Mayor asks for more alms

BOGOR: Bogor Mayor Iswara Natanegara said on Sunday that if all Muslims in his municipality fulfilled their obligation to donate money, the amount would be enough to help more than 20,000 poor families.

He estimated that up to Rp 56 billion (US$6.59 million) could be collected from Muslims in Bogor municipality alone per year.

The Bogor administration started an amil zakat, an institution that assists in the distribution of alms, a few years ago.

"Thanks be to Allah, the results of the alms collection this year has increased significantly compared to three years ago when we could only collect around Rp 500 million," he said.

The administration collected a total of Rp 960.41 million (US$112,990) during the Idul Fitri holiday which fell on Nov. 25 and 26.

The money was derived from the zakat fitrah (an obligation for Muslims to pay money for the poor worth at least 2.5 kilograms of rice prior to Idul Fitri prayer), the zakat mal (an obligatory payment worth 2.5 percent of his/her assets), infaq (an obligation for Muslims to donate) and sedekah (alms).

"The number may increase as many Muslims are still paying their infaq and sedekah," said an official of Bogor's zakat body, Idih O. Wihardja, on Sunday. -- Antara