KUCHING: Yayasan Waqaf Malaysia (YWM) is intensifying efforts to strengthen the national wakaf ecosystem through collaborations in education, healthcare, and the economy, including plans to establish wakaf hospitals in every state.
YWM chief executive officer (CEO) Dr Ridzwan Bakar said the implementation of wakaf hospitals in each state would depend on the cooperation and approval of the respective state governments and relevant stakeholders.
“We launched the groundbreaking ceremony for the wakaf hospital project in Selangor last week.
“Our hope is that every state, including Sarawak, will eventually have its own wakaf hospital.
“However, the implementation will depend on the state government or other approving authorities,” he said.
He said this to reporters after a Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) and Letters of Intent (LOI) document exchange ceremony witnessed by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar at Hikmah Exchange Event Centre (HEEC) here Tuesday (Oct 14).
When asked about the implementation timeline for Sarawak, Ridzwan said discussions have yet to take place, but that YWM is committed to realising it as soon as possible.
On the implementation model, he added that a full-fledged wakaf hospital has yet to exist in Malaysia, although several wakaf clinics have begun operating in certain areas.
“What we currently have are Shariah-compliant hospitals, but these are two different things.
“The functions of a wakaf hospital are similar to ordinary hospitals, but it operates based on the concept of wakaf,” he added.
He also anticipated that the cost of treatment at wakaf hospitals would be more competitive and affordable compared to other private hospitals.
Ridzwan said that YWM has fulfilled its mandate by signing Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and Letters of Intent (LOIs) with seven organisations, five from Malaysia and two from Singapore.
He said the collaborations cover various sectors, including education, healthcare, and the economy, as well as initiatives involving the use of gold to enhance the value and assets of wakaf in Malaysia.
Commenting further, he added that each MoU’s implementation depends on the type and scale of the project.
“For example, in the MoU or Letter of Intent signed with Highfield Healthcare Sdn Bhd to develop a wakaf hospital, the project is expected to be completed by 2028.
“This is not an easy process, even though administrative matters have been handled by the relevant ministries. However, efforts to secure funding and carry out construction are actively underway to realise this aspiration,” he added.
He said that YWM has also signed several other MoUs in the education and local product development sectors with corporate partners to strengthen the wakaf economy.
“For instance, we are working with corporate partners to develop products that bring direct benefits to the community, including through the education sector and the production of local goods based on the wakaf concept,” he said.
