At RM810m, is Jakim's budget inflated? The new minister says no | Malaysia

PUTRAJAYA, July 7 – Taxpayers will contribute RM810. $ 89 million to the operating budget of the Department of Islamic Development of Malaysia (Jakim) this year, but the new Minister of Religious Affairs Datuk Mujahid Yusof Rawa believes this is justified.

The Minister of the Department of the Prime Minister said the budget allocation goes into the pockets of the Imam, or the head of the mosque, of each state, as well as to help finance the management of schools registered Islamic.

"Although state governments are supposed to do that, they do not have the capacity to bear the costs, so we have to save money," he told Malay Mail in an exclusive interview Referring to Jakim

He also denied the rumors that Jakim would be dissolved under the Pakatan Harapan government, and emphasized that the agency is vital to the proper functioning of the current administration. [19659006"Jakimandhisstaffmembersareoneofourconcernsandisoneofthemostimportantagenciesthatneedstobereformed

"He needs a new face with new ideas but everything remains to be improved." The question of the abolition of Jakim did not arise at all, "he said.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Tun Mahathir Mohamad said that a new committee would be formed to evaluate Jakim, Formally established as part of the Prime Minister's Department in 1997, Jakim's allocation to rose regularly from RM582 million in 2011 to between RM 700 to RM 800 million a year.

But Mujahid was uncertain about the status of the Institute of Islamic Strategic Research Malaysia (Iksim), which he said was used as a political tool to attack political dissidents.

Mujahid himself was the target, with Datuk Mahamad Naser Disa, director general of Iksim labeling him as well as other politicians of the opposition as supporters of liberalism,

Party leader Amanah Negara said he would consult the Council of The time has come for him to decide the fate of Iksim.

"I am not comfortable when Iksim is used for political attacks.This can stay, or even go in. If he wants to stay, he must reach our terms of understanding", was -he says.

The think tank was established on December 9, 2014 by Jakim, the National Council of Islamic Affairs, and the religious authorities of the state with the consent of the leaders' conference, and part of its order of the day was to oppose secularism, liberalism and pluralism.

A former director of Iksim was the predecessor of Mujahid Seruk Datuk Jamil Khir Baharom, and it is possible that Mujahid be old shoes.