KUCHING: Bank Islam is discussing potential flagship waqf projects with Sarawak to broaden waqf’s role in economic development.
Bank Islam Group’s Chief Shariah and Sustainability Officer, Muhammad Nazeri Benci, said the matter was among initiatives discussed during the bank’s courtesy visit to Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg at Kompleks Satria Pertiwi here today.
“There are several matters that may not be disclosed in detail, but the intention is for Bank Islam to work together with the Sarawak government to develop flagship projects,” he said during a press conference after the courtesy visit.
He revealed the proposed projects were intended not only to benefit Sarawakians, but also to demonstrate how waqf could play a wider role in the economy.
“The projects should not only benefit the people of Sarawak, but also provide the impetus for waqf not to remain an instrument for the development of mosques, burial grounds and so on, but to have a greater impact on the economy,” he said.
Nazeri also congratulated the Sarawak Government on the establishment of Yayasan Wakaf Sarawak in 2025 as a new entity alongside Tabung Baitulmal Sarawak.
He said Bank Islam hoped to support the state government’s efforts to strengthen waqf in Sarawak, drawing on its previous involvement in waqf developments.
“As a bank that has long been involved in innovation in the field of waqf, we hope that we can support the Sarawak Government’s aspiration to strengthen waqf in Sarawak,” he added.
He noted that Bank Islam was the first bank to finance the ‘Taman Wakaf Siti Aisyah’ project, a development on waqf land in Penang.
Nazeri shared that Bank Islam’s headquarters was itself a waqf development located on land endowed by Ahmad Dawjee Dadabhoy to Majlis Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan (MAIWP).
During the visit, Bank Islam also handed over RM694,000 in zakat for the financial year ended Dec 31, 2025, to Tabung Baitulmal Sarawak.
The contribution was presented on behalf of Bank Islam by Bank Islam Group Shariah Supervisory Council Chairman, Muhammad Fuad Abdullah, and received by Sarawak Islamic Council (SIC) President, Datuk Misnu Taha, with the Premier witnessing the handover.
Nazeri said Bank Islam had made zakat payments to Tabung Baitulmal Sarawak every year since it began operating in Sarawak in 1984, linking the annual payments to the development of its business in the state.
“We thank the people of Sarawak for their continued support for Bank Islam,” he said, adding that the increasing support had accompanied the development of the bank’s business in Sarawak.
