KUALA LUMPUR: The Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council's (MAIWP) Musa'adah Tijariyyah 2.0 programme is among four initiatives that have achieved the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Key Performance Indicators (KPI) set under the 100-day 'Aspirasi Keluarga Malaysia' (AKM) target.

Its minister Idris Ahmad said the programme, which offers business assistance of RM3,000, has benefited 1,000 entrepreneurs from the asnaf (tithe recipients) group who lacked capital or wanted to expand their business in the Federal Territories.

He said the programme, introduced in March this year, had surpassed its KPI target of assisting 700 individuals, thus proving the department's commitment to bringing the asnaf out of poverty.

"We have allocated RM3 million for this purpose but it is not in the form of loans or grants. It is also not a short-term assistance, but it will help them to improve their standard of living in the long run," he said in an interview in conjunction with the department's 100-day AKM via Buletin Bernama today.

Commenting further, Idris said during his 100 days in office, a total of 47 asnaf had also benefited from the MyHaus Programme under the Malaysian Islamic Economic Development Foundation (YaPEIM), with a total allocation of RM2.35 million.

"The initial target for this programme is 45 houses. We allocated about RM50,000 for each house and the recipients consisted of small traders," he said.

Idris, a newcomer in the Cabinet led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, said that since Sept 1, the Inspirasipreneur Programme under YaPIEM had identified 8,387 participants or 97.35 per cent from the target of 8,600 individuals to be transformed.

He also said that the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) has completed 104 or 75 per cent of 168 halal certification applications within 30 days for applications from companies free of audit reprimand.

Meanwhile, Idris said a total of 208 programmes have been planned by 14 agencies under the department, including five initiatives that will focus on implementing policies and programmes to bring Keluarga Malaysia out of the hardships of life due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"To date, a total of 137 programmes or 66 per cent have been carried out while the remaining 69 programmes are expected to be completed before Dec 9," he said.

-- BERNAMA