KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 8 — The Employee Provident Fund (EPF)’s Simpanan Shariah which opened for registration today has also drawn the interest of non-Muslim members who want to convert their conventional account to a Shariah-compliant one.
A non-Muslim member, Christine Yeow, 49, said she has been waiting for EPF to implement the Simpanan Shariah because she wanted her retirement funds to be free of such investments as gambling, arms trading and so on.
“Even though I am not Muslim, I have always believed that the Shariah concept is better than the conventional one. Money which is kept there will be invested in things which bring about good.
“I also believe that if we invest in good, the outcome will also be good,” she told reporters when met after she converted her conventional account to Simpanan Shariah at the EPF building here today.
An executive director in a private firm, Yeow praised the EPF’s efforts in taking various initiatives to disseminate information on the Simpanan Shariah, including at briefings given to its members.
She said the briefings given at the EPF office were very beneficial especially to non-Muslims such as her as they helped the public understand the concept of Simpanan Shariah.
Meanwhile, another member Abdul Hamid Sheikh Daud, 47, said he was a new convert to Islam and wanted to fully practise the Muslim way of life, including in banking affairs.
“I am now Muslim, which is why I changed (from conventional savings to Simpanan Shariah). I have converted all financial-related matters, including my bank account, to be Syariah compliant. I am confident that Simpanan Shariah is free from any element syubahat (unIslamic practices),” Abdul Hamid, a cashier, said.
Meanwhile, Sayiwati Kermah, 38, said she was aware that the EPF abided by the investment policies and ethical guidelines, and did not invest in the gambling sector or in the production and distribution of arms for war etc.
However, she said, after EPF introduced the Simpanan Shariah, she would have no more doubt about her retirement funds and she was confident that the dividends she received were according to Islamic principles.
An executive in a private firm, she praised EPF for ensuring that the first day of registration for the Simpanan Shariah went on smoothly, with 39 counters opened here today.
She said the process of converting the conventional account to Simpanan Shariah took less than 20 minutes.
Simpanan Shariah which was opened to all members for registration today at all EPF branches regardless of race, religion or nationality, will be launched in January 2017. — Bernama
