MELAKA, March 18 (Bernama) – Zakat Melaka has donated RM42,000 worth of Raya clothing to 210 underprivileged children, including orphans, to help ease financial burdens ahead of the upcoming Hari Raya celebration.
State Education, Higher Education and Religious Affairs Committee chairman Datuk Rahmad Mariman said the ‘Tautan Kasih Ramadan Busana Aidilfitri Asnaf’ annual programme benefits primary school pupils from 42 schools across three districts in Melaka.
Each school selected five children from disadvantaged backgrounds to receive a full set of Raya clothes and duit raya (cash donations), he added.
“This year, we increased the number of recipients to 210, up from 150 last year and gave the children the chance to choose their own outfits,” Rahmad said during the event, which was also attended by Zakat Melaka chief executive officer Datuk Mohamad Azmi Sabtu, here today.
Having received RM20,000 in sponsorship from Public Islamic Bank Bhd for the event, Rahmad encouraged local businesses to support more corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives like this to benefit even more families in need.
One of the parents, Halizan Halidon, 38, from Tebong, Alor Gajah, expressed her gratitude for the donation, which helps ease the financial strain of buying Raya clothes for her five children, as she only does odd jobs and is without fixed income.
“Only my son Muhammad Ikhwan has new clothes so far. I’m grateful for the help and hope to buy clothes for my other children soon,” she said.
Another beneficiary, 12-year-old Muhammad Alieff Irfan Abdul Aziz, shared his excitement about choosing his own Raya outfit, which helped save his parents money.
“This is the second time I’ve received Raya clothing this year, compared to just one last year,” he said.
-- BERNAMA
