KUCHING – Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Abang Haji Abdul Rahman Zohari bin Tun Datuk Abang Haji Openg witnessed the handover of RM692,000 in business zakat from Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad to Tabung Baitulmal Sarawak (TBS) on Friday.
The payment represented Bank Islam’s business zakat for the financial year ended 31 December 2025 and was presented during a ceremony at the Satria Pertiwi Complex in Kuching.
The contribution was handed over by the Chairman of the Shariah Supervisory Council of Bank Islam Group, Ir Dr Muhammad Fuad Abdullah, to the President of the Sarawak Islamic Council, Datuk Haji Misnu bin Haji Taha.
Bank Islam Group Chief Shariah and Sustainability Officer Mohd Nazri Chik said the financial institution had maintained its annual zakat contributions to TBS since it began operating in Sarawak in 1984.
He said the latest payment also reflected the growth of Bank Islam’s operations in the state, alongside continued support from customers and the wider community.
“Alhamdulillah, the increase each year has increased the support of the people of Sarawak for Bank Islam and also the development of our business here,” Mohd Nazri said during a press conference following the ceremony.
The zakat contribution comes as Bank Islam continues its activities in Sarawak while maintaining its role within the Islamic financial sector. Annual business zakat payments form part of the institution’s ongoing engagement with the state’s Islamic institutions.
Mohd Nazri also said discussions with the Sarawak Premier had included possible areas of cooperation between Bank Islam and the Sarawak Government, with particular attention given to strengthening the development of waqf in the state.
According to him, Bank Islam is interested in applying its experience in waqf innovation to support the development of larger-scale projects in collaboration with the state government.
The proposed approach would seek to expand the role of waqf beyond its more traditional uses and explore opportunities for projects capable of generating wider economic and social benefits.
“We hope to produce flagship projects that will not only benefit the people of Sarawak but also provide motivation so that waqf does not continue to remain an instrument for the development of mosques, cemeteries and so on but provides a greater economic impact for the people,” he said.
Waqf, or Islamic endowment, has traditionally supported religious, educational and community-related purposes. Mohd Nazri said there was scope to broaden its application so that it could contribute more significantly to economic development while continuing to serve community needs.
The discussions therefore point towards potential cooperation in which Islamic financial expertise and state-level initiatives could be combined to develop larger waqf-based projects.
For Bank Islam, such efforts would also build on its experience in developing innovative approaches to waqf, while for Sarawak, the focus would be on projects that could deliver longer-term benefits to the community.
The RM692,000 contribution and the discussions surrounding waqf were presented as part of Bank Islam’s continuing engagement with Sarawak’s Islamic institutions and government.
