08 October 2024
Program Bantuan Bakul Makanan CIMB Islamic marks the expansion of the long-term collaboration between CIMB Islamic and Yayasan Belia Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur: CIMB Islamic Bank Berhad (“CIMB Islamic” or “the Bank”) in collaboration with Yayasan Belia Malaysia (“YBM”) reaffirmed their commitment to uplifting the asnaf community with the CIMB Islamic Food Basket Programme or Program Bantuan Bakul Makanan CIMB Islamic. The ongoing community outreach initiative seeks to alleviate the financial burden of asnaf families through the distribution of food baskets. As part of this effort, CIMB Islamic, through its Zakat Wakalah, provided RM100,000 worth of food items to 400 asnaf families in Projek Perumahan Rakyat (“PPR”) Bukit Jalil.
In attendance was YB Senator Dr. Zulkifli Hasan, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs), along with Ahmad Shahriman Mohd Shariff, Chief Executive Officer of CIMB Islamic, Dato’ Dr. Suhaimi Ibrahim, Chairman of YBM, Rozaidi Ismail, Headmaster of Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Jalil, Muslim Mustapa, Chief Assistant Director of Student Affairs, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur Education Department, and volunteers from CIMB distributed the food baskets which consist of rice, flour and cooking oil, as well as other staples essential for the nutritional needs of beneficiaries.
Ahmad Shahriman said, “Zakat remains a fundamental social finance instrument in our broader efforts to elevate the asnaf community with a focus on improving their quality of living by reducing their financial strains, allowing them to allocate their income towards essential needs and improving their overall well-being. Through this programme, our aim is to ensure families have access to nutritious meals and alleviate their burden, while fostering a sense of unity and support to those in need.”
“We are fully committed to playing our part as a responsible Islamic financial institution in delivering positive and meaningful impact to the communities we operate in. This is done through a myriad of initiatives we have championed over the years, which embody the principles of value-based intermediation,” he added.
Dato’ Dr. Suhaimi Ibrahim said, “We are honoured to expand on our partnership with CIMB Islamic through the introduction of this new community outreach initiative, which we believe will make a positive impact on the daily lives of the asnaf community. Asnaf families often face constraints financially when it comes to obtaining the basic food necessities. With the provision of essential food items, the intention is to improve the overall wellbeing of each family unit.”
CIMB Islamic has pioneered a wide spectrum of initiatives to support the health and wellbeing of the asnaf and underserved communities via programmes such as CIMB Islamic Safe Space Program K.A.M.I, flood relief assistance, and Harapan Ramadan.
The Bank has also championed various programmes which foster the sustainable growth and development of underprivileged groups, such as Program Keusahawanan CIMB Islamic – Taylor’s, iTEKAD CIMB Islamic Rider Entrepreneur Programme, CIMB Islamic - International Islamic University Malaysia (“IIUM”) iTAAJIR Programme, Melon Manis Terengganu Graduate Agropreneur Programme and CIMB MicroBizReady. Collectively, these initiatives aim to mobilise social finance tools to empower aspiring asnaf and B40 entrepreneurs and improve their livelihoods by providing them with important mentorship and training to enhance their entrepreneurship skills and build resilience, boosting their socioeconomic status.
Recently, CIMB Islamic contributed a paddy harvester machine worth RM298,000 to Lembaga Zakat Negeri Kedah (“LZNK”) under the Asnaf Large-Scale SMART Paddy Field or Smart Sawah Berskala Besar Asnaf programme (“SBBA”), with the aim of upskilling local asnaf farmers and minimising the overall production and outsourcing costs of producing paddy, while addressing national food security challenges.
