MELAKA — The state government, in cooperation with the Melaka Islamic Religious Council (MAIM), has rolled out a comprehensive Wakaf Property Development Master Plan to streamline the management and enhance the utilization of wakaf assets.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, chairman of the State Education, Higher Education and Islamic Religious Affairs Committee, MAIM oversees approximately 822 wakaf land lots that span over 319 hectares. He detailed that 485 lots, or 59 percent of these properties, are categorized for general wakaf purposes which include a diverse portfolio such as residential and commercial buildings, clinics, hotels, orphanages, halls, and agricultural as well as vacant lands. The remaining 41 percent, which accounts for 337 lots, are designated as special wakaf and are utilized for mosques, prayer halls (surau), cemeteries, religious schools, and educational facilities.

Rahmad provided these insights while addressing the media after inaugurating the Wakaf Awareness Seminar, an event that is part of the state-level Wakaf Month celebrations and was also attended by the state Mufti, Datuk Abdul Halim Tawil.

Highlighting the initiative to streamline donations, Rahmad unveiled the portal i-waqaf.maim.gov.my. This online platform facilitates cash wakaf contributions and is accessible to Muslims across Melaka and beyond. He emphasized that the revenue from wakaf funds is allocated to sectors including development, healthcare, education, as well as the acquisition of land for constructing mosques and other religious initiatives.

In 2022, wakaf collections in Melaka totaled RM3.7 million. From January to September of the current year, the collections have amounted to RM1.05 million.