stakeholders to jointly tackle the nation’s poverty problem through the fulfilment of zakat, infaq, and sedaqah obligations.

“A collective movement that integrates the strength of government, charitable institutions and philanthropic organisations, the business world, and volunteers in continuous action is the force which I am confident and optimistic can address the poverty problem of our nation,” he said.

“At least 23 million people remain without adequate welfare, still in positions of economic hardship, and this is our responsibility. This represents 8.25 per cent of our nation’s population still experiencing poverty, with 0.85 per cent still in extreme poverty,” said Muhaimin Iskandar.

According to him, the government cannot solve the nation’s poverty problem alone, but rather requires synergy and collaboration with multiple stakeholders.

“The government through budgetary strength will certainly continue to work hard to stimulate, provide social protection, and provide solutions, but this is insufficient. Collaboration is required with all philanthropic and charitable institutions. This forum therefore becomes important, where the leadership and teachings of our religions are the same – namely to join hands in helping and assisting our less fortunate brothers and sisters,” said Coordinating Minister Muhaimin Iskandar.