THE recent news about the son of former religious affairs minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri receiving zakat funds to pursue religious studies in Jordan drew a yawn from me.

That reflects less of me, more on the current entrenched lack of shame (takde maruah) among some Malay leaders.

That this involved zakat funds (tithe) meant for the poor should have caused an uproar, but even that fact did not.

On the contrary, both Zulkifli and the religious officials who approved the “award” went at great length to justify their actions. That reveals the extent to which our norms and values have been degraded.

I would be generous and compliment that young man, as well as his father, had he (the son) pursued Quantum Physics at the California Institute of Technology or Harvard. However, this was a scholarship for religious studies at a third-rate university and in the Third World to boot.

Malaysia should not be sending her students there. Besides, Malays need another Islamic scholar like we need another rainy day during the monsoon.

I see so many children of Malay elite getting government dole. As such, my threshold for shock is high. That notwithstanding, let us call Zulkifli’s son’s case for what it is, a “scholarship” or “study award” it is not.

How did our community get degraded to this shameful stage?

I am no longer shocked by such revelations as with Zulkifli’s son. Instead I choose to remember the rare exceptions when Malays break from this “waiting for government handout” mentality.

Years ago, a senior minister’s son who had just graduated from an Ivy League university confessed to me why he did not return to Malaysia.

He was on his father’s “scholarship” and as such was spared such an obligation.

He feared that whatever achievements he made in Malaysia would forever be tainted as a consequence of his family ties. Refreshing perspective. Many a Malay Oxford graduate would exploit that relationship.

Once a physician in government service chided me for criticising Malay professionals sending their children to these expensive fully subsidised residential schools.

“It’s fine for you to say that, Bakri. You are in private practice and in America to boot. Remember how lousy your pay was as a government doctor back in Malaysia!”

So the exceptions would be for those Malay professionals in public service. Give their children scholarships but only if they were to attend top universities, and pursuing other than revealed knowledge and prophetic traditions.

I am certain that in his next “khutba” (sermon), Zulkifli would at great length quote chapter and verse on the importance of giving zakat. However, it would never occur to him to even contemplate the flip side of that, that is, the reciprocal obligation of not consuming precious zakat funds.

You owe that to yourself, your children, and most of all your congregation and community.

The only redeeming feature to this whole shameful saga is that there was someone in that Religious Department with a modicum of integrity and self-pride. He emulated Prophet Muhammad in that when he saw evil being perpetrated, he did the right thing.

He leaked that information in the hope that it could be stopped. It did not. Nonetheless, his action gives me hope. – October 4, 2023.

* M. Bakri Musa reads The Malaysian Insight.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.