KUANTAN, Dec 22 — The Taqwa Foundation of the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) has allocated RM2.33 million from the council’s tithe collection to provide school assistance to 14,000 students including non-Muslims through its ‘Jom ke Sekolah’ programme.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Fuziah Salleh said the assistance to students from the underprivileged and asnaf (eligible to receive tithe or zakat) families was being delivered in stages from November until end of this month.

The assistance, amounting to RM166.50 per student, was in the form of school supplies including bags, school uniform and shoes, said Fuziah, who is also Kuantan MP.

"In Sabah and Sarawak, for example, recipients of this programme also involved non-Muslims students from the Murut, Kadazan and other communities. But since it is zakat collection, the majority of recipients are Muslim students.

"The non-Muslims recipients have been carefully selected from underprivileged families, and this is in line with the Rahmatan Lil Alamin concept practiced by the government,” she told reporters after officiating the ‘Jom ke Sekolah’ programme for the Kuantan parliamentary constituency today. — Bernama