KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 — An entrepreneur today voiced aspirations for a Malaysia with zero deserving recipients of the Muslims’ charity tax of zakat by 2050.

Speaking during a dialogue session with an Islamic perspective for the TN50 or proposed 2050 National Transformation policy, the entrepreneur took a leaf out of the days of the Caliph Umar Abdul Aziz, describing it as a time where no one wanted to seek for zakat.

"Even though they were not able to fund themselves, they were malu (shy) to go to the baitulmal to ask for zakat,” he said at the dialogue session that was broadcast live nationwide.

"So I would like that by TN50, Malaysia is one of the countries where there’s domination, all citizens are zero ‘asnaf’, the Lembaga Zakat is at a loss who to give this money to,” he added.

He said that the basis of such a scenario would be for the youth of today — which he said would be leaders by the time 2050 comes — to be instilled with sympathy for those who are needy instead of thinking of their own interests, as well as widespread giving of alms..

Besides the inculcation of empathy in Muslims for those facing hardships, the entrepreneur linked his aspiration to his wish for a Malaysia where Muslims would dominate and monopolise the economy.

"When they know Allah, then they will love all mankind, they will at that time develop the economy through the bigger growth of Muslim businesses today, and we will have Islam dominate and monopolise the economy in 2050,” he said at the TN50 dialogue session held at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia.

The term asnaf covers several categories of people deemed deserving of receiving aid through the zakat that Muslims are obligated to give. Asnaf includes the poor and new Muslim converts.