LZS DISTRIBUTES RM36 MILLION IN TITHE AS EDUCATION AID TO OVER 80,000 STUDENTS

CYBERJAYA, Dec 18  (Bernama) -- The Selangor Zakat Board (LZS) will distribute RM36 million in tithe as educational aid to 85,336 asnaf students, including converts, for the 2026 school session, said its Chief Executive Officer Mohd Khaidzir Shahari.

He said the aid, covering school fees and educational supplies, will be distributed to the students’ heads of families via electronic funds transfer (EFT), e-wallet, cash vouchers, and cash starting Dec 30.

“This contribution benefits almost 40,000 heads of families. Without support to cover their education costs, some children may drop out. We aim to prevent poverty from being inherited and ensure children have access to education,” he told reporters after attending the 1447H/2026 LZS Symbolic Distribution of Educational Assistance today.

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Earlier in his speech, Mohd Khaidzir said the recipients include 651 preschool students, 42,569 students from Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) and Sekolah Rendah Agama (SRA),  and 42,116 Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) and Sekolah Menengah Agama (SMA) students.

“This educational aid is crucial to help children from poor family backgrounds succeed and eventually assist their families in breaking the cycle of poverty,” he said.

He said the minimum school fee assistance that each student will receive is RM100 for pre-school, RM150 for SK or SRA, and RM250 for SMK or SMA.

“The maximum rate for school fee assistance is RM1,200 per family, with an additional aid of up to RM800 per family, depending on the school level of the family’s dependents,” he said.

Mohd Khaidzir said that for assistance in the form of school supplies, SK students would receive RM170 each, SRA students RM150 each, and SMK or SMA students RM200 each.

He said that students who received the aid were required to buy a pair of school uniforms, while the remaining amount could be used to redeem other school items such as stationery,  sports or physical education or co-curricular attire and books, according to the conditions and guidelines set.

“Assistance in the form of school supplies will be available for redemption starting Dec 20, 2025,  to March 19,  2026, via e-wallet using the Nine application.

He said that aid recipients in all nine districts may visit any branch of Pusat Pakaian Hari-Hari, Pasaraya Borong Sakan, Pasaraya MM, Rakan Niaga Canggih and Teraju Ekonomi Asnaf Sdn Bhd to redeem school supplies, based on the amount of aid received.

“With this assistance, I would like to emphasise that this education assistance is not just to ease the temporary burden, but rather it is a long-term investment to break the chain of poverty between generations,” he said.

To further expand access to education for asnaf children, Mohd Khaidzir said LZS is in discussions with several schools and boarding school alumni associations to help high-achieving students from poor backgrounds secure placements.

“We are currently engaging with relevant parties to request places for outstanding asnaf students at boarding schools or high-performing schools. When they are allowed to study in a conducive environment, their chances of success are significantly higher,” he said.

For the record, the Petaling, Klang and Hulu Langat districts recorded the highest distribution of educational assistance for the 2026 school session.

Petaling topped the list with 7,754 heads of families receiving aid, followed by Klang with 6,773 heads of families and Hulu Langat with 6,169 heads of families.

Mohd Khaidzir noted that for more than three decades since its establishment, LZS has channelled various forms of assistance, with education remaining a key priority in strengthening educational development to drive excellence among the ummah and the underprivileged communities in Selangor.

-- BERNAMA