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Rp 1 million alms target possible, but don’t write it in official letters, Anies says
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A 'zakat' (Islamic alms) committee member (right) serves a man paying alms at Istiqlal Grand Mosque in Central Jakarta. (Antara/Sigid Kurniawan)
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ach neighborhood unit (RT) in Jakarta can amass Rp 1 million (US$72) in zakat (Islamic alms paid before Idul Fitri), but the nominal target should not have been included in an official letter, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan has stated.
A circular asking RTs in Cilandak Barat, South Jakarta to submit a minimum of Rp 1 million in zakat to subdistrict heads went viral on social media.
“Even without writing the nominal target, each RT can amass more than Rp 1 million. If there are 20 people in one RT, and each pays Rp 50,000 in zakat, the total zakat collected will be Rp 1 million. However, if the targeted amount is written, it’s not elegant, is it?” Anies said on Monday as reported by kompas.com.
Anies said the Jakarta administration had also issued a circular letter to encourage citizens to pay zakat through the Jakarta Muslim Charitable Donations Board (Bazis DKI), but the letter did not mention the targeted amount of zakat to be collected.
Recently, another circular letter issued by the head of RT 007 in community unit (RW) 001 in Joglo, Kembangan, West Jakarta asking for the Idul Fitri bonus (THR) from companies and entrepreneurs in the area appeared on social media.
RT 007 head Heri Achmad said the letter was authentic but claimed that there was no coercion implied in the letter and it would be voluntary if a company wanted to give THR to the community.
Previously, Anies urged mass organizations to refrain from asking for THR and urged residents to report any organization caught doing so to the police. (ami)
