KUALA LUMPUR, The Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP) has allocated RM1 million to the Credit Counselling and Management Agency (AKPK) to assist the asnaf Al-Gharimin (debt-ridden) in breaking free from poverty. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr. Mohd Na'im Mokhtar said that the allocation will enable AKPK to provide services to the asnaf Al-Gharimin, such as financial education, financial advisory services, and credit management programmes, to enhance financial management skills and control debt effectively. 'The collaboration between MAIWP and AKPK will create a new scenario where it can assist the asnaf Al-Gharimin comprehensively, involving psychological development, financial management and human capital,' he said during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with AKPK here today. The MoU was signed by MAIWP's Acting Chief Executive Officer Datuk Mohd Nizam Yahya and AKPK's Chief Executive Officer Azaddin Ngah Tasir, witnessed by Mo hd Na'im and AKPK chairman Anuar Mohd Hassan. Mohd Na'im added that as of July, MAIWP had spent RM2.2 million in zakat funds to assist 1,161 recipients under the Debt Settlement Assistance programme. 'We hope that AKPK's expertise can help the asnaf Al-Gharimin from another perspective. I also hope that the programmes implemented in this collaboration will ensure that they (the Al-Gharimin) can escape the cycle of poverty. "This is the original goal of MAIWP; we do not want to provide one-off assistance. The schemes provided by MAIWP are aimed at freeing the asnaf Al-Gharimin from poverty and ensuring that they eventually become zakat (tithe) payers,' he said. Source: BERNAMA News Agency