Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Jamil Khir Baharom today denied a reports that zakat funds were used to pay for his and director of the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) Che Mat Ali's legal fees.

NONE Jamil Khir said that there's been a misunderstanding over the matter, as every ministry has been provided an allocation for legal fees in certain cases.

"Last year, RM700,000 was provided for that purpose (legal fees) and for this year RM500,000 has been provided," Bernama quoted him as telling reporters in Putrajaya.

Thus, he said, there is no issue as to whether RM32,000 was allegedly sourced from zakat funds for legal fees over the 'qazaf' case involving Jawi and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

NONE Last year, Anwar ( right ) filed a suit in the Syariah Court naming Jamil Khir, Che Mat and Syariah Court chief prosecutor Shamsuddin Hussai as defendants in a bid to compel the chief prosecutor to launch legal action against Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan for allegedly falsely accusing Anwar of sodomy and failure to produce four required witnesses to verify his allegation.

Anwar failed in his application at the Kuala Lumpur Syariah High Court after the court allowed an early objection by Jamil.

Anwar has since appealed the decision.

NONE PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail ( left ) yesterday demanded that the government address claims that zakat (alms) had been used to pay the legal fees due to legal firm Messrs Zainul Rijal Talha & Amir for its representation Jamil Khir Che Mat and Shamsuddin in Anwar's suit.

Saifuddin said the lawyers were paid RM32,150 for their services.

Syarie lawyer Zainul said today his firm is not aware where the funds his firm received had been source from.

Nor is it company policy to ascertain the origins of payments from its clients, Zainul added.

Zakat is an alms tax on 2.5 percent of Muslims' net income. The Quran specifies eight categories of recipients - such as the poor, orphans and debt-ridden.