23 February, KUALA LUMPUR – Joy was written on the faces of 26 poor and needy individuals renting at the Enggang Apartments in Puchong as they will each own their unit costing RM42,000 when gifted by the Selangor Zakat Board (LZS).
This effort was made under the boards Petaling District-Level Basic Needs Aid Programme for the poor/asnaf (eligible for charitable aid) group.
The 26 who attended the presentation ceremony at Dewan Enggang, near here, today are among 130 selected poor/asnaf individuals to receive the housing units at a cost of over RM1.2 million from LZS.
Also present at the ceremony was Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) deputy president, Mohd Zulkurnain Che Ali.
The 26 also today each received a cheque for RM450 as deposit for their respective housing units which were handed over to MPSJ. The balance will be settled by LZS and expected to be owned by the aid recipients by Aidilfitri this year.
All the 130 recipients have been renting their units at RM124 monthly from MPSJ.
LZS Distribution Operations Division head, Abdul Basith Hamid said each year, LZS allocated almost RM50 million to provide housing and rental, as well as repair homes for asnaf individuals registered with LZS, on top of other forms of aid to take the less fortunate out of poverty.
One of the recipients, Zawiyah Nordin, 70, a widow, said she was grateful for the gift of a home from LSZ. She has been staying at the apartment block since 2005 after being relocated from a squatter settlement in Batu 14, Puchong.
Zawiyah, whose husband died 16 years ago, said she also received monthly aid of RM350 from the Social Welfare Department and Aidilfitri contribution and education aid for her only child, while earning extra income from baby-sitting.
Another recipient, Zetika Jamilah Yahaya regards the gift of a home from LZS as good fortune for her family, with five school-going children as it could lessen her maintenance worker husband’s financial burden.
Last year, LZS provided aid to 45,471 asnaf families across the state, including destitutes.
– BERNAMA