Mosques should have a welfare officer
By Ahmad A Talib
September 21, 2019 @ 11:20pm
HALIMAH leads a very difficult life. Her life is full of daily challenges, some of which look
insurmountable.
Abandoned by her husband, Halimah struggles to feed her three children, one of whom, her only
son, later turned to drugs.
The boy was arrested and is now trying to regain his life in a rehabilitation centre outside Kuala
Lumpur.
Halimah’s husband left her and their children, depriving them of any financial support. Life couldn’t
have been more difficult for her.
People like Halimah don’t have a safety net. She has been trying to get a job as a maid or a helper in
a restaurant. But this has not been easy. There were days when she could earn a bit of money from
helping out a family with some house chores, but this wasn’t enough to pay the rent.
She has been getting a bit of money from the Welfare Department. While this is most welcomed,
she knows that a steady job is what she needs most.
So this brings us to Zul S. Some friends had gathered at his office in Putrajaya recently to discuss
urban issues, including poverty and how to reduce it.
Zul S. gave a somewhat fresh perspective to cases like Halimah’s.
While the government, through its various agencies, will continue to provide assistance to people
like Halimah, Zul S. said there should be other institutions that could also provide some form of
safety net.
“Mosques are everywhere. Nearby residents and others pray there five times a day, with a big
congregation on Friday. Besides being a prayer house, mosques should also be used as a centre of
local administration.”
Every mosque has a properly elected executive committee responsible for its daily running.
“There are a few paid employees, supported by members of the congregation, who are mostly
volunteers but they take their jobs seriously.
“The committee members are tasked with cleanliness, maintaining an effective duty roster, fund
raising, education and organising community services, such as supervising funeral arrangements.
There is also a sub-committee looking after women’s affairs.
“I want to suggest that every mosque has a dedicated officer looking after the community’s welfare.
This can be very useful and functions as a safety net right at the grassroots. Mosques do charity work
all the time, but a structured set up can make a major difference,” said Zul S.
The suggestion merits serious consideration. Every year, most mosques extend help to deserving
members of the congregation, usually in the form of cash contributions. They are given to orphans,
single parents and selected senior citizens.
Most mosques do this once a year, usually during Ramadan and in the run-up to Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
If mosques have a dedicated welfare officer, then his job would be to compile an up-to-date list of
recipients of the mosque’s corporate social responsibility programme, so to speak.
In fact, in Islam, feeding the poor and helping neighbours and those in severe difficulty are
requirements if one is to seek rewards in the hereafter.
The task for the mosque welfare officer or volunteer is simple. But it entails a lot of leg work and
ground engagement. It is very important for the person to have a 200 per cent commitment to serve
the community. The person can head a small sub-committee, whose task is to compile a list of single
parents, orphans, the elderly, the poor and those facing difficulty like Halimah.
There has been widespread talk that mosque committees do have funds, but appear reluctant to use
them for community projects. This must change.
Depending on location, the congregation attending Friday prayers may contribute anything between
RM1,500 and RM12,000 every week. The money is often used to finance religious classes, conduct
forums and do minor repairs from time to time.
With a welfare officer, mosques can plan a proper budget to help the needy. Proper criteria can be
established and an effective screening system can be put in place. If properly done, mosques would
