Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak presented the Felda Group's zakat (tithe) payment for the year 2011 amounting to RM30.6 million to 14 state zakat collection centres in Putrajaya today.

The zakat comprised the payment of RM10 million (as interim payment of tithe for half-year profit) from Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd, RM15,606,057 from Felda Holdings Bhd and RM5 million from Felda Investment Cooperative.

The zakat monies were presented to the centres through menteris besar, chief ministers and state Islamic religious councils at the breaking of fast event at Seri Perdana.

Present were Najib's wife Rosmah Mansor, as well as Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and his wife Norainee Abdul Rahman.

azlan At the event, Najib also cut a 'pulut kuning' (yellow glutinous rice) to mark his 59th birthday and presented some Ramadan aid to orphans who were also invited to the event.

In Shah Alam today, the Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah received zakat payment from three of the state's subsidiaries totalling RM7.79 million.

The payment comprised RM4.39 million from the Selangor State Development Corporation, RM2.04 million from Permodalan Negeri Selangor Bhd and RM1.36 million from Worldwide Holdings.

Sultan Sharafuddin also presented Hari Raya aid of RM400 each to 375 'asnaf' or individuals who qualify to receive zakat and RM100 to 130 orphans during the breaking of fast event with the people at Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque.

During the event, the Sultan also presented the Excellence Asnaf Entrepreneur Award to Muhamad Burhan Salikon for food industry category, Mohd Yatim Abdul Ghani (mobile business), Sharifah Surit (service business), Sheikh Abdul Rahim Sheikh Yahya (retail and manufacturing) and Sakila Hanis Mohamed (agro-based business).

Meanwhile, Selangor Islamic Religious Council chairman Mohamad Adzib Mohd Isa in his speech said the Selangor Zakat Board had allocated RM12.2 million zakat to be distributed to 16,064 poor families, and another RM5.3 million for 6,859 poor people in the state this year.

­ - Bernama