Alor Setar - Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) has been entrusted with the responsibility to carry out the waqf collection through the establishment of the UUM Waqf Fund Scheme.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Dato' Dr. Ahmad Bashawir said that through the scheme, UUM had received the endorsement to raise waqf funds at UUM and to manage the fund for purposes related to spirituality, welfare, education, health and the interests of the university.

According to him, the use of waqf funds as an alternative source of financing at institutions of higher learning had been widely used in leading universities locally and abroad.

He said the Waqf Fund Scheme was a medium that provided opportunities for every level of the university community to contribute to waqf collection even though they could not afford permanent or high value property such as land, houses and buildings, but they could still contribute to waqf through cash at an affordable rate.

“This waqf fund will also be used as best possible to assist UUM students from the B40 group, as well as for the purpose of university development.

"The UUM Waqf Fund Scheme will be implemented in the near future and UUM will get the arbiter approval for tax exemption. This is done to garner the interest of the Muslim community especially the university denizens in cultivating the practice of waqf and charity," he said after the Signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) Ceremony between UUM the Kedah Islamic Religious Council (MAIK) at the Kedah Islamic Religious Affairs Department recently.

His Royal Highness Tengku Sarafudin Badlishah Ibni Al Aminul Karim Sultan Sallehuddin, the Raja Muda of Kedah Darul Aman, was present at the MoA signing ceremony where UUM was represented by the Vice-Chancellor and Bursar, Mdm. Eylani Ahmad while MAIK was represented by its Deputy President, Dato' Abdul Hasbikh Hasbullah Halim and Secretary, Major (K) Dato' Abd Rahman Ismail.

Meanwhile, Dato' Sheikh Hasbullah said that with the signing of the agreement, MAIK had given UUM permission and full confidence to implement the Waqf Fund Scheme for educational purposes, human capital development and student benefits.

According to him, UUM will also indirectly play a role in the practice of waqf and charity especially amongst UUM denizens and the public who wish to contribute to the waqf fund either through salary deduction and so on.

He expressed hopes that with the collaboration, the waqf management could be further expanded and done in a more professional manner to ensure that the concept and practices of waqf could be nurtured in tandem with the current developments.