PENANG, 21 May 2014 - Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Student Affairs and Development), Professor Dr. Adnan Hussein received zakat (tithe) contribution of RM50,000 from Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad (BIMB) today.

This contribution is part of BIMB’s social responsibility to distribute zakat to recipients particularly students in universities such as USM.

According to Adnan, this zakat will be placed in the student zakat fund while searching or identifying eligible recipients among students and will be distributed when the semester starts.

“Each year, zakat received is channelled to more than 30 students with a sum of between RM300 and RM500,” said Adnan, who was representing the Vice-Chancellor.

“On behalf of USM, I would say that we feel honoured and grateful to BIMB and its continual provision of zakat for the benefit of the students,” said Adnan.

With BIMB being a corporate partner since 2000, USM feel that this is the best way for zakat to reach its recipients among students as compared to direct application to BIMB,” said BIMB General Manager Dato’ Wan Ismail Wan Yusoh.

Wan Ismail then added that BIMB allocated RM1 million annually for zakat to students in public higher education institutions.

Meanwhile, Adnan also said that the university has taken steps to establish a USM Foundation for roughly the same purpose which is to help students and other purposes deemed necessary.

Also present at the zakat presentation ceremony were the Acting Bursar, Rohayati Mohd Isa; Transformation Office Director, Dato’ Ellias Zakaria; and BIMB officers. - Translation: Yong Check Yoon /Text: Rafizah Nor Md Zain/Photo: Mohd Fairus Md Isa