PUBLIC DONATION: Daud (centre) receives a mock cheque from Shaik (right) as (from left) Abdul Jaleel, Abdul Wahab and Mohamed Jahab look on.
KUCHING: The RM9 million new Sibu Welfare Complex project, which funding was raised by the people, is expected to be completed by 2012.
Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department (Islamic Affairs) Datuk Daud Abdul Rahman stated that the cost for the construction of the complex was raised from various organisations, private sectors and individual donations.
“All the funding for this complex was raised by the people and we (government) really appreciate it. The RM9 million complex would be completed by year’s end or early next year,” he told reporters after an AmIslamic Business Zakat mock cheque presentation ceremony at his office at Baitul Makmur building at Petra Jaya near here yesterday.
Daud added that the complex, which began construction early 2010, will have a capacity to house about 300 orphans.
At the moment, the state only has two welfare complexes under Peryatim namely the Laila Taib Welfare Complex here and the Hamidah Complex in Miri which Daud mentioned would be opened on March 22.
Meanwhile, at the ceremony yesterday, AmIslamic Bank contributed about RM45,000 each to Laila Taib and Hamidah Complex as part of its ‘Zakat Perniagaan’ (business tithe) to meet the homes’ daily expenses and ongoing programmes.
The RM90,000 contribution was part of its RM1,227,070.51 million business tithe distribution for the financial year of 2010. A further RM371,000 of it would be distributed to the State Zakat Collection Centres nationwide while a balance of RM856,050.51 would be directly distributed to 34 identified recipients nationwide.
“We feel this contribution is part of our corporate sustainability programme wherein the Group plays a strong role in its corporate social responsibility in the society.
“We hope this contribution will realise the noble objectives of these charity homes and also, the synergistic relationship between AmIslamic Bank and charitable bodies that will benefit everyone,” said AmBank (M) Bhd Sarawak regional manager Simon Su Hiong Tiing through a press release.
The ceremony yesterday also saw Kuching City Mosque Khairat (charity) Trustee Board presenting a public donation worth RM10,000 to the new Matang Mosque project committee.
Daud received the mock cheque on behalf of the donation recipients.
Also present at the ceremony were AmBank (M) Bhd Sarawak Personal Financing Department area sales manager Rahmatullah Dahrawi Edrus, trustee board deputy chairman Shaik Alawuden, secretary Abdul Wahab Daud and board members Mohamed Jahab and Abdul Jaleel.