The Penang government has clarified that the RM100,000 spent on a delegation’s visit to Egypt last year came from the Penang Islamic Religious Council’s (MAINPP) administrative budget, not zakat funds meant for the needy.

The clarification comes amid allegations that zakat funds were channelled towards the Egypt trip, including claims that the money was deposited into an officer’s personal bank account while the delegation was overseas.

Deputy Chief Minister I Mohamad Abdul Hamid said the visit, led by former Penang governor Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak last year, was financed through the council’s Administrative Fund under its 2025 budget, with not a sen taken from allocations meant for asnaf (eligible zakat recipients), the poor or tawaquf funds.