To give or not to give, that is the question

Read this.

Even though that article is from The Malaysian Insider which is a tool of the opposition and hated by pro government supporters, the issues brought up by Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin is the truth about the reality that is going on at the zakat (alms) administration which are so difficult in giving alms to the needy.

We can read it in newspapers about how the poor and the needy complaint about how the person who has the power is making things difficult for them to get the alms.

Read another article here.

I am quite perplexed when I read about the distribution of the alms for 2010 here.

The collection for 2010 increased 20% from the previous year (2009). In 2009, MAIS (Lembaga Zakat Selangor) collected the property alms amounting to RM267.1 in comparison to RM319.5 in 2010.

In 2010, MAIS via LZS had distributed the alms amounting to RM330 in comparison to RM279.2 in 2009.

How is it possible that the distribution is more than the collection? There seems to be a deficit in the collection when the distribution is more than the collection.

Is there something wrong with the report? Has the report been tampered with to cover up holes in which maybe someone had stolen the money? I am not accusing anyone. Merely asking because even the most pious of people will be corrupted when they are facing with a huge sum of money.

Can someone from Lembaga Zakat Selangor give an explanation on this?

That is why I think if Muslims feared that their alms is not being given to the needy as they are supposed to, maybe they should give it to them directly by giving it to the poor or to the orphanage houses.

Article by a reader, Apocryphalist

Apocryphalist: Di mana betulnya Dr Asri, dan di mana salahnya

Part 1.

Beberapa kurun yang lalu, saya berpeluang untuk meninjau secara haram (yakni tanpa pengetahuan pihak atasan) akan senarai akaun pungutan zakat di sebuah pertubuhan masyarakat Islam yang memperincikan semua pungutan zakat bagi tahun itu serta pengagihannya seklai. Saya sangat terperanjat melihatkan betapa banyak pungutan tersebut hingga menyentuh ratusan ribu pound sterling (ianya sebuah pertubuhan Islam Malaysia di London dan kebanyakkan pungutannya hanya tertumpu kepada pembayar zakat bangsa Malaysia di sana sahaja.)

Walaubagaimanpun, saya menerima renjatan elektrik kedua apabila saya amati secara halus pengagihan wang zakat tersebut. Memang benar: kesemua lapan asnab yang dibolehkan menerima wang itu memang terdapat di sana: si fakir miskin, si muallaf, si amil, si riqab - semuanya ada di sana. Tetapi apa yang mengejutkan saya ialah pengagihannya: yang kurang lebih berbunyi begini:-
Fakir - 4%
Miskin - 5%
Anak Yatim - 3%
Muallaf - 1%
dan sebagainya. Dan akhir sekali didalam senarai itu terdapat yang ini:-

Fi Sabilillah - 80% !!

Bila ditanya apanya yang dibiayai wang zakat sampai 80% itu --- adakah umat Islam sekarang sedang berperang? Atau sedang menghantar gerombolan-gerombolan mensyiarkan Islam ke merata dunia? Maka di jawab kepada saya: Fi Sabi lillah itu bukan hanya bermaksud itu. Ianya juga untuk membeli apa-apa benda untuk kegunaan umum umat Islam, dan dalam hal ini, sambungnya lagi, wang 80% itu digunakan untuk membeli kipas angin, karpet mesjid, alat pemanas, air condition dan sebagainya.

Saya menggeleng kepala. Patutlah umat Islam sekarang ini menghadapi pelbagai kemelut dan musibah. Oleh kerana longgarnya penafsiran "Fi Sabi Lillah" itu, maka ianya terbuka kepada segala jenis interpretasi. Apatah lagi dizaman Internet canggih dan kereta laju, erti fi sabi lillah itu mungkin boleh diperluaskan kepada kemahuan, kehendak serta tekanan menyahut gaya hidup zaman moden kita. Tetapi yang pastinya ialah, erti dan tujuan asal kalimat Fi Sabi Lillah itu sendiri sebagaimana yang difahami oleh Rasulullah SAW serta para sahabat baginda, sangatlah jauh daripada apa yang kita fahami sekarang. Jangan terkejut jika Fi Sabi Lillah juga, mengikut mufassirin dunia kita dewasa ini, merangkumi pembelian saham, hartanah, bangunan-bangunan tinggi, kemewahan dan sebagainya. Apabila saya melawat sebuah Pusat Pungutan Zakat di ibukota untuk membayar zakat, saya musykil melihatkan beberapa buah kereta mewah buatan Jerman yang besar dan menjalar berada di petak parkir pengarah-pengarahnya. "Ah...", bisik hati saya yang sudah terlatih untuk bersangka baik ini. "Tidak mungkin ini semua dari wang zakat. Siapa kata seorang pengarah tidak boleh menabung sejak kecil untuk membeli kereta Jerman yang panjang menjalar?"

Betul juga kat Dr Asri ulamak tersohor mantan Mufti Perlis itu. Di mana perginya wang zakat kita sehingga untuk membantu ibu-ibu tunggal dan golongan miskin, terpaksa mengemis kepada sang Kafir Kitabi dan menggadai maruah? Saya ada dengar seorang individu dari negeri pantai Timur yang punyalah Allah SWT telah beri rezqi, wang zakat yang dibayarnya seorang sahaja adalah lebih RM2 juta setahun. Agaknya, dengan 100 orang ibu tunggal yang sanggup menjual tauhidnya dari Yang Esa kepada Yang Tiga dengan harga semurah RM20 ribu itu, pembayar zakat yang seorang ini pun sudah memadai untuk menyelesaikan masaalah mereka. Itu belum diambil kira semua pencarum zakat yang lain. Belum lagi diambil kira umat-umat Islam lain yang liat dan engkar untuk membayar zakat yang wajib. Adalah tidak keterlaluan jika saya katakan di sini dengan jumlah zakat yang berpotensi terkumpul, mampu kita membeli sebuah negara!

Tetapi persoalannya---mana perginya? Ke mana perginya semua wang zakat itu, sehinggakan untuk mempertahankan akidah umatnya sendiripun tidak mampu? Kemudian saya pikirkan: adakah tujuan zakat itu untuk menghapuskan kemiskinan, atau untuk mengekalkannya? Tidakkah kita terbaca bagaimana suatu waktu pada zaman Omar al-Khattab, ekonomi umat Islam ketika itu punyalah kukuh sehinggakan bila tiba waktu pengagihan zakat, si Amil mengeluh kerana tidak terjumpa fakir dan miskin yang layak menerima zakat kerana mereka sudah tidak termasuk ke dalam golongan itu lagi?
Kita sekarang tidak. Tahun ini kita bangga kerana dapat mengagihkan zakat kepada orang miskin. Maka dapatlah mereka ini membeli baju raya untuk tahun ini atau membeli sekampit beras untuk kegunaan 2-3 bulan. Habis, tahun hadapan bagaimana? Mereka masih miskin lagi. Perlukah kita terus berbangga kerana masih ada golongan yang akan menerima zakat kita tahun hadapan, dan tahun-tahun seterusnya?
Kenapa kita tidak ada program untuk betul-betul eradicate kemisikinan untuk fakir-fakir miskin ini? Mulakan dengan ibu tunggal. Punyalah mereka ini berpotensi untuk membuat perkara-perkara seperti berniaga, menjadi jaringan franchise, menjadi usahawan, menjadi pelatih dan sebagainya. Kenapa tidak kita beri modal dan semangat untuk mereka memperbaiki keadaan mereka?
Ini tidak. Kalau muka lawa sikit, jadi GRO, atau jadi Tukang Urut batin yang sudah pastinya menjamin pendapatan hingga 4-5 ribu sebulan. Begitu juga dengan pengemis-pengemis---samada yang tulin atau yang menyamar. Kepungkan mereka ini dalam sebuah rumah kebajikan dan latih mereka menghasilkan kraf tangan atau barangan buatan, jahitan atau sulaman yang boleh dijual. Tak perlu lagi ada sindiket "hantar dan pungut" dengan Van yang menyakitkan mata dan hati, siap dengan peralatan canggih Keyboards Synthesizer dan Amplifier untuk S. Jibeng-S. Jibeng segera ini mendayu nasib. Semuanya kerana kita tidak ada program untuk mengagihkan zakat selain dari mengikut ungkapan "Fi Sabi Lillah" yang sangat samar dan dipersoalkan.

Syabas As Sahibus-Samahah Tuan Mantan Mufti Perlis dengan pendirian ini.

Don't be drug mules

Nigerian drug mule enroute to Malaysia dies on plane


NEW DELHI: A Nigerian drug trafficker on his way to Malaysia to deliver the contraband died aboard a plane on Tuesday, after the drug-filled packets he swallowed burst in his stomach.

The Lagos-based Daily Sun newspaper reported today that Chilaka Ogbonna Emmanuel, 25, died onboard a Qatar Airways flight enroute to Malaysia via Doha.

"When he developed complications from the ingested drugs, the crew tried to assist him.

"But when his condition deteriorated, the airplane was forced to make an emergency landing in India to give him proper medical assistance," reported the newspaper.

According to the daily, the suspect was confirmed dead in a hospital in Mumbai.

Nigeria's National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) spokesman Jarikre Ofoyeju said a post-mortem revealed Emmanuel had ingested narcotics and his death was due to complications.

But Nigerian authorities did not reveal the quantity or type of drugs the deceased was attempting to smuggle to Malaysia.

The NDLEA revealed 68 suspected drug traffickers were detained at Lagos Airport in the first six months of this year. -- BERNAMA

The Malaysian authorities should stop letting in those nigger who are actually drug mules or drug traffickers who cheat Malaysians to be drug mules to and to suffer death penalty in China or other countries.

Be a bit clever okay. Who would pay for free airplane ticket overseas if they do not want something in return like for you to take a package or a bag containing drugs so that you will be a drug mule for them???

It's better to work in Malaysia for a little salary than being in jail overseas for being such a greedy pig when you are offered a huge sum of money to bring it out.

Every action has its consequences. When you are in jail for being foolish enough to be a drug mule, don't go crying to the government because you are the one who did it.

Therefore, before doing something, think of the pros and cons especially if someone offered you an all expense paid ticket to bring something for them.

Just Say 'NO'

Ministry gets ready to receive first of asylum seekers


PUTRAJAYA: The first batch of asylum seekers under the refugee swap agreement between Malaysia and Australia is expected to arrive here early next week.

Although no exact date has been announced, officials at the Home Ministry are said to be making preparations to receive them.

However, it could not be confirmed how many refugees would be in the first batch.

A ministry official said that upon arrival, the refugees would be temporarily placed at a centre about 100km from Kuala Lumpur.

“The centre is a former resort,” the official said.

“The refugees will be housed there for up to 45 days where they will then be screened by the UNHCR to determine their status,” he added.

The selection of the former resort as the centre was agreed by both governments.

In Melbourne, Australia, the group that was due to be sent to Malaysia were said to be on hunger strike.

A refugees advocate movement said the group arrived on Christmas Island on Thursday.

The group includes 18 minors or people claiming to be minors. Up to 14 of them are unaccompanied.

Refugee Action Coalition spokesman Ian Rintoul claimed that the movement received a distress call from one of the asylum seekers on Friday.

“The short call said: We are in a bad way; we need help. We are starting a hunger strike',” Rintoul was quoted by the Australian Associated Press as saying.

He called on the Australian Government to give the group access to lawyers.

“The asylum seekers have committed no crime but are effectively being held incommunicado,” Rintoul said.

Taken from The Star

Now, what the hell is this? Why are we agreeing to be the dumping ground of the asylum seekers with Australia???

Before this, the Aussies have proven themselves not to be trusted because they demanded that the sodomy case of Al Juburi to be dropped!!!

Malaysia is an Islamic country. Not a sodomist country like SODOM!!!

Let Al Juburi become the Prime Minister of Aussie instead if they so loved him because they are as gay as him.

And what is this about Lynas? Why are the Aussies making Malaysia the dumping ground of everything that they considered trash?

The Malaysian government should not be so accomodative. Just say 'NO'.

It's not that hard to say 'NO'. NO! NO! NO! Don't be a YES DOG to the whites.

If someone who is stupid bullying you at work, say 'NO' to him and quit. Have some honour and don't let people use you like a dog!

Don't be a hypocrite and smile at him when you are bashing at him behind his back. Be direct like the English, if you don't like something, say it.

Don't sugar coat it so that other's won't be hurt. Who cares if you are hurt? Care more about yourself than others.

So, do you support or are against the asylum seeker from Aussie to come to Malaysia? I am against it.

This country has enough immigrants who are giving social problems to Malaysians. Stop taking in the NIGGERS who are mostly drug traffickers posing as private universities students.

The NIGGERS are just as bad as the keling pariahs. I say that because Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya had been murdered by a pariah.

The stupidest Education Minister after Al Juburi

Review teaching of English in schools: DPM


SEGAMAT: Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has ordered the English Language Curriculum Division to have a relook at the learning of the language in schools to ensure students can master it as a second language.

Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, said he had directed Education director-general Datuk Abdul Ghafar Mahmud to carry out a review on the learning of English Language in school.

"How the national education system involving 13 years, with five years of secondary school, is still unable to provide our students with a good grasp of the English Language, I, myself, am incapable of answering," he said in his speech during a visit to SMK Felda Maokil, Labis here today.

Muhyiddin said the review might determine if the weakness was due to a shortage of English Language teachers, equipment or due to other causes.

He said mastery of the English Language was important because it was the main language in international communication and the economy.

He also rejected the perception that implementing the 'Uphold Bahasa Melayu, Strengthen the English Language' policy had resulted in the Education Ministry neglecting the English Language.

Muhyiddin also said the ministry had carried out a comprehensive survey of the nation's educational infrastructure, in its effort to provide the infrastructural need of schools.

He said, although his ministry had received a development allocation of between RM5 billion and RM6 billion, the amount was not enough because of the large number of schools in the country and the rapid population growth which required the constructions of new schools. -- Bernama

No need to review. Just do it like before where there is an English medium.

The new policy is stupid because the lingua franca is still the English language.

If you want the students to remain stupid, then Muhyiddin should definitely continue with the current policy which had replaced PPSMI.

Just because you are stupid, does not mean that the rest of us has to be stupid like you too!

Continue with the PPSMI and bring back the English medium school.

I am sure that the racists kiasu love to see the Malays be stupid and will support this stupid move.

Either you die or they die

Snatch thief pays the price for preying on policewoman


KUALA TERENGGANU: A snatch thief who preyed on someone he thought was an easy target got a fist to his face from a policewoman instead.

The victim, who is a Lance Corporal, was riding her motorcycle at the Sultan Omar roundabout at 5.30pm on Thursday when the suspect, on another motorcycle, snatched her gold bracelet.

The suspect tried to escape but the victim gave chase and managed to punch the suspect in the face before forcing him to lose control of his motorcycle and crash into a divider some 5km from the crime scene.

The policewoman managed to recover her bracelet along with items stolen from other victims but the suspect ran off.

Terengganu CID chief Asst Comm K. Manoharan said the policewoman, who is attached with the state Narcotics Unit, called for help and managed to track down the suspect with the help of other police personnel.

“They managed to apprehend the suspect in a housing area near the city some 30 minutes after the incident.

“The 26-year-old suspect tested positive for drugs,” he said.

ACP Manoharan commended the policewoman's actions in courageously chasing after and eventually nabbing the suspect.

“The suspect thought he could get away easy after robbing a defenceless woman but I think he got the surprise of his life.

“It is really his bad luck that he chose a policewoman to rob,” he said.

He added that initial investigations revealed that the suspect was involved in multiple other snatch thefts in the city.

“The suspect has been remanded until Sunday,” he said.

Taken from The Star

Nowadays, criminals do not care if they hurt their victim to the extend of killing them.

So, in the eyes of the law, can the victims defend themselves to the extend of killing their assailant.

It's either them or us that will die. Hence, it's better for the assailant to die during the victim's defending their safety against crime.

But, will the victim suffer the unfair treatment as the woman who had run over her snatch thieves which made her being put in jail?

Therefore, since women nowadays are the target of snatch thieves who are mainly drug addicts, the women should learn some self-defence techniques.

Trust no one, even your kid

When there is a will, there is a way

TWO months before retiree Madam Wong (not her real name) underwent a major operation, she transferred the ownership of her double-storey house to her son, in the hope that her property would remain within the family should anything happen to her.

The surgery was successful and the 75-year-old returned to her home where she lived with her son and daughter-in-law. A year later, the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law became so strained that Madam Wong's son requested that his mother leave the house and go to live with her daughter.

The distraught mother sought the help of Rockwills Corporation Sdn Bhd to have the ownership of the house transferred to her daughter's name.

"But there was nothing we could do as the house was already in her son's name. It was sad to see the old woman clutching a bag of receipts to prove that she had paid for the house with her hard-earned money and now she's homeless," says Rockwills International group managing director Saw Leong Aun, recounting the ordeal that many people go through when they do not plan their wealth distribution properly.

This happened in life so can you imagine how much more complicated things can become in death.

Many families have been left in the lurch upon the death of the breadwinner who did not leave a will. It does not only create family feuds and a problem of inheritance but also leaves the family in dire straits especially if there are debts to be settled, taxes to be paid or loans to be serviced.


Assets that are not claimed over a period of time -- including property, EPF contributions, dividends, insurance claims, deposits in banks and wages -- eventually end up as unclaimed monies in the Accountant-General's office. Recently, Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussein had said that the total amount of unclaimed monies in the country stood at RM4.53 billion.

Saw says having a will can help solve this problem otherwise the estate will be distributed according to the Distribution Act 1958 (amended in 1997), and this may not be compatible with the wishes of the deceased.

For instance, the deceased, who may not have been on good terms with his parents or siblings, may have wanted to leave his entire estate to his wife and children. But under the law, if he dies intestate (without leaving a will), his surviving parents will be entitled to a quarter of his wealth, while his wife and children will get 25 per cent and 50 per cent respectively.


Should the parents die later, the deceased's siblings can claim the parents' share.

Contrary to popular belief, Saw says writing a will is not something that only the rich should be doing.

"Everyone has something to their name whether it is a house, a car or a bank account. In fact, it is the average person who needs the will more than the super rich because they only have a limited amount of wealth which may mean the whole world to the family they leave behind.

"If they die intestate, then their assets would be frozen. Their loved ones will not have any access to whatever money until they have made the relevant application to the courts. And this can take years. How does the family survive in the meantime?"

Many Asians, especially the older generation still think it's taboo to talk about writing a will.

"When we started out 15 years ago, I remember we set up a booth at an exhibition in Batu Pahat and people would back away from our booth. They would not even pick up our brochure as they considered it taboo," recalls Low Wan Gem, CEO of Rockwills Corporation Sdn Bhd.

Now, he says, more people are warming up to the idea. He says the company usually sees a surge in people wanting to make a will following earthquakes, tsunamis or major accidents, disasters or outbreaks of infectious diseases.

"For example, during the SARS outbreak, many people called us. It is human nature for people to worry that the same fate may befall them."

Saw says there has been a 30-40 per cent increase in will writing among the public over the last 15 years.

Citing Madam Wong's case as an example, he says the advantage of having a will is that it can be re-written by the testator (person making the will) anytime he wishes as long as he is of sound mind.

"If you transfer a piece of your property to someone, you can't take it back. But if you have willed it to the person, you can always revoke your earlier will and write a new one."

Wills can also be used to keep your offspring on their toes as in the case of a wealthy businessman who was bothered by the very pampered and laid-back attitude of his sons. He told his children that although he had named them all in his earlier will, he had decided to re-write his will every year and apportion the bulk of his wealth to the most hardworking son. Now, the sons are going all out to prove their worth.

Interestingly, more than 60 per cent of Rockwills' clients comprise those aged between 30 and 55 years, with most having young children under their care.

Saw says there are even instances where people write wills before leaving for a holiday abroad while some couples travel separately to the same destination.

"They write a will just in case something happens to them during their trip," he says.

There are also those who write wills not to dispose off their estate but to leave specific instructions or messages for their loved ones.

This include expressing their love and affection for their loved ones or stating whether they want to be buried or cremated.

What's most important, Saw adds, is for the testator to keep the will in safe custody.

"Sometimes people write a will and keep it so secret that when they die no one even knows they left a will. This will cause inheritance problems."

Awareness low among Muslims
AS Muslims are governed by the faraid or Islamic law of inheritance which determines how their estate should be distributed upon their death, proper estate planning is crucial to ensure that loved ones are not left in the lurch.

"Unfortunately, only about one per cent of the 16 million Muslims in Malaysia have written their will or wasiat. The level of awareness on the need for a will is very low because they believe their estate will be governed by the faraid system upon their death, so writing a will is unnecessary," said Associate Professor Dr Siti Mashitoh Mahamood, Syariah law lecturer at University Malaya's Academy of Islamic Studies.

If a Muslim dies intestate, his property will be distributed according to the faraid system after payment of his funeral expenses and his debts. Any surplus after the distribution of his assets goes to the Baitulmal (the Muslim Treasury).

Under the faraid system, a widow with children would get one-eighth of her husband's assets. The rest of the property will be distributed among his children with the sons getting twice the portion given to the daughters.

If the man leaves a widow and a daughter, half his assets will be distributed to the daughter while his wife will receive a one-eighth portion. The rest of his assets will go to Baitulmal.

However, if the widow has no children, she only gets a quarter of his assets while the rest goes to Baitulmal.

As only the legitimate heirs of the deceased (ie his wife, sons, daughters and parents) are entitled to his assets under the faraid system, his other relatives such as his sisters, grandchildren or adopted children may not inherit anything.

Mashitoh said such situations could be avoided if Muslims plan their estate properly by writing a will or wasiat, spelling out how they would like their assets to be distributed upon their death.

"In fact, Muslims are encouraged to write a will to ensure that their loved ones who are non-heirs are taken care off. There is even a hadith narrated by Abdullah Ibn `Umar that the Prophet (p.b.u.h) said: "It is not permissible for any Muslim who has something to will to pass even two nights without having his last Will written."

In writing their will, Muslims can bequeath up to a third of their assets to anyone they wish, as long as the beneficiary is not a legitimate heir under the faraid system. The remaining two-thirds of his property will be distributed according to faraid.

Bequests can be made to relatives, friends, people in need or public welfare. A Muslim can also bequeath his assets to a non-Muslim, but not to anything or anyone who opposes Islam.

"So a Muslim convert can bequeath up to a third of his assets to his parents or siblings if he so wishes."

Mashitoh said instead of writing a will, Muslims could also use other instruments such as hibah (gifting), trust funds or wakaf (permanent dedication by a Muslim of a property for any religious, pious or charitable purpose) to distribute their assets among their loved ones.

"They can 'gift' their property to anyone they wish including their spouse, children, grandchildren, or siblings.

"For example, if a couple has an adopted child, the child will not be entitled to their property when the parents die. However, to safeguard the interest of the child, they can hibah the property to the child. But all this must be done while they are still alive and are of sound mind and good health so that it cannot be challenged later on. So, it is better to give what you want while you are still alive," she added.

Another option is to set up a trust fund for children which can be managed by parents while they are still alive and by an appointed trustee when they die.

"This is important especially if the child is a minor. The parent can determine the most qualified and suitable person to be the guardian of the child. Otherwise it will be left to the court and the guardian so appointed by the court may not be the most suitable or appropriate person to care for the child."

What you need to know about writing a will
1. A will must be in writing. It can be handwritten, typewritten or printed and it can be written in any language.

2. The testator (person making the will) must sign or affix his mark (for eg, a signature or thumbprint) at the end of the will, or place it in such a manner or position that it becomes obvious that it is intended to give effect to the writing as a will.

3. A will has to be witnessed by at least two persons present at the time of signing of the will by the testator himself, or the person signing on his behalf. Each of the witnesses shall then sign in the presence of the testator and in the presence of each other.

4. A will can be revoked before the testator's death, voluntarily or by operation of the law when certain events happen such as:

a) Marriage -- If a person is single at the time of writing his/her will, the will is automatically revoked once he/she marries.

b) Destruction -- A Will is considered revoked if it is destroyed with the intention of revoking it.

c) Writing of a new will -- a new will always supersedes other earlier wills. Therefore a will must be dated properly to avoid confusion or dispute in future.

d) Execution in writing -- the testator can declare in writing his intention to revoke his will dated on a certain day and put his signature on the piece of paper in the presence of two witnesses.

e) Conversion to Islam - once a person converts to the Muslim faith, the distribution of his estate is government by Syariah laws.
Source: Guide to PlanningYour Will Effectively

Centralised wills registration system

MUSLIMS make up 91 per cent of the 543,908 Malaysians who have written a will with AmanahRaya, the government-owned public trustee, indicating a growing awareness among the community of the importance of having a wasiat (will).
As at May, 495,758 Muslims have used the services of AmanahRaya to prepare a will, said AmanahRaya group chief operating officer Alina Hashim.

She said many Malaysians now realised the importance of writing a will and sought the services of trustees such as AmanahRaya as it helped ease the administration of their estate after their death.

"The appointment of a trustworthy guardian helps guarantee the welfare and interests of your loved ones when you are no more around, making things easier for beneficiaries," she added.

To help make estate administration easier, she said AmanahRaya had established a Wills Register or Daftar Wasiat Malaysia (DWM), which is a centralised system for the registration of Muslim and non-Muslim wills.

The register will serve as a reference centre for custodianship and updating of both Muslim and non-Muslim wills.

"With the availability of this centralised wills registration system, the families or beneficiaries of the deceased can check to see if the latter has left a will. If they have, then it makes it easier for a beneficiary to trace the custodian of the will or wasiat," she added.

AmanahRaya was originally the Department of Public Trustee and Official Administrator. The department was corporatised on Aug 1, 1995 to provide trust, legacy management and will services.

Taken from New Straits Times

Parents should not transfer the ownership of their house to their children when they are still alive.

If they do that, they will surely be living in an old folk's house.

So, just make a will. It's as simple as that.

The point is that don't transfer your property to your children's name while you are still alive.