SAMARAHAN: The PETRONAS Muslim Staff Welfare Association (BAKIP) has contributed RM200,000 in wakalah zakat to 200 underprivileged students of Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Sarawak Branch.
According to PETRONAS Sarawak General Manager, Norazibah Md Rabu, the programme is an initiative by BAKIP in collaboration with the Pusat Pungutan Zakat Majlis Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan.
“This year, BAKIP has received an allocation of RM2 million to be distributed to 10 public universities, and one of them is UiTM Sarawak Branch, which received an allocation of RM200,000.
“In addition, UPM Bintulu Campus also received the same amount for the Sarawak region.
“At UiTM Sarawak Branch alone, a total of 200 recipients consisting of students from various courses have been identified by the university as eligible to receive the zakat assistance based on the criteria set,” she said during the symbolic handover cevent at UiTM Sarawak Campus 2 here on Friday.
She noted that the programme is also being implemented in several other states across Malaysia, including Johor, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan, Pulau Pinang, Kelantan, Selangor and Terengganu.
Norazibah expressed hope that the contribution would ease students’ daily expenses and motivate them to continue striving in their academic and personal development.
“This contribution is not merely a financial donation, but a symbol of love, concern, and moral support from all of us towards the students who are striving for success in higher education.
“The success of all of you is our hope. We at PETRONAS are always committed to strengthening the culture of welfare and instilling high societal values within the community, especially among university students,” she said.
Meanwhile, UiTM Sarawak Rector, Professor Dr Firdaus Abdullah, expressed his gratitude to BAKIP and Tabung Baitulmal Sarawak for selecting UiTM Sarawak for this year’s Siswa Kampus I-Zakat Wakalah programme.
Furthermore, of the 200 students, he noted that 78 are from Samarahan Campus, 96 from Samarahan 2 Campus, and 26 from Mukah Campus.
“I sincerely hope that this initiative will be a meaningful source of help to all asnaf students. May the connections forged during this programme strengthen our bonds for the future.
“I pray that these efforts will continue to ease students’ educational journeys and inspire more underprivileged learners to pursue higher education,” he said.
In addition to the zakat distribution, Tabung Baitulmal Sarawak also contributed Meal Ready-To-Eat (MRE) food packs to support students, particularly those in need of food supplies during their time on campus.
