PETALING JAYA: Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings (GISBH) and its 20 subsidiaries have never paid zakat (tithe), Lembaga Zakat Selangor (LZS) revealed today.
“After conducting a review, I can confirm that GISBH and its subsidiaries have never made any zakat payment to LZS,” its collection division chief Fikri Naim Harun was quoted as saying in a Sinar Harian report.
“We’re unable to estimate the total amount of zakat that needs to be paid, as LZS has not been provided with any information regarding the company’s assets and liabilities for us to make the calculations.”
According to Fikri, GISBH was never left out of LZS’s zakat collection outreach programmes.
“LZS has been doing outreach programmes everywhere, including to companies under GISBH, to facilitate zakat collection. However, to date, these companies have not paid any zakat,” he said.
According to Fikri, under the zakat and fitrah regulations of the Syariah Criminal Enactment, individuals who intentionally neglect to pay zakat to LZS may face a sentence of up to three years in prison or a fine of RM5,000.
“However, LZS is unable to enforce those laws now based on the advice of the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, who has instructed us to focus on dakwah activities for now,” he said.
Last Wednesday, Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain was reported to have said GISBH had evaded paying taxes to the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN).
He said a joint investigation with LHDN found that the firm had never paid the relevant taxes to the board.
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