The state government has refuted reports linking the Sultan of Selangor's speech yesterday to the plan by Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim to set up a Baitulmal fund to finance the state's administration and development.

"The speech has nothing to do with the Baitulmal development fund," a statement issued by the Selangor Menteri Besar's media secretariat said.

The statement said that the Baitulmal development fund would not touch on the zakat (tithe) money paid by Muslims in Selangor.

"Only the 'modus operandi' of the fund's collection will be based on the zakat collection, like the one carried out by the Lembaga Zakat Selangor.

"Like all its development plans, the state government will take into consideration the views of all parties before making the final decision," it said.

It added that the state government had obtained the views and recommendations of the Selangor mufti on the use of the Baitulmal development fund.

Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah was yesterday reported as saying that zakat must only be used to help less fortunate Muslims and for the development of the Muslim community in the state.

"I do not consent the zakat collection being taken out, borrowed or channelled to other purposes.

“I also do not want those outside the Selangor Zakat Board (SZB) administration to interfere with the management of zakat in the state," the sultan said when opening the convention on 'Integrity in Managing Zakat'.

Zakat fitrah fixed at RM5 to RM8

Meanwhile, the zakat fitrah rates have been fixed at RM5 to RM8 nationwide, depending on the price of rice in the market.

Selangor, Perak, Kedah and Penang have set the rate at RM7 per person.

The increase in Selangor is by RM1.80 from RM5.20 last year, with the State Islamic Religious Department expecting to collect RM12 million from zakat this year.

Zakat fitrah per person is fixed according to the staple food item of a country and in Malaysia, it is equivalent to the price of 2.27kg of rice.

- Bernama